Sloppy Joes — ground meat in tomato sauce served over Cuban bread — have been an American favorite for over half a century. There are many claims to the origins of Sloppy Joes. One is from the H.J. Heinz Co., which, of course, made theirs with ketchup; another is a cafe in Iowa whose chef, Joe, created a “loose meat sandwich” in 1930. My favorite story is that Sloppy Joe’s Restaurant in Key West, Florida, took the Cuban stewed ground meat dish, picadillo, which is traditionally served with rice or potatoes, served it over 2 halves of Cuban bread and called it a sloppy Joe. Whichever tale you choose to tell, this saucy meat sandwich makes a delicious, easy-to-make-and-enjoy dinner.
Traditionally, it’s served over thick Cuban bread. For this recipe I serve it over a hamburger bun. Or you can serve it over any type of hearty sliced bread.
Serve the sloppy Joes with a green salad. I’ve given a short recipe here to help you determine the amounts and calories.
