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 a classic American sandwich that are perfect for feeding a crowd. With a sweet, tangy, and saucy ground beef filling piled high on a bun, they are sure to be a hit at your next party, potluck, or family dinner. But when cooking sloppy joes for a group, it can be tricky to figure out exactly how much ground beef you need to buy and prepare. In this article, we’ll break down how to calculate the amount of ground beef needed to make sloppy joes for 30 people.
Figuring Out Servings
The first step is determining how many servings you need. For sloppy joes, plan on each person eating 1-2 sandwiches. To ensure there are enough to go around, let’s plan on 1.5 sandwiches per person.
For 30 people
- 30 people x 1.5 sandwiches per person = 45 total sandwiches
Now let’s figure out how much ground beef is needed per sandwich. A good rule of thumb is to plan on using 1/2 cup of ground beef mixture per sandwich.
- 45 sandwiches x 1/2 cup ground beef per sandwich = 22.5 cups of ground beef needed
Since ground beef is usually measured in pounds, we need to convert the cups to pounds. Generally speaking, 1 pound of ground beef equals 2 cups.
- 22.5 cups ground beef needed / 2 cups per pound = 11.25 pounds of ground beef
So for 30 people eating sloppy joes, you’ll want to buy around 11-12 pounds of ground beef to be safe. Always round up slightly to ensure you have enough.
Bulk Up the Filling
When making sloppy joes for a crowd, you can stretch the ground beef further by adding lots of diced veggies like onions, bell peppers, mushrooms, and celery. The veggies add more volume and nutrition.
For 30 people, add:
- 3 cups diced onions
- 3 cups diced bell peppers
- 2 cups diced mushrooms
- 1 cup diced celery
Sautéeing the veggies until softened before adding the ground beef allows them to cook down and add even more bulk to the meat.
Make a Big Batch of Sauce
A flavorful sauce brings the sloppy joes together. You’ll need a large batch of sweet and tangy sauce for all that meat and veggies.
For 30 people, mix together:
- 4 (15 oz) cans tomato sauce (around 6 cups)
- 1 cup brown sugar
- 1/2 cup apple cider vinegar
- 1/4 cup Worcestershire sauce
- 2 Tablespoons mustard
- 1 Tablespoon chili powder
- 2 teaspoons garlic powder
- Salt and pepper to taste
Simmer the sauce 15-20 minutes to meld the flavors.
Keeping it Warm
When feeding a crowd, use a slow cooker or chafing dishes to keep the sloppy joe meat warm throughout the event.
Divide the meat between two slow cookers or disposable aluminum pans set on chafing dishes with Sternos. Keep a batch warming on the buffet table, and the reserve batch hot in the oven or ready to swap out when the first pan empties.
With around 12 pounds of ground beef and a double batch of sauce, you’ll have plenty of hearty, saucy sloppy joe filling to satisfy even the hungriest crowd of 30. The sweet tangy meat piled high on soft buns is sure to be a hit at your next gathering.
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.
What Side Dishes Go With Sloppy Joes?
Need side dish ideas for a big group to go with these Sloppy Joes? Just double or triple these recipes. Pioneer Woman’s Best Pasta Salad, Classic Potato Salad, or a big pot of Calico Beans.
How to Make Sloppy Joes | Get Cookin’ | Allrecipes
FAQ
How much ground meat do I need for 30 people?
How many pounds of ground beef do you need for 35 people?
How much ground beef for 20 adults?
How many burgers does 5 lbs make?
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 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.
How many onions & peppers are in a sloppy joes?
The amount of onions and peppers varies from one sloppy joes recipe to another. It ranges from ¼ to 1 cup of each vegetable per pound of meat. To stretch the meat, use 1 cup each of minced onions, 1 cup of diced bell peppers, and ½ cup of diced celery per pound of meat.
How many sloppy joes per bun?
Important Note: if using 1/2 cup serving of sloppy joe mix per bun, this will make 50 Sloppy Joes. 1/2 cup makes an ample serving per bun with a little spillage off the sides of the bun. Like we all expect a sloppy joe to look. Using 1/3 cup serving per bun will yield 60 Sloppy Joes with a smaller about of meat per bun.