Spicy Sloppy Italian Joes!
This recipe creates a spicy Italian-inspired sloppy joe, featuring seasoned ground meat or Italian sausage simmered with bell peppers, onions, and garlic in a zesty spaghetti sauce. It's served open-faced on toasted garlic Texas toast and finished with Parmesan cheese, offering a quick and flavorful meal.
Equipment
- 1 Large Skillet or Dutch Oven For browning meat and simmering the sauce.
- 1 Wooden Spoon or Spatula For stirring and breaking up ground meat.
- 1 Baking Sheet For toasting the Texas toast in the oven.
- 1 Chef's knife For dicing and mincing vegetables.
- 1 Cutting Board For preparing vegetables.
Ingredients
Main
- 1 lb ground beef or 1 lb Italian sausage
- 1/2 cup onion diced
- 1/2 cup green bell pepper diced
- 3 garlic cloves minced
- 2 serrano peppers minced (optional) or 1 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes (optional)
- 1 15 1/2 ounce jar spaghetti sauce (I use Classico Spicy Red Bell Pepper)
- 1 1/4 ounces sloppy joe seasoning mix
- 8 slices Texas toast thick bread frozen (the garlic bread kind found in the frozen section)
- 1/2 cup parmesan cheese
Instructions
- Preheat your oven to the temperature specified on the Texas toast packaging, typically 400°F (200°C).
- In a large skillet or Dutch oven over medium-high heat, brown the ground beef or Italian sausage, breaking it up with a wooden spoon until no pink remains.
- Drain any excess grease from the skillet, leaving a small amount for sautéing.
- Add the diced onion, green bell pepper, minced garlic, and minced serrano peppers (or crushed red pepper flakes) to the skillet.
- Sauté the vegetables for 5-7 minutes until they are softened and fragrant.
- Stir in the spaghetti sauce and sloppy joe seasoning mix, ensuring all ingredients are well combined.
- Bring the mixture to a simmer, then reduce heat to low, cover, and let it cook for at least 10 minutes to allow the flavors to meld.
- While the sloppy joe mixture simmers, arrange the frozen Texas toast slices on a baking sheet and bake according to package directions until golden and crispy.
- Spoon a generous amount of the hot sloppy joe mixture over each slice of toasted Texas toast.
- Generously sprinkle with Parmesan cheese and serve immediately.
Notes
Achieve a deeper flavor by thoroughly browning the ground beef or Italian sausage before adding vegetables; the fond developed in the pan is critical. If using Italian sausage, remove casings and break up the meat as it cooks. To prevent soggy bread, toast the Texas toast until golden and crisp immediately before assembly. For an extra layer of flavor, consider adding a splash of red wine to deglaze the pan after browning the meat, allowing it to reduce before adding the sauce. Adjust the spice level carefully based on the serrano peppers' heat or red pepper flakes. A final sprinkle of fresh parsley or basil would brighten the dish.