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Slow Cooker Italian Sloppy Joes Recipe

Slow Cooker Italian Sloppy Joes

A saucy crockpot beef sandwich filling made with tomato sauce, diced tomatoes, green pepper, Italian herbs, Parmesan, and mozzarella. The beef is browned first for better flavor and a less greasy finished sauce.
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Prep Time 15 minutes
Cook Time 4 minutes
Total Time 4 minutes
Servings: 6 servings
Ingredients Method Notes

Ingredients
  

Sloppy Joe Filling
  • 1 pound Lean ground beef
  • 1 medium Medium onion, chopped
  • 1/2 cup Green bell pepper, chopped
  • 1 15-ounce can Tomato sauce
  • 1 14-15-ounce can Diced tomatoes, undrained
Seasonings
  • 1/4 cup Grated Parmesan cheese
  • 1 tablespoon Italian seasoning
  • 1 tablespoon Dried parsley
  • 1 teaspoon Garlic powder
  • 1/2 teaspoon Salt
  • 1/4 teaspoon Black pepper
For Serving
  • 6-8 buns Hamburger buns, split
  • 6-8 slices Mozzarella cheese slices

Method
 

Step-by-Step
  1. Brown the ground beef and chopped onion in a skillet over medium heat for 8 to 10 minutes, stirring and breaking the beef into small crumbles, until the meat is no longer pink.
  2. Drain the excess fat thoroughly, especially if using regular ground beef. Transfer the cooked beef and onion to the slow cooker.
  3. Add the chopped green pepper, tomato sauce, undrained diced tomatoes, Parmesan, Italian seasoning, dried parsley, garlic powder, salt, and black pepper. Stir until the ingredients are evenly distributed.
  4. Cover and cook on LOW for 4 to 5 hours, or until the green pepper is tender and the flavors have blended. For a faster setting, cook on HIGH for about 2 to 3 hours.
  5. Toast the split buns, spoon the Italian sloppy joe filling onto each bottom half, and top with mozzarella. For melted cheese, place the assembled sandwiches under a broiler for 1 to 2 minutes, watching closely.

Notes

Brown and drain the beef before slow cooking because a crockpot will not brown meat or reliably remove excess fat. Toasted buns help keep the tomato filling from soaking through. Refrigerate leftovers in a covered container and reheat the filling gently before serving.