Soupy Joes

The recipe Sunday was Soupy Joes — a saucier soupier version of the Sloppy Joe, served over rice instead of on a bun. Browned ground beef in a tomato-based sauce with onion, peppers, brown sugar, vinegar, mustard. Total: $4.40 for three meals.

The recipe is below.

Soupy Joes

Prep Time: 10 minutes | Cook Time: 25 minutes | Total Time: 35 minutes | Servings: 4

Ingredients

• 1 lb lean ground beef
• 1 small yellow onion, diced
• 1 green bell pepper, diced
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 can (15 oz) tomato sauce
• 1 can (14.5 oz) diced tomatoes, undrained
• 1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
• 1 tablespoon brown sugar
• 1 teaspoon yellow mustard
• 1/2 teaspoon smoked paprika
• Salt and black pepper to taste
• 4 hamburger buns or thick-cut bread slices, for serving

Instructions

1. Brown the beef. Heat a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the ground beef and cook, breaking it apart with a wooden spoon, until no pink remains, about 6–8 minutes. Drain excess fat if needed.
2. Soften the vegetables. Reduce heat to medium. Add the diced onion and bell pepper to the skillet with the beef. Cook, stirring occasionally, until softened, about 4–5 minutes. Stir in the garlic and cook 1 minute more.
3. Build the sauce. Pour in the tomato sauce and diced tomatoes (with their juices). Stir in the Worcestershire sauce, brown sugar, mustard, and smoked paprika. Season with salt and pepper.
4. Simmer. Reduce heat to low and let the mixture simmer uncovered, stirring occasionally, for 12–15 minutes until the sauce thickens slightly but remains saucy — it should be looser than a traditional sloppy joe, more like a hearty stew.
5. Serve. Ladle generously over toasted buns or thick bread slices. Serve immediately with extra napkins — these are meant to be a little messy.

Nutrition (per serving)

Calories: 380 | Protein: 26g | Fat: 14g | Carbs: 34g | Fiber: 3g | Sodium: 720mg