Description
Mississippi Sloppy Joes sizzle with southern charm, blending rich beef and tangy ranch dressing into a mouthwatering comfort classic. Home cooks will discover pure deliciousness in this simple slow cooker recipe that brings family dinner to new flavor heights.
Ingredients
Scale
Proteins:
- 2 lbs (907 grams) ground beef or ground turkey
Seasonings and Flavor Enhancers:
- 1 packet (28 grams) ranch seasoning mix
- 1 packet (28 grams) au jus gravy mix
- ½ teaspoon black pepper
- ½ teaspoon smoked paprika (optional)
Base and Liquid Ingredients:
- ½ cup (113 grams) unsalted butter, sliced
- ½ cup (118 milliliters) sliced pepperoncini peppers
- 2 tablespoons (30 milliliters) pepperoncini juice
- 1 small onion, finely chopped
- 3 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 cup (237 milliliters) beef broth
Serving Components:
- 6 brioche or sandwich buns
- ½ cup (57 grams) shredded cheddar or provolone cheese (optional)
Instructions
- Sear the ground beef in a hot skillet over medium-high heat, breaking it into crumbly pieces until it achieves a rich, golden-brown color and releases its flavorful essence.
- Meticulously drain away any lingering fat, ensuring a lean and clean meat base for your sloppy joe mixture.
- Gently transfer the seasoned beef into the slow cooker, creating a welcoming vessel for the upcoming flavor infusion.
- Sprinkle ranch seasoning and au jus mix across the meat, allowing these powdery seasonings to dance and meld together.
- Introduce pats of butter, which will melt and create a luxurious undertone to the developing sauce.
- Scatter tangy pepperoncini peppers throughout the mixture, adding a vibrant, zesty kick to the dish.
- Incorporate finely chopped onions and minced garlic, which will slowly dissolve and impart deep, aromatic layers of flavor.
- Pour beef broth around the ingredients, creating a moisture-rich environment for slow cooking.
- Dust the surface with freshly cracked black pepper and a whisper of smoky paprika to enhance the overall complexity.
- Stir the ingredients gently, ensuring an even distribution of seasonings and peppers.
- Cover the slow cooker and allow the mixture to simmer and transform on LOW for 4-5 hours or HIGH for 2-3 hours, developing rich, interconnected flavors.
- Once cooking is complete, use a fork to shred the meat into delectable, sauce-coated morsels ready for serving.
Notes
- For the juiciest results, choose ground beef with a slightly higher fat content like 80/20, which helps keep the meat moist during slow cooking.
- Drain excess grease thoroughly to prevent a greasy texture and allow the seasonings to penetrate the meat more effectively.
- Pepperoncini peppers add a tangy kick, but for those sensitive to heat, remove the seeds or reduce the quantity for a milder flavor.
- Make this dish gluten-free by using certified gluten-free ranch and au jus mixes, and serving on gluten-free buns or over cauliflower rice for a low-carb option.
- Prep Time: 10 minutes
- Cook Time: 4 hours
- Category: Lunch, Dinner, Snacks
- Method: Slow Cooking
- Cuisine: American
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 6
- Calories: 350
- Sugar: 4 g
- Sodium: 450 mg
- Fat: 12 g
- Saturated Fat: 2 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 8 g
- Trans Fat: 0 g
- Carbohydrates: 30 g
- Fiber: 4 g
- Protein: 30 g
- Cholesterol: 90 mg