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–+ servings
A bowl filled with seasoned ground meat over roasted sweet potato cubes, topped with pickled red onions, sliced jalapeños, and cucumber slices, served with a fork.

Sloppy Joe Bowls (Sweet Potato Sloppy Joe Bowls)

These sloppy joe bowls spoon homemade sloppy joe filling over roasted sweet potato cubes with pickle chips and pickled red onions. An easy, gluten-free twist on a classic homemade sloppy joe recipe ready in 40 minutes.
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Prep Time 10 minutes
Cook Time 30 minutes
Course Dinner, Main Course
Cuisine American
Servings 4

Ingredients
  

The Sweet Potato Base:

  • 2 large sweet potatoes peeled and cut into bite-sized pieces
  • 1 tbsp neutral oil
  • Salt and pepper to taste

The Beef:

  • 1 tbsp neutral oil
  • 1 green bell pepper diced
  • 1 yellow onion diced
  • 1 garlic clove minced
  • 1 lb ground beef

The Sauce:

  • 1 8 oz can tomato sauce
  • 2 tbsp tomato paste
  • 2 tbsp coconut aminos
  • 3 tbsp maple syrup or brown sugar
  • 1 tbsp yellow mustard
  • 1/2 tsp chili powder
  • 1 tsp salt
  • 1 tsp black pepper
  • 1/2 cup beef broth

For Serving:

  • Pickle chips
  • Pickled red onions

Instructions
 

  • Preheat oven or air fryer to 425 degrees F. Toss sweet potato cubes in oil, season with salt and pepper, and spread in a single layer. Roast for 20 minutes until golden and tender, tossing halfway through.
  • While the sweet potatoes roast, heat oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the diced bell pepper, onion, and garlic. Cook for about 5 minutes until softened.
  • Add the ground beef and cook, breaking it into small pieces, until fully browned.
  • In a small bowl whisk together all sauce ingredients until combined. Pour into the skillet with the beef, stir well, and reduce heat to low. Cover and simmer for 10 minutes until the sauce thickens.
  • Spoon the roasted sweet potatoes into bowls. Top with the sloppy joe filling, pickle chips, and pickled red onions.

Notes

  • Cut the sweet potatoes into similar-sized pieces so they roast evenly and finish at the same time.
  • Let the sauce simmer the full 10 minutes covered. It thickens significantly as it reduces and the flavor deepens. Pulling it early leaves the filling too loose.
  • The pickled red onions and pickle chips are doing real work here. The acid cuts through the sweetness of both the sauce and the sweet potato and ties the whole bowl together.
  • Coconut aminos can be swapped for Worcestershire sauce in the same amount.
  • The sweet potatoes and the beef take roughly the same amount of time so start them together for the most efficient cook.
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