If you love classic comfort food, these veggie-packed sloppy joes are going to be one of your new favorite meals. This recipe combines lean ground beef with veggies, including sweetpotato (for fiber, Vitamin A, and fitness-fueling carbs), mushrooms (to add umami), and bell peppers (for a boost of Vitamin C). The result is a satisfying meal that has all the key flavors of a sloppy joe but also packs in more nutrition.
Disclosure: This recipe was developed in a paid partnership with the North Carolina Sweetpotato Commission.
Ingredients
Here’s a photo of all the ingredients you’ll need, along with selected ingredient notes. Don’t be intimidated by the number of ingredients; most are just seasonings and other kitchen staples!
- Sweetpotatoes – These are great for stretching the sloppy joe mixture while simultaneously adding some additional fiber and phytonutrients to the recipe. They also add a slight natural sweetness that works well in this dish.
- Mushrooms – Another great veggie to mix in with the ground beef, helping to bulk up the recipe and add additional nutrients.
- Ground beef – I prefer 93% lean ground beef for this recipe; it provides all the protein with less saturated fat. However, you can certainly use whatever ground beef you have on hand – just note it may affect the nutrition facts.
Instructions
You’ll find the full recipe amounts and instructions in the recipe card below, but here’s a helpful overview with photos and tips.
Start by chopping up all your veggies. For the sweetpotato, the easiest way I’ve found to do this is to chop it roughly and toss it in a mini food processor. Pulse several times until it’s very finely chopped. You can use a shredder attachment or shred by hand, but the quick pulse chop is just so much easier in my opinion. You can use the same mini processor to finely chop the mushrooms too.
And then you can chop up the onion, bell pepper, and garlic by hand. Similarly, measure out all the spices you’ll need into a small bowl. Doing this all ahead of time will make the rest of the recipe flow smoothly! (Quick tip – there are quite a few seasonings in this recipe; it’s OK if you don’t have one on hand. This recipe is flexible.)
Now you’re ready to get cookin’. Heat a skillet over medium heat and add the olive oil. Then add your sweetpotatoes, mushrooms, bell pepper, and onion. Cook those for about 3-4 minutes, until the veggies start to get tender. Then add the ground beef and the garlic and cook for another 6-8 minutes, until the meat is browned. Use a slanted spatula to break up the beef as it cooks.
Now add all your seasonings along with the brown sugar, Worcestershire, and Dijon mustard. Stir that up and cook for a minute or so, until it’s nice and fragrant. Then add the ketchup, BBQ sauce, and water to the pan and stir everything together. Cook for about 2 minutes, letting the flavors meld together and the mixture thicken up just a bit.
Spoon out the sloppy joe mixture on hamburger buns and enjoy! I personally would prefer some whole wheat buns for this recipe, but my kiddo is going through a no wheat bread phase, so alas – regular buns it is for now. 😊
Recipe Tips
Serving Options: I always veer towards serving this on a bun, but you can also serve it over a baked sweetpotato or baked potato. It can also be served on a salad and then topped with a chipotle ranch dressing – yum!
Storage: Store the leftover sloppy joe mixture in a container in the fridge for up to 4 days. When ready to enjoy, reheat in the microwave and then place on a bun.
Freezing: This can be frozen in an airtight container. I recommend portioning it into single serving containers that can be reheated in the microwave. For best quality, use within 3 months of freezing.
Side Dish Suggestions: This recipe is great alongside a green salad, roasted vegetables, potato salad, or coleslaw.
Vegetarian Option: If you prefer a vegetarian dish, feel free to use a ground meat substitute, or you can use cooked lentils instead of meat.
More Sweetpotato Dinner Ideas
If you’re looking for more recipes that feature sweetpotatoes (and who isn’t?!), be sure to give one of these a try:
- Sweetpotato fish cakes
- Marry me sweetpotatoes and white beans
- Rainbow veggie pinwheels
- Sweetpotato flatbread BLTs
I hope you enjoy this healthy sloppy joe recipe! If you get a chance to try it, feel free to leave a recipe rating or comment below.
Veggie-Packed Sloppy Joes
Ingredients
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 medium North Carolina sweetpotato, finely chopped or shredded (see notes)
- 8 ounces baby bella mushrooms, finely chopped (see notes)
- 1 small yellow onion, diced (or half of a large onion)
- ½ large bell pepper, diced (any color)
- 1 pound 93% lean ground beef
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 teaspoon smoked paprika
- 1 teaspoon chili powder
- ½ teaspoon onion powder
- ½ teaspoon garlic powder
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- 1 tablespoon brown sugar
- 1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
- 1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
- ⅔ cup ketchup
- ¼ cup BBQ sauce
- 2 tablespoons water
- 6 hamburger buns (for serving)
Instructions
- In a large skillet, heat the olive oil over medium heat. Add the sweetpotato, mushrooms, onion, and pepper, and cook for 3-4 minutes, until the vegetables start to get tender.
- Add the ground beef and garlic to the skillet. Cook for another 6-8 minutes, breaking apart the meat as it cooks with a slanted spatula, until the beef is browned.
- Add the paprika, chili powder, onion powder, garlic powder, salt, brown sugar, Worcestershire, and Dijon. Cook for 1-2 minutes, stirring often, until fragrant.
- Add the ketchup, BBQ sauce, and water. Cook for 2 minutes, stirring frequently.
- Remove from heat and let cool for a couple of minutes, then serve on buns. Enjoy!
Notes
- The easiest way to prepare the sweetpotato for this recipe is to just chop it into chunks, put it in a mini food processor, and pulse several times until it is very finely chopped. You can also use the shredding attachment for a food processor or shred by hand, but the prior option is quickest and easiest! You can also finely chop your mushrooms in the mini food processor by pulsing a few times too; do it right after you’ve removed the sweetpotato.
- This recipe also tastes great served over baked sweetpotatoes or baked potatoes as an alternative to buns.
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