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Meet Sloppy Jane, a lighter but still nutrient-dense version of a traditional Sloppy Joe! These Sloppy Janes are a fun twist on an old classic, while still being super satisfying and delicious.
This Sloppy Jane dinner is so satisfying and is one that the whole family will just love! Plus, it just so happens to be Whole30-approved, paleo-friendly, gluten-free, grain-free, and dairy-free, so you can feel comfortable serving it to a wide variety of people. To make them, you’ll stuff roasted sweet potatoes with a savory, slightly spicy ground beef mixture that has all the flavors and hallmarks of traditional Sloppy Joes. Most of the cook time is hands-off, which will give you plenty of time to clean up around the house, help your kiddos with their homework, or just unwind with a glass of wine!
Make these Sloppy Janes the next time you have friends or family over and watch everyone fall in love.
Ingredients:
- Sweet Potatoes
- Avocado Oil
- Kosher Salt
- Yellow Onion
- Green Bell Pepper
- Garlic Cloves
- Ground Beef
- Freshly Ground Black Pepper
- Chili Powder
- Tomato Paste
- Yellow Mustard
- Coconut Aminos
Step-by-Step:
step one: preheat the oven
Preheat the oven to 400℉.
step two: prep the sweet potatoes
Scrub and pat dry the sweet potatoes and set on a baking sheet. Using a fork, pierce each potato about 6 times all over. Drizzle the potatoes with oil and, using your hands, rub the oil into the potatoes evenly. Sprinkle with salt.
step three: bake the sweet potatoes
Transfer to the oven and bake until the potatoes are tender, about 45 minutes.
step four: start the Sloppy Jane mixture
Heat the oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the onions, bell peppers, and garlic, and cook, stirring, until tender, about 3 minutes.
step five: add the ground beef
Add the ground beef and cook, breaking up the meat with the edge of a spatula until cooked through and no longer pink, 6 to 8 minutes. Drain off any excess fat and reduce the heat to medium-low.
step six: finish the Sloppy Jane mixture
Add the salt, pepper, chili powder, tomato paste, mustard, and coconut aminos and stir until well combined. Remove from heat, cover, and keep warm until the potatoes are ready.
step seven: finish and serve!
When the potatoes are done, remove from the oven and let cool enough to handle. Carve a slit at the top of each potato and using a fork, fluff the inside of the potato. Top with the sloppy jane mix, serve, and enjoy!
Recipe FAQs:
Sure! You can add any other veggies your family likes, such as carrots, zucchini, spinach, or corn — just make sure they are tender before you add the ground beef.
You can! Use about 1 teaspoon of dry mustard powder.
I love a good Sloppy Joe sandwich, but these Sloppy Janes are a bit lighter and more nutritious since they’re served in a roasted sweet potato instead of a sandwich bun.
Soy sauce or tamari both work great as a substitute for coconut aminos; just keep in mind that they aren’t Whole30 compliant.
I hope y’all love these Sloppy Janes! Comment below after you try it and let me know what you think!
Looking for more sloppy joe-inspired recipes? Try these!
Sloppy Janes
Ingredients
For the Sweet Potatoes:
- 4 medium-sized sweet potatoes
- 2 tablespoons avocado oil
- 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
For the Sloppy Jane Mixture:
- 2 tablespoons avocado oil
- 1 cup finely diced yellow onion (from about 1/2 large onion)
- 1 cup finely diced green bell pepper (from about 1 bell pepper)
- 2 garlic cloves, minced
- 1 pound ground beef
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
- 1 teaspoon chili powder
- 2 tablespoons tomato paste
- 1 tablespoon yellow mustard
- 1/4 cup coconut aminos
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 400℉
- Scrub and pat dry the sweet potatoes and set on a baking sheet. Using a fork, pierce each potato about 6 times all over. Drizzle the potatoes with oil and, using your hands, rub the oil into the potatoes evenly. Sprinkle with salt.
- Transfer to the oven and bake until the potatoes are tender, about 45 minutes.
Make the Sloppy Jane Mixture:
- Heat the oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the onions, bell peppers, and garlic, and cook, stirring, until tender, about 3 minutes.
- Add the ground beef and cook, breaking up the meat with the edge of a spatula until cooked through and no longer pink, 6 to 8 minutes. Drain off any excess fat and reduce the heat to medium-low.
- Add the salt, pepper, chili powder, tomato paste, mustard, and coconut aminos and stir until well combined. Remove from heat, cover, and keep warm until the potatoes are ready.
- When the potatoes are done, remove from the oven and let cool enough to handle. Carve a slit at the top of each potato and using a fork, fluff the inside of the potato. Top with the sloppy jane mix, serve, and enjoy!
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
These were soo good! Even when not on whole30. We served on toasted buns with a slice of cheese and whole30 coleslaw. YUM!
I love this recipe! It was a staple during my January Whole 30. It will definitely stay in the rotation beyond January!
Made this last night!! Totally should have doubled the recipe. It was suppose to be my leftovers for work but my husband took it 🤣🤣 so for sure a 10 out of 10. Thanks 💕💕
Love this recipe! We put on buns with a slice of cheddar cheese (just like I did as a kid). So much better than manwich !
Love this recipe!! Have made it multiple times! I do have a question- if I don’t have coconut aminos can I substitute soy sauce? Would that give it similar flavor?
yes definitely! The coconut aminos are a tad sweeter, so it’ll only slightly change the overall flavor.
Have you tried the new Smokey coconut aminos from tjs ? Mine currently has that but not the original- do you think that would be good??
Excited for this as a family meal! Do the red pepper flakes and chili powder make it spicy? wondering for little ones. If so- suggestions for packing a flavor punch but ommitting heat?
Just do the chili powder with kids– and omit the pepper flakes!
I LOVE LOVE LOVE this recipe! I use ground turkey instead and it tastes amazing. Such an easy meal and perfect for meal prepping- it is just as good reheated which is always a bonus!
Thank you for sharing!
Making this recipe this week, going to try stuffing it in peppers and adding cauli rice to make it more filling without the taters!
This looks great! Would Dijon be a good substitute for the Yellow Mustard if we have that?
yes perfect!
I love this recipe! Well all your recipes on the blog and in the cookbook! Big Alex fan over here! My husband isn’t a fan of sweet potato’s but loooves this recipe. For those of you who said the sweet potatoes cook longer , I like to slice them in half and bake them that way.