Three hours on Low is not there to cook the beef — the skillet already did that, to 160 degrees Fahrenheit. It is there to thicken the sauce, which starts loose and ends up clinging to the meat.
The cheddar goes on last, as a slice laid over hot filling. It melts from the heat of the beef rather than under a grill, which is what gives the soft draped look rather than a browned cap.
Why This Recipe Works
- Browning and draining removes fat that would otherwise sit on top of the finished sauce.
- Tomato sauce plus ketchup gives both body and the sweet-tangy edge that defines a sloppy joe.
- Brown sugar, mustard and Worcestershire balance one another, so the sauce is sweet without being one-note.
- Three uncovered-free hours on Low reduce the sauce enough to pile rather than pour.
Ingredient Notes
- Ground beef
- A pound and a half, browned to 160 degrees Fahrenheit in the skillet before it goes into the cooker.
- Tomato sauce and ketchup
- A 15-ounce can plus half a cup. Two different jobs — one is the body, the other is the sweetness and tang.
- Cheddar slices
- Six, one per sandwich, laid on at the end so the filling's own heat melts them.
How to Make It
Brown and drain
Brown the ground beef and onion in a skillet, breaking the meat up, until the beef reaches 160 degrees Fahrenheit. Drain excess fat.
Build the sauce
Transfer to the slow cooker and stir in the tomato sauce, ketchup, Worcestershire, brown sugar, mustard, garlic powder, salt and pepper.
Cook down
Cover and cook on Low for about 3 hours so the mixture becomes thick and saucy.
Stack and melt
Pile onto soft buns and top each sandwich with a slice of cheddar so it melts over the hot filling.
What Goes Into One Sandwich
The cooker produces filling for six sandwiches. This is one of them, built in the order the recipe assembles it.
What goes into one sandwich
The bun
One soft hamburger bun. Soft rather than crusty, because the filling is deliberately wet and a firm roll will not give with it.
The filling
A sixth of the cooked mixture - browned and drained beef with onion in a thick tomato, ketchup, brown sugar and mustard sauce, after about 3 hours on LOW.
The cheddar
One slice laid over the hot filling and left to melt on its own. No grill and no extra heat; the beef does the work.
Serve while the filling is hot enough to soften the cheese. Six sandwiches, one slice each.
Success Tips
- Break the meat up finely in the skillet. Large clumps do not make a good sloppy joe.
- Drain properly. Any fat left behind will separate out over three hours.
- Toast the buns if you like, but do it at the end — the filling is wet by design.
Serving Ideas
Six sandwiches on soft hamburger buns, each topped with a slice of cheddar melting over the hot filling.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I put the beef in raw?
No. It is browned in a skillet to 160 degrees Fahrenheit first, and the fat is drained off.
Is the cheddar essential?
Yes — it is served as a cheddar-topped bun.
My filling is too loose. What went wrong?
Either the fat was not drained or it has not had the full three hours. The mixture should be thick and saucy before it goes on a bun.
