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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 a hit with my family! The sweetness of the potato mixed with the savory flavor of the meat just can’t be beat!
glad you loved it!
YUM!! Just made this for the first time and think it’s going to become a weekly meal! SO easy and quick and so yummy. I microwaved the potatoes first before the oven to cut down on the time.
Hi Alex – just wanted to tell you I started cooking your recipes about 3 years ago and so far I have made 34 of them! I never really enjoyed cooking much before, nor was I very good at it, but trying your recipes has become a hobby of mine. My sister and I swap them back and forth and my husband knows he is on kid-duty when I’m trying a new one 🙂 I love all three of your books and I just wanted to thank you for doing what you do, it has brought me and my family a lot of joy! God bless you and your family!!
Thank you for your kind comment, Bailey! So glad my recipes have gotten you into the kitchen. Keep it up!
Any other additional veggies you recommend that we could add for more nutrients? We’ve been making this recipe for years and love it! Just looking to get bellies fuller and more veggies!
I always add some roasted broccoli!!
I add fresh spinach onto the sweet potato before topping with the beef!
I added black beans + a celery stalk I had in my fridge. I chopped the celery super small and you couldn’t even tell it was there.
Love this recipe! It’s my go-to meal train meal and it’s always a hit – healthy, hearty, easy to reheat, kid friendly. Thanks, as always, Alex!
This has become a staple in my house! It’s so delicious and super easy/quick. We like to cut the sweet potato in rings sometimes too. Highly recommend this recipe.
Has anyone tried this in the slow cooker?
Can I use dry mustard?
yes about 1 tsp should be good!
So delicious and way healthier than your typical sloppy joe! Love serving it with sweet potato too. I have made this a couple times already and it’s always a hit! 🙂
Yay!! I love this one, also!! 🙂 Glad it was a hit.
These are so incredibly good! Wow. So much flavor and better than traditional sloppy joes by far!!!