Lentil Sloppy Joes!
Seeing as I’ve posted recipes for both Healthy Oreos and Healthy Butterfingers this week, I figured a non-dessert post was in order. After all, a person can’t live on chocolate, cookies, and candy, alone. We can come close…
Anywhoos, so last night I made these:
Thinking of sloppy joes brings me back to high school.
My mom always placed high importance on family dinner nights, and she’d somehow manage to make a big meal even on days we were super busy. (We were always super busy!)
My sister and I played on the school’s varsity tennis team, with long practices each day, and Friday nights were particularly animated: we’d board a bus in the afternoon, then play intense matches until well after dark. Intense might not be a strong enough word… we sometimes played against China’s future Olympic team!
Ever the supportive parent, my mom attended almost every match. Yet, when we’d finally drag our tired (and hungry) bodies off the courts, there it would magically sit, waiting for us:
A home-cooked meal.
Sloppy joes became one of our favorite Friday-night dinners, and one of our mom’s favorites as well, because she could make them in the morning in the crock pot. Her recipe is actually meatless (I’ve been a vegetarian since high school), but it calls for a few ingredients one can’t buy in the US. So last night I changed it up, and I incorporated lentils into my new creation.
Although I didn’t use a crock pot for this recipe, I imagine you could. The recipe comes together very quickly, and there’s even a microwave option!
Did you sit down to family meals when you were growing up?
Or do you try to have family meals with your own kids? My family tried to all eat together whenever we could. Sometimes after-school activities got in the way; and sometimes we were forced to eat in the car, en route to soccer practice or art class. But when we got the opportunity to sit down as a family, we took advantage.
I don’t remember ever eating dinner in front of the television, unless it was a special “movie night.”
Lentil Sloppy Joes
(Sloppy Loes)
- 2 15-oz cans lentils, drained and rinsed (about 3 cups cooked lentils)
- 1 tbsp minced garlic
- 1 1/4 tsp chili powder
- 1 tbsp ground cumin
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 3/4 tsp cinnamon
- 1-2 stevia packets, or 3-5 tsp sugar or sweetener of choice, or to taste
- 14 oz tomato sauce (I used no-salt-added)
- up to 1 cup water
- 1 tbsp apple cider vinegar
- 2 tbsp soy sauce (or soy-free alternative)
- optional: 1/2 an onion (diced) and 2 tsp oil
Lentil sloppy joes: If making these on the stovetop: sauté the onion and garlic in the oil until onion is translucent. Add lentils and spices, stir, then add all other ingredients and cook uncovered (stirring occasionally) until thick like sloppy joe filling. If making this in the microwave: add all ingredients to a large microwave-safe dish (minus the onion and oil, which you won’t use with this method). Microwave until it boils, stir, then repeat the process until it is thick like sloppy joe filling. Makes about 5 cups.
View Sloppy Joes Nutrition Facts
Link Of The Day:
I just made 1/2 this recipe with the following subs and they were awesome!
-> paprika instead of chili powder (I was out)
-> few tablespoons of ketchup instead of tomato sauce (again, I was out)
-> no extra salt (soy sauce was enough)
SO GOOD. We made these last night (Thank you thank you!) and they were wonderful! We’re not vegan, but honestly, I liked these better than regular sloppy joes. Even my picky husband loved them. I’m on my lunch break at work now, and eating the left overs for lunch, maybe even better the second day. We ate these with ezekiel buns. So yummy!
Hi I just found your website and may I say it is amazing. I first came because I just punched into google vegan microwave cake. I made your chocolate chip microwave cake yesterday at 2 in the morning because I had a craving for cake. (lol why not). Then I had no idea what to made for dinner so I came back. I looked at the recipe, then pantry and just made it. IT WAS AMAZING! (There is alot left over though… into the freezer it goes)
Thanks so much
LOL 2 in the morning? You definitely sound like my kind of person 🙂
Loved the recipe, added some Thai chilies and red pepper flakes to spice it up. I cooked my lentil a day before. Next time I will use WAY less cinnamon, it was pretty over-powering. I used the 1/4 teaspoon measuring spoon three times. Maybe my math was off!!!
how would you make these in the crockpot? They look delicious!!!
How would crock pot this?
Hi Katie, I made this recipe tonight and it was SO GOOD, thank you! I didn’t have lentils so I used black-eyed peas instead. Besides that one alteration, I followed the recipe exactly and it was perfect. The combination and measurement of each ingredient created great balance and flavor. To anyone who is considering making this, I highly recommend following the recipe precisely as is…delicious 🙂
Thank you so much for trying it, Beth. I’ll have to try your black-eyed pea suggestion… I don’t cook with those anywhere near often enough!
What directions would you use to make the lentil sloppy joes in a crockpot?
You can do it in a crock pot but it will depend on your own crock pot’s size and temperature so you will have to play around with it.
I just made these for dinner, THEY ARE SO GOOD! Thank you for sharing!
I am so making this tomorrow for dinner with basmati rice!!! Can’t wait!!
MMM! Slap some pickles on that and serve with slaw!
mmmm…looks yummy but why would you use canned lentils?
Perfect timing – I just picked up a big bag of red lentils! I am so making this this week! This look delicious!!!!
Since finding this website a few weeks ago, this was about my 7th recipe I’ve tried! My husband is not especially open-minded and wanted to know why we had baked beans on a bun…ha! But my girls, and their friends, at it without complaint. I liked it so much I just ate it in a bowl like chili! And, I followed it up with my 8th recipe….cupcake batter smoothie! Super filling meal.
Oh, and I couldn’t find canned lentils, so just cooked my own. Had never prepared dried lentils, but they were really easy, cook quickly, don’t require soaking, etc.
I very seldom post comments on the internet recipes but this is the exception. This were excellent. Had trouble with the lentil beans because I used dried but would definitely make this again. Attempting to win my battle with excess weight and this has great nutritional values. Flavor was fantastic and was even able to enjoy the sandwich with a few potato chips. Felt like “cheating”, but was still well into health range on all counts.