It’s the night before the final exam for my first year law student, and I know what he wants for dinner, Sloppy José’s. Yep – you read that right. One of our very favorite recipes in the blog is for Sloppy Joes, and as much as we love yummy meat in a tasty sauce all eaten in a bun, we adore it with a Mexican twist served in taco shells! We named it Sloppy José’s in tribute to a favorite Gatlinburg restaurant, No Way Jose, which I’m very happy to report is still standing with only minor damage. We will be going back soon for their extra hot rellenos and of course, tacos.
What makes this recipe so unique is the meat mixture, a little tangy, a little sweet and a little spicy. It is kind of messy, but in a good way. And of course, what’s a fabulous recipe without a “special sauce” that takes it over the top. If all of this sounds exhausting to make – trust me, it’s not. I don’t cook that way during this busy time of year. The special sauce is sour cream with lime zest and juice, cilantro, green onion and chili powder. You just mix it up. It can hang out in the fridge until needed. It makes a good dip too. The Sloppy José’s have a basic Sloppy Jo meat mixture, beef, onions, garlic, and tomatoes, with chili powder included. The tangy sweet taste comes from chili sauce and Worcestershire sauce. Toppings are your choice, but definitely cheese is required. The stand up taco shells are great for serving. Best of all, it’s a meal al1 by itself. My family loves this dinner. We never say No Way to Sloppy José’s.
Ingredients
1 ½ lb ground beef (you can sub chicken or turkey)
1 Tbsp olive oil
1 onion, chopped
3 garlic cloves, chopped
14 oz can of diced tomatoes including juice
1 jar chili sauce (I like Heinz)
¼ cup Worcestershire sauce
1 tsp garlic salt
2 Tbsp brown sugar
3 Tbsp chili powder (if you have ground ancho chili powder, substitute that for half of the chili powder.)
1 Tbsp ground cumin
Taco shells heated according to package directions, for serving
Directions
In a large skillet or Dutch oven, brown beef in olive oil.
Add onion and garlic and sauté until soft.
Add tomatoes, stirring to break up.
Add remaining ingredients, chili sauce, Worcestershire sauce, garlic salt, brown sugar, chili powder, and cumin.
Simmer for over low heat for 30 minutes and taste for seasoning before serving.
Special sauce: Combine 1cup sour cream, zest and juice of one lime, 2 Tbsp each chopped green onions, and cilantro, ½ tsp salt, and ½ tsp chili powder.
Garnishes: anything you like: cilantro, onion, cheese, avocado, black olives, limes.
Serve in warm taco shells. Delicious!
