“Happiness is extra pepperoni.”
Pepperoni Pizza Sloppy Joes
When I was a kid growing up, we had Sloppy Joe Sandwiches about once a week in the school cafeteria and maybe once every other week at home. I recall that sometimes the recipe was savory Italian and other times it was sweet, tangy BBQ ... I loved both of them then and now I am enjoying Sloppy Joe Sandwiches again, only now with a tangy pepperoni pizza taste.
There're all kinds of interesting and romantic stories about the origin of Sloppy Joes but, personally, I think the basic loose meat sandwich got it's name because of the fact that the sandwiches are so darn messy to eat! In 2007, an article called the sloppy joes a perfect family meal. The reason why? “Kids like sloppy joes because they’re a tasty and messy version of hamburgers, and adults like them because they’re quick and easy to prepare.”
I decided to post this recipe for a selfish reason ... I wanted a quick, simple, tasty, lunch that was under 300 calories that would satisfy my hunger and my tastes and this recipe fully meets those requirements.
Just to clarify ... there are twelve servings in this recipe requiring twelve buns. The servings are open faced sandwiches which means that one serving is the two halves of one bun topped with the sloppy joe filling.
Ingredients
Instructions
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Assemble the ingredients and preheat the oven to broil.
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Brown the ground beef in a large skillet, 5 to 7 minutes, drain. Set aside.
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Into the skillet with the browned beef, add the chopped pepperoni, the cheese, and the pizza sauce.
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Stir and cook the ingredients until the cheese is melted, about 4 to 5 minutes.
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Place the buns on a foil covered baking pan or dish with the cut sides up. Top each bun with the meat mixture and then sprinkle with the Italian cheese. Broil for several minutes until the cheese begins to brown. (But watch closely to make sure you don't burn the topping.) Remove and serve while hot.
Serving Size 2 halves
Servings 12
- Amount Per Serving
- Calories 280kcal
- % Daily Value *
- Total Fat 14g22%
- Saturated Fat 7g35%
- Cholesterol 62mg21%
- Sodium 575mg24%
- Potassium 43.99mg2%
- Total Carbohydrate 20g7%
- Dietary Fiber 1g4%
- Sugars 7g
- Protein 18g36%
* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet. Your daily value may be higher or lower depending on your calorie needs.
Note
About Step #5 of the Instructions ... I like to slightly toast the buns (cut side up) before topping them with the filling.
There were several kinds of slider buns available at the grocery store but I opted for King's Hawaiian brand because I like the taste. They are 2 1/2 inches in diameter. If you shop around, I suspect you could find an alternative that is slightly larger and possibly lower in calories and/or sodium.