Sloppy Joes for a crowd. This is a recipe from our old Church cookbook for Sloppy Joes to serve a large group. This recipe from the book is titled Sloppy Joes for 60. If you want to make a lot of Sloppy Joes for your next party, this has the recipe you need. Let’s take a look.
Sloppy joes are an American classic – a saucy, messy sandwich filled with seasoned ground beef. When preparing sloppy joes for a crowd, one of the most important calculations is determining how much meat you need The standard ratio is one pound of ground beef makes 6 sloppy joe sandwiches But depending on bun size, ingredients, and personal preferences, that amount can vary. Read on to learn more about stretching and maximizing your ground beef when making sloppy joes.
How Much Meat Per Sandwich?
The typical sloppy joe recipe calls for
- 1 pound ground beef
- Makes 6 sandwiches
- Equals 3 ounces of meat per sandwich
This formula is based on using regular hamburger buns (approximately 4-inches wide). The meat is sauced, so a 1⁄2 cup of finished sloppy joe filling is sufficient for a single sandwich.
However, serving sizes can range from 2-4 ounces of ground beef per sandwich depending on preferences:
- 2 ounces: Smaller slider buns, additional toppings/fillings
- 3 ounces: Regular bun size, moderately sauced
- 4 ounces: Large buns, thicker sauce, very meaty
When in doubt, calculate 3 ounces of ground beef per sandwich as your baseline. Adjust up or down from there as needed.
How Many Sandwiches Per Pound?
Here is a breakdown of how many sandwiches you can expect per pound of ground beef:
- 2 ounce sandwiches: 8 per pound
- 3 ounce sandwiches: 6 per pound
- 4 ounce sandwiches: 4 per pound
As you can see, the number of sandwiches each pound of meat makes decreases as the individual sandwich size increases. Plan accordingly based on your bun size and the meatiness your guests expect.
Tips for Stretching Ground Beef
When cooking for a crowd on a budget, you may need to stretch a limited amount of ground beef. Here are some tips:
- Use veggie fillers: Onions, peppers, mushrooms add volume.
- Go lighter on meat: Use 2 oz per sandwich instead of 3-4 oz.
- Serve slider buns: Mini buns mean less meat needed per person.
- Offer toppings: Lettuce, cheese, pickles, etc. add bulk without meat.
- Make sides: Fries, slaw, beans fill people up.
- Use lentils: Replace some meat with cooked lentils.
Adding saucy fillings is key to making the smaller amount of meat go further. More veggies and seasonings also boost the flavor when less beef is used.
Sample Calculations
Let’s look at some examples to see how many sandwiches different amounts of ground beef will yield:
- 2 pounds ground beef
- 3 oz sandwiches: Makes 12
- 4 oz sandwiches: Makes 8
- 3 pounds ground beef
- 2 oz sandwiches: Makes 24
- 3 oz sandwiches: Makes 18
- 5 pounds ground beef
- 2 oz sandwiches: Makes 40
- 4 oz sandwiches: Makes 20
Calculate based on your unique factors: Guests, bun size, side dishes, etc. Planning the right meat amount prevents either not having enough or wasting extras.
Tips for Leftovers
Despite best efforts to estimate precisely, you’ll likely have some leftover sloppy joe filling from a big cookout. Here are ways to use it up:
- Portion and freeze for quick meals later.
- Mix into pasta, rice, potatoes for a beefy twist.
- Stuff into a baked potato or omelet.
- Top a pizza or nachos for a fun twist.
- Serve open-faced on a slice of toast.
- Roll up in a tortilla wrap or quesadilla.
With creative recipes, no leftover meat goes to waste. Sloppy joes can be endlessly reinvented for meals throughout the week.
- 1 pound of ground beef generally makes 6 classic sloppy joe sandwiches.
- You can stretch meat further by using smaller buns, more fillings, and sides.
- Calculate your unique needs based on guest numbers, appetites, etc.
