Large Batch Sloppy Joes
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Posted: 12/19/23
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Need to feed a crowd? This large batch Sloppy Joes recipe is the answer. It’s so easy to make, full of flavor and make enough to feed a large group. If you don’t have a large group to feed, freezer half of it and pull it out when you need an easy meal!
Sloppy joes are a crowd pleaser, incredibly easy to make, and a fabulous dish to make extra servings of. If you’ve got a large family or you’re hosting guests, you need to check out this large batch sloppy joes recipe.
I typically turn towards recipes like cheeseburger casserole when needing to feed a lot of people. But once I learned to make sloppy joes for a crowd, I’m never going back to just casseroles!
Kids and adults alike are crazy about these easy sandwiches. And what’s not to love? A warm and hearty, flavorful dish served on a fluffy bun. Add a slice of cheese and you’ve got classic comfort food that would put a smile on anyones face!
Make this easy recipe whenever you need a crowd favorite meal that is quick to put together.
Why You’ll Love Large Batch Sloppy Joes
- These are great for meal prep. They refrigerate and freeze super well, and reheat like you just cooked it fresh!
- You can make 18 servings of this hearty dish in under 30 minutes. Talk about easy and quick!
- This recipe is budget-friendly and affordable. Since it makes so many servings, you can get tons of meals out of one batch.
Ingredients to make Sloppy Joes for a Crowd
- Ground beef – Use lean ground beef for the least greasy results. If you use beef with a lot of fat that cooks out, make sure you drain it really really well.
- Ketchup – A little splash of ketchup gives a great flavor to these sandwiches’.
- Brown sugar – Add some sweetness with a dash of brown sugar!
- Diced onion – I prefer to use white onion in this recipe. You can use yellow onion too.
- Tomato soup – A can of tomato soup is the easy button. It adds so much flavor!
- Chicken gumbo soup – Canned chicken gumbo soup may seem odd, but it’s so good. Really is the secret ingredient!
- Yellow mustard – The tangy flavor of yellow mustard is the perfect addition.
- Salt and pepper – Season this tasty dish simply with salt and pepper. All of the other ingredients flavor this dish well too.
- Corn starch – Thicken the sloppy joe mixture with corn starch so that it is the perfect consistency for the sandwich!
Helpful Tools
How to Make Large Batch Sloppy Joes
- Place ground beef, diced onions, salt and pepper into a large skillet over medium. Cook the beef mixture until no pink remains and all beef has cooked into crumbles.
- After it cooks, about 7-8 minutes, drain the grease.
- Add the ketchup, tomato soup, chicken gumbo soup, brown sugar, mustard and corn starch to the sloppy joe mixture.
- Cook the mixture for about 10 minutes until heated well and thickened up.
- Serve immediately on a fresh hamburger bun!
How to Store Leftover Sloppy Joes
The best part about making this extra large and easy recipe for sloppy joes — it stores extremely well!
FRIDGE: Place leftovers into an airtight container and store in the fridge for 3-4 days.
FREEZER: Place leftovers an airtight container or freezer safe bag and freeze for 3-4 months. Allow to thaw before reheating.
How to Reheat Leftover Sloppy Joes
To reheat, place into a saucepan on the stovetop until warmed through. You can reheat leftovers in the microwave too!
Serving Suggestions
These tasty sandwiches go well with really anything. If you want to have a heartier side than potato chips, make some yummy potato salad instead! Baked zucchini fries would be a perfect veggie side.
Simple sides like smashed potatoes, air fryer tater tots, and air fryer french fries would all pair well. If you’re feeling like a cold side dish, make a chicken caesar pasta salad!
Crowd friendly side dishes like crock pot mac and cheese would be delicious too.
What can I use in place of chicken gumbo soup?
Sometimes canned chicken gumbo soup can be difficult to find, so there are other options you can use! A good beef stew or beef soup would be a good 1:1 swap.
You could also use chicken and rice soup, though having some grains of rice in your sloppy joes may be odd. Cream of chicken or cream of mushroom would make a different flavor, but would absolutely be tasty!
What are the best buns for sloppy joes?
A fresh, soft hamburger bun is the easiest option to grab for sloppy joes. Plus, it tastes pretty good! But brioche buns add extra flavor to these yummy sandwiches, and it’s a total game changer.
You can also use things like hoagie rolls and a sesame bun if you’re feeling fancy. In fact, you can even eat sloppy joes on a hot dog buns! So grab whatever you want to be the vehicle for these delicious sandwiches.
Pro Tips
- When cooking the beef, make sure you break it up into small chunks and don’t leave large chunks of meat. You’ll appreciate the small ground beef when you make those sandwiches!
- To keep buns from getting soggy, lightly toast them on the inside before filling with sloppy joe mixture.
- Feel free to adapt and change this recipe to fit your preferences or dietary needs. It is a great base recipe to follow, so make it your own.
Cooking for a crowd is no longer daunting with this large batch sloppy joes recipe!
More Ground Beef Recipes You’ll Love
- Make a ton of tacos with this recipe for Easy Ground Beef Taco Meat!
- Need an easy appetizer for a party? Make Rotel Dip with just 3 ingredients.
- Easy Cheeseburger Soup is a great hearty meal for cold winter months. A family friendly recipe that everyone will enjoy!
- Bacon Cheeseburger Tater Tot Casserole — just the name makes me drool. You gotta try it out!
Did you make this? If you snap a photo, please be sure tag me on Instagram at @julieseatsandtreats or #julieseatsandtreats so I can see your yummy treat!
Large Batch Sloppy Joes
Make this easy and delicious large batch Sloppy Joes recipe when you need to feed a crowd.
Ingredients
- 3 pounds ground beef
- 1 onion chopped
- 1 teaspoon salt
- ½ teaspoon pepper
- 1 ½ teaspoon yellow mustard
- 1 Tablespoon corn starch
- 10 ¾ ounces can tomato soup
- 10 ¾ ounces can chicken gumbo soup
- ½ cup ketchup
- 2 Tablespoons brown sugar
Instructions
- Add hamburger, onions, salt and pepper to a large skillet. Cook over medium heat, breaking apart beef into crumbles as it cooks about 7-8 minutes. Drain grease off.
- And the rest of the ingredients to the browned hamburger, mix well and heat over medium heat until heated through about 10 minutes.
Tips
FRIDGE: Place leftovers into an airtight container and store in the fridge for 3-4 days.
FREEZER: Place leftovers an airtight container or freezer safe bag and freeze for 3-4 months. Allow to thaw before reheating.
To reheat, place into a saucepan on the stovetop and reheat on low heat or warm in the microwave in a microwave safe bowl.
Nutrition Information
Calories: 201kcal (10%), Carbohydrates: 8g (3%), Protein: 15g (30%), Fat: 12g (18%), Saturated Fat: 5g (31%), Polyunsaturated Fat: 0.5g, Monounsaturated Fat: 5g, Trans Fat: 1g, Cholesterol: 52mg (17%), Sodium: 365mg (16%), Potassium: 451mg (13%), Fiber: 0.5g (2%), Sugar: 5g (6%), Vitamin A: 170IU (3%), Vitamin C: 3mg (4%), Calcium: 18mg (2%), Iron: 2mg (11%)
Chris says
Can of chicken gumbo?
Brooke Kill says
Our secret ingredient!