I’m sure the first thing that comes to your mind when you think of Martha Stewart are Sloppy Joes, right? Um, no, probably not. In fact I’ll bet you’ve never used the words “Sloppy Joes” and “Martha Stewart” in the same sentence…it’s hard to wrap your mind around our Domestic Goddess being associated with this low-brow, down-home comfort food, isn’t it? But here I am making Martha’s Sloppy Joes from the Midwest section on page 241!
Now I strongly suspect that Sloppy Joes are not a regular item on Martha’s entertaining menu. But that’s why the book isn’t called “Martha’s Favorite Things To Eat,” it’s called Martha’s American Food because it pay homage to our nation’s food history, and lets face it, Sloppy Joes are about as American as it gets!
I used to eat these a lot when I was a little kid. My grandmother was a big fan of Manwich Sloppy Joe Sauce and used to whip these up for lunch quite a bit when I was on summer vacation from school. Kids really love Sloppy Joes and they’re both easy to make and economical. But I actually hadn’t had one in ages, it’s just one of those things that fell of my radar, perhaps because it doesn’t seem like “grown-up” food.
This was really quite a treat! I forgot how tasty a good Sloppy Joe sandwich can be and they’re even better when you make your own sauce. This is the kind of recipe that you can play around with to suit your own taste. I added some diced, fire roasted tomatoes, a little red wine, a dash of sriracha and even a pinch of cinnamon to my sauce. It’s very similar to a barbecue sauce, but not quite as thick and it doesn’t need to simmer as long. The whole thing only took about 15 minutes to make. I always enjoy finding new ways to make a quick and tasty meal.
Martha’s Sloppy Joes were a fun and nostalgic dish for me to re-discover after all these years. Whether you’re feeding a bunch of hungry kids or just want a simple, yummy little meal that’s easy to put together, you can’t go wrong with Sloppy Joes!
