Recipe: Bacon Ranch Sloppy Joes
When you’re looking for one of the easiest ways stretch a pound of ground beef into dinner, you’re looking for sloppy joes. Equal parts savory and sweet, all you have to do is pile it on top of soft hamburger buns before digging in. And although it may seem like the easy route, skip the can of premade sauce. With just a few flavor-packed ingredients, including the dynamic duo of bacon and ranch, you can make your own sloppy joe sauce that will transform dinner into something the family will be clamoring for again and again. Even better: it all comes together in one pot.
Bacon adds loads of easy flavor, so start by cooking it in the pan for a few minutes before adding the ground beef. Once both are cooked, use that flavorful fat (no oil needed!) in the pan to sauté onion and bell pepper until tender, then add a big flavor boost with a generous amount of Hidden Valley Ranch Seasoning. This key ingredient is what transforms this meal from a regular sloppy joe recipe into something creative and crave-worthy.
Finish with Freshness
To finish, simmer everything together in some tomato sauce, water, maple syrup (for sweetness), and vinegar (for acidity). To balance out all the richness in the sloppy joes and add an easy serving of vegetables, pick up some packaged broccoli slaw and toss it with olive oil and red wine vinegar. When piled on top of the sloppy joes, this simple slaw adds freshness and a bit of crunch. Now you have an easy, yummy meal that’s perfect at the end of a busy school or workday.
Bacon Ranch Sloppy Joes
Prep time 20 minutes
Cook time 25 minutes
Serves6
Nutritional Info
Ingredients
For the slaw:
- 8 ounces
broccoli slaw
- 1/4 cup
olive oil
- 1/4 cup
red wine vinegar
For the sloppy joes:
- 8 ounces
bacon, cut into 1/2-inch pieces
- 1 pound
lean ground beef
- 1
medium yellow onion, finely chopped
- 1
medium red bell pepper, finely chopped
- 1 tablespoon
Hidden Valley® Original Ranch® Seasoning & Salad Dressing Mix Shaker
- 1 cup
tomato sauce
- 1/2 cup
water
- 1 tablespoon
red wine vinegar
- 1 tablespoon
maple syrup
- 6
hamburger buns, split and toasted
Instructions
For the slaw:
Whisk the oil and vinegar together in a large bowl. Add the broccoli slaw, toss to combine, and set aside while you prepare the sloppy joes.
For the sloppy joes:
Place the bacon in a large skillet over medium heat and cook until the fat renders out, 5 to 7 minutes. Add the beef, break it up into small pieces, and cook until browned and cooked through, 6 to 8 minutes. Use a slotted spoon to transfer the beef and bacon to a medium bowl.
Add the onion and bell pepper to the skillet and cook over medium-high heat until the onions are translucent and the pepper is softened, about 5 minutes. Add the Hidden Valley® Ranch Seasoning and cook for 30 seconds more.
Return the ground beef mixture to the pan. Stir in the tomato sauce, water, vinegar, and maple syrup. Simmer until the mixture is thick and glossy, 8 to 10 minutes. To serve, spoon onto toasted buns and top with the broccoli slaw.
Recipe Notes
Storage: Refrigerate leftovers in an airtight container for up to 4 days.