Here’s What To Do With Leftover Sloppy Joe Meat

If you’re wondering what to do with leftover sloppy Joe meat, you came to the right place for answers! The versatility of sloppy Joe leftovers is on full display throughout the 20 mouthwatering leftover sloppy Joe recipes featured in this post.

Whenever I make sloppy Joes for dinner, I try to make more than we can eat just so I can count on leftovers! With leftover sloppy Joe meat in the fridge, I’m already partway to another delicious meal that I know will be quick and easy to throw together.

So before we start exploring those 20 leftover sloppy Joe recipes and meal ideas, I wanted to start by sharing my favorite easy sloppy Joe recipe. (That way, if you don’t already have a sloppy Joe recipe you prefer, you won’t have to hunt one down!)

Easy Sloppy Joe Recipe

Sloppy Joes are made with ground beef, onions, garlic, and bell peppers in a sweet and savory tomato-based sauce. Depending on how many people you’re feeding, it might be wise to double the recipe below to ensure you end up with leftovers!

Ingredients:

• 2 tsp cooking oil
• 1 yellow onion, diced
• 1 bell pepper, diced
• 1 pound ground beef (or turkey)
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• Salt and pepper, to taste
• 8 oz canned tomato sauce
• 1/2 cup ketchup
• 1-3 Tbsp brown sugar
• 2 Tbsp Worcestershire sauce
• 1 tsp mustard
• Salt and pepper, to taste
• Hamburger buns, for serving

Directions:

Prepare the sauce by adding the tomato sauce, ketchup, brown sugar, Worcestershire sauce, mustard, and salt and pepper (to taste) to a bowl and stirring well.

Place a shallow pan on your stovetop over medium heat and add the cooking oil. When the oil is hot, add the ground beef, onion, and bell pepper and cook for 3-5 minutes, or until the beef starts to brown and the onion softens.

Add the garlic and continue cooking for 1-2 more minutes, or until the mixture is fragrant and the beef is cooked. Drain the excess fat from the mixture, if necessary.

Pour the sauce into the pan of browned meat, stir, then reduce the heat to low and simmer for about 10 minutes, stirring occasionally.

Season the sloppy Joe meat with salt and pepper to taste, then scoop the mixture into hamburger buns and serve.

How to Enjoy Leftovers

Store leftover sloppy Joe meat in an airtight container in your fridge for up to 1 week, or in your freezer for 1-2 months.

Reheat sloppy Joe meat in your microwave for a few seconds, or warm it in a pan on your stovetop over medium heat until warmed through.

20 Ways To Use Leftover Sloppy Joe Meat

Sloppy Joes are delicious in their standard form, and you can use any leftover meat you end up with in all sorts of delicious ways. Here’s what to do with leftover sloppy Joe meat:

1. Make Lasagna

If you have cheese, leftover sloppy joe meat, and some lasagna strips, go ahead and make lasagna for lunch or dinner!

2. Add To Baked Pasta

You can also utilize your sloppy joe meat by making cheesy, creamy baked pasta. I like to make baked pasta with pizza sauce, white sauce, some stir-fried vegetables, cheese, and joe meat. I layer all the ingredients and bake it until the cheese melts!

3. Use It In Fried Rice

If you are craving some saucy, juicy rice, add the leftover sloppy joe meat to the fried rice or make Singaporean rice. I add scrambled eggs, cabbage, carrots, capsicum, mushrooms, sweet corn, and joe meat in my rice and fry it with some sauces, like soya sauce, vinegar, chilli sauce and season it with chicken powder and black pepper.

You can add the sloppy joe meat while making barbeque or broth rice!

4. Put It On Pizza

Leftover sloppy joe meat, ready-made pizza dough, sauce, and cheese make a delicious homemade pizza.

5. Fill Egg Rolls

Another way to utilize your leftover sloppy joe meat is to make egg rolls with some veggies and joe meat in it.

6. Add It To Spaghetti

Warm your leftover sloppy Joe meat and spaghetti sauce together and serve it over cooked noodles for a delicious meal of spaghetti and meat sauce. Top with Parmesan cheese to add a salty, creamy bite.

7. Add It To Salads

Sloppy joe meat pairs well with creamy salads like Russian salad, macaroni salad, chicken salad, and potato salad.

8. Serve It Over Rice

Make a quick lunch or dinner by spooning warm sloppy Joe meat over cooked rice or lentils.

9. Add It To Grilled Cheese

Use it as a filling in grilled cheese sandwiches.

10. Make An Omelet

Add the sloppy Joe meat to a filling IHOP-style omelette or a batch of omelet muffins.

11. Make Meaty Crescent Rolls

Spoon it onto crescent rolls with shredded cheese, then roll them up and bake as usual.

12. Put It On Nachos

Use it as a topping for nachos.

13. Put It On Baked Potatoes

Turn baked potatoes into a filling meal by topping them with leftover sloppy Joe meat.

14. Fill Quesadillas

Use it as a filling in quesadillas.

15. Add It To Mac And Cheese

Stir into mac and cheese for a protein boost.

16. Make A Casserole

Turn it into a casserole

17. Make Cheesy Baked Rice

Combine it with cooked rice, spoon into bell peppers, and bake at 350°F until peppers are soft, then top with melted cheese for tasty stuffed peppers.

18. Add It To Queso Dip

Stir it into queso or chili cheese dip to add flavor and heartiness.

19. Serve It Over Hot Dogs

Spoon it over hot dogs for a twist on chili dogs.

20. Make Chili Cheese Fries

Spoon it over fries and top with cheese for a twist on chili cheese fries.

“You can top sloppy Joe mixture with corn muffin mix — just spread it over the meat mixture and bake.”

– OGT Reader Dianne W.

Frequently Asked Questions

Conclusion

The next time you make sloppy Joes, I hope this post inspires you to make enough for leftovers. With these delicious ideas up your sleeve, you’ll never look at leftover sloppy Joe meat the same way again!

How else could you use leftover sloppy Joes?