Unofficial Slimming World Sloppy Joes Recipe (Slow Cooker)

This delicious unofficial Slimming World Sloppy Joes recipe is incredibly easy to make!  It uses a slow cooker where you can dump everything in the crockpot and leave all day.  It's also lean, healthy and estimated by me as Syn Free!

I've made Sloppy Joes dozens of times because I love the simplicity of it.  No need to get your hands dirty and form pattie shapes.  And of course, no need to refrigerate them before frying to help them keep their shape.

But this slow cooker Sloppy Joes post originally started out as a camping recipe, which, yes, you could still pan fry.  And I can honestly say eat this way more often at home.

And because I had an afternoon of errands, I needed my slow cooker todo the work for me.  Very much like filling it, turning it on, then going to work all and coming back to a ready made meal.

Here's my latest recipe video for one of our favourite super quick and healthy recipes.

DO I NEED TO BROWN THE MINCE BEFORE SLOW COOKING?

Sometimes if I'm really short of time, I don't bother browning my meat. However, if you take 10 minutes of your time, it will enrich the flavours and caramelise more in the pan.  Also, it helps trap the juices, preventing the beef from completely disintegrating in the sauce.

In technical terms, browning beef develops something called a Malliard reaction.  This is where animo acids and sugars work on large molecules to create smaller ones which we can then taste as flavour.

It's particularly more important for larger cuts of meats, such as searing chicken thighs. But for smaller textures like mince, it generally helps to keep its colour and texture which is very important for slow cooked Sloppy Joes.

HOW TO COOK HEALTHY SLOPPY JOES IN THE SLOW COOKER

First, if you have time, brown the meat in a frying pan with Frylight or a similar cooking oil spray.  Then immediately transfer to your slow cooker including the remaining ingredients and give everything a good stir.

If you want to add even more healthy food, you can at this point, but make sure they're finely chopped.  Other vegetables you could use are:

• finely diced carrots
• peas
• chopped chilli
• sliced mushrooms
• diced courgettes
• diced aubergine
• more onions

Once you've added what you want to your slow cooker, cover and cook on high for 3 to 4 hours or low for 6 to 7 until tender.

HOW TO COOK SLOPPY JOES ON THE HOB

Obviously, Sloppy Joes on the hob is a much quicker affair.  And instead of transferring the meat to the slow cooker, you'll need a large lidded pan.

I brown the mince first with frylight, then add the garlic and onions and saute.  And finally, add the remaining ingredients, bring to a boil and reduce the heat before covering.

Then simmer for about 20-25 minutes, stirring occasionally to prevent catching at the bottom of the pan.

IS SLOW COOKER SLOPPY JOES HEALTHY?

Disclaimer: This is an unofficial page and has no affiliation or endorsement from Slimming World.  Slimming World's website can be found at https://www.slimmingworld.co.uk/
*Any syn values are personal estimates and not verified by Slimming World.

Firstly, I estimate this recipe as "Syn Free" on the Extra Easy plan.  And at approximately 376 calories each without the bread buns. So yes, I would say it is healthy.  Other things to consider are that it has about 28g of fat when served between 4 people.

And 10g of that is saturated.  Very likely where the 5% fat (or extra lean mincemeat comes in).  It also roughly has 31g of protein each.  And when eating with a 60g wholemeal bread bun each, it works out at around 524 calories each.  Or, you could opt for Syn Free vegetarian Quorn mince instead.

Please note, however, that if you have already consumed your healthy allowances for the day, then the bread bun should be counted as 6 syns.  But if in doubt, always as your consultant depending on the brand and size you use.

TIPS FOR COOKING SLOPPY JOES IN THE SLOW COOKER

• Brown the meat first to help the mince keep its integrity
• Pack with plenty of veggies to ensure you're eating a 3rd low GI veg on a plate
• Toast the bread buns to prevent them from falling apart when filled with meat
• To retain as much moisture in the slow cooker, you can cover with tin foil before adding the lid on top.  This prevents steam escaping through the vent
• If wanting to make a vegetarian Sloppy Joes, it's as easy as adding frozen Quorn mince instead.

CAN YOU FREEZE SLOPPY JOES?

This slow cooker Sloppy Joes (aka Manwich) is the perfect meal for cooking ahead of time and freezing in batches.  I purposely portion and spoon in to freezable and lidded containers so I only need to defrost what I need at each time.

I always save any takeaway style containers for this job as opposed to buying them. It's also preferable to write what is in the container as a frozen dish has often caught me out; particularly soups. And store for up to 3 months to be safe.

Then, when it comes to reheating them, I either put in an oven safe container and reheat with tin foil, or straight in a saucepan or microwave. If you want to store in the fridge, a local cafe once told me it's best to store dishes with cut up meat for up to 3 days. And 5 days if you haven't cut up, say a whole chicken. As for the reheating process, I use exactly the same method as above.

SERVING SUGGESTIONS FOR SLIMMING SLOPPY JOES

In the event that you've already eaten your Healthy Extra B for the day, here's a few other serving suggestions other than a wholemeal bread bun:

• Syn Free chips
• Baked potato
• Horseradish egg fried rice or similar
• Cauliflower rice
• Whole roasted cauliflower
• Fruity salsa rice
• Jewelled rice
• Mixed salad

WHAT EQUIPMENT DO I NEED?

Thankfully there isn't much fancy equipment you need to make Sloppy Joes.  However, because it is also a slow cooker chicken sloppy joes, you will obviously need a slow cooker.

If you don't have one, you can simply cook it in the pan on the hob for about 30 minutes.

Other things you'll need are a:

• Slow cooker (mine is 3l, however, I do have a 6.5l one for much larger recipes
• Mercer culinary chef's knife
• Chopping board
• Spatula
• Large non stick frying pan
• Measuring jug
• Kitchen scales
• Measuring spoons

TELL US YOU MADE SLOW COOKER SLOPPY JOES (AKA MANWICH)

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