Sloppy Joes

Today is National Sloppy Joe Day. A sloppy joe is a type of sandwich consisting of ground beef, tomato sauce, and other seasonings served on a hamburger bun. Early 20th-century cookbooks are full of recipes for them, but they usually go by other names, such as deviled hamburger, chopped meat sandwich, beef Mironton, minced beef, Spanish-style beef, and hamburg a la Creole.

According to staff in the Heinz test kitchen, those called "sloppy joes" began in Sioux City, Iowa, as a sandwich with loose meat in 1930. The cook's name who created it was Joe. There were plenty of references to sloppy joes by the 1940's. One ad talked about the new sandwich at The Hamburg Shop; the sloppy joe was only 10 cents. "Sloppy Joe" also came to mean a low-priced restaurant in some places.

There are several variations of the sandwich, even in North America. In Quebec, Canada, the meat is served on a hot dog bun, similar to the dynamite sandwich in parts of Rhode Island. This version has plenty of onions, bell peppers, and sometimes celery. Cheese can also be added. For a healthier choice, many people substitute ground turkey for ground beef. Whatever your preference, how about a sloppy joe for lunch or dinner today?

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