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Freezer Friendly Sloppy Joes

Looking for an easy weeknight dinner? These Freezer Sloppy Joes are a fast, freezer-friendly sandwich option for busy nights!

Sloppy Joes on a plate with roasted sweet potatoes

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Homemade Sloppy Joes can be a pretty simple meal. On busy weeknights, we can get this on the table in about 30 minutes.

Traditional Sloppy Joes are loose meat sandwiches, made with a mixture of ground beef and other sauces and spices to create an easy dinner. I also like to turn the mixture into freezer meals to make dinnertime even faster!

Ingredients

Lean ground beef (Ground turkey or ground chicken would work too)

Onion

Ketchup

Brown sugar

Mustard

Worcestershire sauce

Garlic

Chili powder

Other additions that would taste great

Garlic powder

Red pepper flakes

Green pepper

Can you freeze Sloppy Joes?

Absolutely! In fact, I recommend having cooked meat in your freezer at all times for quick and easy dinners. It’s a time saver when you’re frazzled!

One pound of cooked ground meat fits best in a quart-sized freezer bag. Wait until the Sloppy Joe mixture has come to room temperature. Label the bag, lay the filled bag flat in the freezer, and you’re good to go. Make sure to squeeze out as much air as you can out of the bags, to help prevent ice crystals from forming.

For best results, use up within 3 months in the freezer. It’s still safe to eat after that, but sometimes you risk freezer burn.

I recommend making a big batch of this, especially if your family loves it. It’s a great way to get multiple dinners on the table quickly!

How do you make Freezer Sloppy Joes?

Pan with raw ground turkey and onion

Start by cooking your ground meat in a large skillet on medium heat, along with a chopped onion. This will take 7-10 minutes.

Pan with cooked ground turkey, onion, and condiments

Next, add the rest of the ingredients for the sauce.

If you wanted, you could use a can of Manwich instead. But I love the way this homemade Sloppy Joe sauce tastes.

Cooked Sloppy Joe mixture in a pan

Combine fully, then let the mixture simmer for about 5 minutes until completely heated through.

Sloppy Joe on a plate with broccoli and cauliflower

Serve on hamburger buns or another favorite type of bread. This recipe serves 4, so you get quite a bit of mix on your sandwich!

Freezer bag filled with sloppy Joe mix

If you choose to freeze the mixture instead, let the meat mixture cool fully. Then place it inside a labeled quart-sized freezer bag and lay it flat in the freezer.

How to store

If you want to eat these the next day as a quick lunch, store leftover Sloppy Joes in an airtight container, in individual portions if you want, in the fridge. Use up within 3-5 days.

What are good side items for Sloppy Joes?

Any kind of vegetable would work beautifully! I love using my air fryer to roast vegetables because it’s easy and doesn’t heat up the house.

Other sides can include:

  • Steamed frozen veggies (Broccoli, green beans, California mix)
  • Salad
  • Homemade sweet potato fries
  • Potato salad
  • Fruit (Grapes, watermelon)
  • Potato chips
Freezer Sloppy Joes (4 Weeks to Fill Your Freezer Day 13)

Freezer Sloppy Joes

Yield: 4 servings
Prep Time: 5 minutes
Cook Time: 30 minutes
Total Time: 35 minutes

Looking for an easy weeknight dinner? These Freezer Sloppy Joes are a fast, freezer-friendly sandwich option for busy nights!

Ingredients

  • 1 pound ground beef or turkey
  • 1 onion, diced
  • 1/2 cup ketchup
  • 1 tablespoon brown sugar
  • 1 tablespoon yellow mustard
  • 1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
  • 1 tablespoon garlic
  • 1 teaspoon chili powder

Instructions

  1. Cook ground beef in a large pan with onion.
  2. Add the rest of the ingredients and combine. Let simmer for 20 minutes.

Notes

Recipe adapted from Flour on My Face.

To freeze, divide the mixture into two labeled quart-sized freezer bags. Lay flat on a cookie sheet and place in the freezer.

To reheat, thaw overnight. Simmer in a pan until hot.

Nutrition Information:
Yield: 4 Serving Size: 1/4 of recipe
Amount Per Serving: Calories: 289Total Fat: 17gSaturated Fat: 5gCholesterol: 80mgSodium: 623mgCarbohydrates: 17gSugar: 13gProtein: 17g

Other Posts in “4 Weeks to Fill Your Freezer” Series

4 Weeks to Fill Your Freezer Week 1- Breakfast
Whole Wheat Waffles (Day 1)
Banana Bread Baked Oatmeal (Day 2)
Breakfast Burrito Packs (Day 3)
Morning Glory Muffins (Day 4)
Healthy Breakfast Sausage Balls (Day 5)
4 Weeks to Fill Your Freezer Challenge Week 2- Lunch
Freezer Ham and Cheese Pockets (Day 6)
Slow Cooker Mexican Burritos (Day 7)
Pepperoni Pizza Pockets (Day 8)
Santa Fe Chicken Frozen Lunches (Day 9)
Cream Cheese Chicken Chimichangas (Day 10)
4 Weeks to Fill Your Freezer Week 3- Dinner
Freezer Friendly Baked Penne (Day 11)
Turkey Chili (Day 12)
Freezer Sloppy Joes (Day 13)
Slow Cooker Chicken Fajitas (Day 14)
Red Chicken Enchiladas (Day 15)
4 Weeks to Fill Your Freezer Week 4- Snacks/Dessert
Peanut Butter Energy Bites (Day 16)
Cinnamon Banana Muffins (Day 17)
Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Bread (Day 18)
Freezer Chocolate Chip Cookies (Day 19)
Carrot Cake Cookies (Day 20)

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