- Get creative repurposing any leftovers for easy future meals.
Understanding the sandwich math when preparing sloppy joes for a group takes the guesswork out of shopping and prepping. Now you can confidently plan the perfect quantity whether feeding a family or a full backyard barbecue. Just be ready for happy guests with happily full bellies!
The History of Sloppy Joes
Before I started making this recipe, I was curious about where the name “Sloppy Joe” came from, so I Googled it. Sure enough, I got answers:
One web site claims: The Original Sloppy Joe Sandwich was invented at Sloppy Joe’s Bar in Key West. You can still get the original, which has ground beef in a sweet, rich tomato sauce with onions, peppers, and spices.
Hence the sandwich was named for the establishment, not the consistency, as suggested by the Manwich recipe people.
(Ok now this really bothers me, what’s up with those Manwich “people” starting ugly rumors?)
It may have been named after Green Bay Packers player Joe Krzrwinski, who was known as “Sloppy” because of how inconsistently he played on the field. The first creation was made with ground sausage during 1930.
It is said that the sandwich got its name from the Sloppy Joe’s Bar in Havana, Cuba, which was the first place to serve this kind of sandwich.
So depending on if you’re a Cheese Head, or a Parrot Head you’ve got your answer.
Even the “Godfather of American Cooking” in the 20th century, James Beard, wrote about Sloppy Joes: “This is a product of the modern age, and though it is not a palate-tingling delight. it has a large public.” ”.
Beard used a lot of Worcestershire sauce—1/4 cup—in his Sloppy Joes, which may have been one reason he wasn’t very excited about them. Plus I think it’s a slap in the face to white-trash food. Just who does he think he is??? (Oh, that’s right, he’s the 20th century godfather of American Cooking. ).
Sloppy Joes for large group gatherings are an easy way to feed that crowd.
Sloppy Joe Recipe For Large Crowd
These Sloppy Joes are a super easy way to serve a main course to a large group.
A few years ago, I made these for a block party, and I got asked for the recipe so many times.
I hope you give this Sloppy Joe Recipe a try next time you’re hosting. Once you’ve tried the recipe, please rate it with stars and write a comment about how it turned out for you.
If you know how to feed a lot of people, please share it with me. I’d love to try it. I host our yearly block party and am always looking for recipe ideas.
How to Make Sloppy Joes | Get Cookin’ | Allrecipes
FAQ
How many sloppy joes do you get from a pound of meat?
How much will 1 pound of ground beef feed?
How much ground beef to feed 20 people?
How many servings is 2 lbs of ground beef?
How much ground beef do you need for a sloppy joes sandwich?
In general, we call for 1 pound of ground beef to make 6 sandwiches in our sloppy joes recipes. That works out to 3 ounces of ground beef per sandwich. Depending on the size of your bun and how meaty you like your sandwich, you can increase or decrease that amount an ounce or two either way.
How many sloppy joes in a pound?
Because they’re served on a bun, they also stretch a pretty long way! The rule of thumb for sloppy joes is that you need about 3 ounces of raw ground meat per person. That means each pound will make 5-6 sloppy joes! Just multiply the number of people by 3 ounces. Then divide it by 16 to get pounds (because there’s 16 ounces in a pound).
How much meat can you eat with sloppy joes?
One good rule is to allow about 2.5 ounces of raw meat per person when dealing with ground meat. What can I make with sloppy joes? One of the top side dishes is Grilled Corn on the Cob. Others are Oven-Baked Sweet Potato Fries The best idea is to keep it simple.
How many sloppy joes sandwiches per person?
Supply enough filling and buns for 1½ sloppy joes sandwiches per person. Some people will have two, most will have one, and a few won’t eat one at all. (Like the vegetarians in the crowd.) If you plan on 1½ sandwiches per person, you should have enough food for everyone. Especially if you have sloppy joes toppings and generous side dishes.