Sweet and Sloppy Joe

December 1, 2023

Ingredients

  • 7 pounds and 4 ounces frozen, cooked beef crumbles, (U.S. Department of Agriculture [USDA] food item)
  • 1 quart and 2 cups unsweetened raisins (USDA food item)
  • ½ cup brown sugar, unpacked
  • ½ cup chili powder
  • ¼ cup dried oregano
  • 2 pounds as purchased (AP) fresh whole onions
  • 2 pounds AP fresh red bell peppers
  • ¼ cup vegetable oil (USDA food item)
  • ½ cup canned tomato paste (USDA food item)
  • 2 quarts canned low-sodium tomato sauce (USDA food item)
  • 1 quart water
  • ¼ cup red wine vinegar
  • ¼ cup Worcestershire sauce
  • 52–2 ounce whole grain-rich buns
  • 1 pound and 10 ounces or 52–0.5 ounce cheddar cheese slices
  • 2 ounces AP fresh green onions

Directions

To Prepare in Advance

  1. Thaw beef crumbles at 41°F or lower two days in advance. Critical Control Point (CCP): Thaw beef crumbles in refrigerator at 41°F or lower.

To Prepare Beef

  1. Pulse raisins with brown sugar, chili powder, and dried oregano in a food processor until finely chopped.
  2. Rinse, trim, and dice onions and bell peppers.
  3. Heat oil over medium high heat in large tilt skillet or steam-jacket kettle
  4. Add onion and bell pepper. Cook over medium high heat for 5 minutes, stirring occasionally.
  5. Stir in beef crumbles and cook for 3 minutes
  6. Add tomato paste and cook for 2 minutes until tomato paste is lightly caramelized.
  7. Add tomato sauce, water, red wine vinegar, and Worcestershire sauce. Bring to boil and then lower to a simmer at medium to low heat.
  8. Simmer until thickened, about 15 minutes, or until internal temperature reaches 160°F. Stir frequently to prevent burning on bottom. CCP: Cook until internal temperature reaches 160°F for at least 15 seconds.

To Assemble Sweet and Sloppy Joes

  1. Open hamburger buns and spread out across work surface. Place one slice of cheddar cheese on bottom buns.
  2. Scoop ½ cup or one number 8 scoop of Sweet and Sloppy Joe mixture onto cheese.
  3. Optional: Rinse, trim, and chop green onions. Sprinkle 1 teaspoon of green onion onto Sweet and Sloppy Joe mixture prior to placing top bun on sandwich.
  4. Place hamburger bun top on Sweet and Sloppy Joe mixture. Place sandwich in oven able bag or wrap in foil.
  5. Keep warm at 135°F or higher for same-day service. CCP: Hold Sweet and Sloppy Joe sandwiches at 135°F or higher for service.

Recipe Options

The CA Culinary Centers have calculated and tested the yields for this standardized recipe. You may choose to vary the spices in the recipe to meet the taste preferences of your students. For example, using a 1.5 to 2 ratio for spices when doubling the recipe yield from 50 to 100. However, changing or substituting any other ingredients may result in a different yield, meal contribution, or dietary specification, and should be considered a different recipe