Why homemade sloppy Joes are the perfect dinner for times when you don't know what to make

Juicy ground beef, simmered in a hearty tomato sauce, nestled on toasted hamburger buns, few things are more enjoyable than a sloppy Joe. The time-honored sandwich hits all the flavor notes — sweet, savory and tangy — and is incredibly fun to eat.

Every sloppy Joe recipe you come across, regardless of the personal tweaks, is pretty much foolproof, but I have a few suggestions to help you make sure this batch is the best you’ve ever made.

Choose lean ground beef. I like to use 90% lean ground beef for sloppy Joes. If you’re using beef with a higher fat content, drain away any excess fat after browning the beef and before adding additional ingredients. You can also make these sloppy Joes with ground turkey or ground chicken.

Use any color bell pepper. Green pepper is traditional for sloppy Joes, but there are no rules. Use red, yellow or orange, whatever you prefer.

If you don't have fresh, use onion and garlic powder. I prefer fresh aromatics in my sloppy Joes, but if you don’t have them on hand, you can use ½ teaspoon each of onion powder and garlic powder instead. Whisk the dried spices into the tomato sauce mixture before adding to the pan.

Adjust the amount of brown sugar to suit your taste. We like our sloppy Joes on the savory-tangy side, so this recipe calls for just 1 tablespoon of brown sugar. If you prefer a sweeter sandwich, add another tablespoon or two. For added sweetness, you can also add a drizzle of honey or maple syrup.

Choose your mustard. Yellow mustard is traditional for sloppy Joes, but I prefer the piquant essence of Dijon, which I find balances the sweetness of the ketchup and brown sugar in the most wonderful way. That said, any prepared mustard will work in this dish.

Make them spicy. If you like sandwiches with a little heat, add a minced, seeded jalapeno when you add the onion, bell pepper and garlic. You can also add heat with a teaspoon or more of crushed red pepper flakes added right to the tomato sauce mixture.

Simmer for as long as you can. Even though these sloppy Joes are ready to serve after 10 to 15 minutes of simmering, the longer the mixture cooks, the deeper the flavors become as ingredients have a chance to meld and evolve. If the mixture gets too thick while simmering, just add a little water or beef broth.

Brush your hamburger buns with melted butter. This isn’t mandatory, but the sweetness of the butter perfectly complements the tangy beef filling.

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Other ways to serve your sloppy Joes

While serving on hamburger buns is conventional, this savory beef mixture is excellent when served in and atop all kinds of things. Here are a few ideas to get you inspired.

• Sloppy Joe casserole: Transfer the beef to a baking dish and top with mashed potatoes. Bake until the mashed potatoes are golden brown and the filling is bubbly.

• Sloppy Joe Pasta: Fold the beef into cooked pasta (such as elbow or small shells) and serve topped with grated parmesan cheese.

• Sloppy Joe Pizza: Spoon the beef mixture onto store-bought pizza crust, top with shredded mozzarella cheese and bake as directed.

• Sloppy Joe Nachos: Ladle the beef mixture over warmed tortilla chips and top with shredded Mexican cheese, salsa, black olives, green onions and avocado.

• Sloppy Joe Baked Potatoes: Spoon the beef mixture into baked potatoes and top with cheddar cheese and/or sour cream and chives.

• Sloppy Joe Chili Dogs: Spoon the beef mixture over cooked hot dogs and top with pickled jalapenos or banana peppers.

• Sloppy Joe Chili Cheese Fries: Spoon the beef mixture over cooked French fries and top with cheddar cheese or a smooth cheese sauce.

• Sloppy Joe Stuffed Peppers: Combine the beef mixture and cooked rice (about a 2:1 ratio). Stuff the mixture into bell peppers and bake until the peppers are tender.

The ultimate sloppy Joe recipe

I often make my sloppy Joe mixture a day in advance and reheat just before serving. To make this recipe in advance, prepare the beef mixture as instructed, cool to room temperature and store in an airtight container for up to 3 days. You can also freeze these sloppy Joes for up to 3 months. Thaw overnight in the refrigerator before reheating on the cooktop, adding a little water if necessary to thin.

Makes: 4 sandwiches

Ingredients:

• 16 ounces (2 cups) tomato sauce

• ¼ cup ketchup

• 1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce

• 1 tablespoon light or dark brown sugar

• 1 teaspoon yellow mustard or Dijon mustard

• 2 teaspoons olive oil

• 1 pound lean ground beef

• ⅓ cup chopped white onion

• 1 small green bell pepper (or ½ large bell pepper), seeded and finely chopped

• 2 cloves garlic, minced

• Salt and freshly ground black pepper

• 4 hamburger buns, toasted if desired

Instructions:

1. In a medium bowl, whisk together the tomato sauce, ketchup, Worcestershire sauce, brown sugar and mustard. Set aside.

2. Heat the oil in a large skillet, stock pot or Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Add the beef and cook until no longer pink, breaking up the meat as it cooks. If necessary, drain away any excess fat.

3. Add the onion, bell pepper and garlic and cook for 3 to 5 minutes, or until the vegetables soften.

4. Add the tomato mixture and bring to a simmer. Reduce the heat to low and simmer uncovered for 10 to 15 minutes (or up to 45 minutes), until thickened. Note: if the mixture thickens more than desired over time, add a little water or beef broth.

5. Season to taste with salt and black pepper. Serve on toasted buns.

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Questions or comments? Email the culinary team at cooking@azcentral.com.

This article originally appeared on Arizona Republic: Sloppy Joe recipe: This hearty sandwich is a dinnertime hero