Italian Sloppy Joes

These Italian Sloppy Joes with ground chicken are such a quick and easy weeknight dinner that the whole family will love! Not a lot of ingredients and ready in no time!

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School is in full swing here! Between school, homework, activities, and everything else, I’m a big fan of quick and easy dinner ideas like these Italian Sloppy Joes! With simple ingredients, not a lot of prep, and quick cook time, these homemade hearty sandwiches are on the table in no time and are likely to become a family favorite.

You can never have too many quick and easy weeknight dinner ideas, right?

I’m so excited to be working with RAGÚ® brand on this family-friendly dinner idea! I love keeping a few bottles of RAGÚ® Old World Style Sauce on hand in my cupboard for a variety of recipes.

I feel like once you pop that bottle of sauce open, dinner is half done. I know that sounds kind of crazy, but so true! Once you have the sauce ready to go, there are so many quick and easy options you can use it for such as over pasta, quick and easy stews and soups, sandwiches, pizza, and more.

I love that these Italian Sloppy Joes are ready in less than 30 minutes! I like to make these sandwiches with RAGÚ® Old World Style Traditional Sauce on big crusty Italian rolls from my grocery store. 

The sloppy joe mix is full of veggies PLUS RAGÚ® Old World Style Traditional Sauce has 2 servings of veggies per half-cup! Such an easy way to sneak veggies into mealtime.

Only 10 easy ingredients in these Italian Sloppy Joes. The best part is you can easily adapt the recipe to your family’s personal preference. 

If your family doesn’t like onions and/or peppers, you can easily swap out for your favorite combination of chopped vegetables such as mushrooms, carrots, zucchini, or even eggplant.

Don’t like chicken? Try your favorite ground meat such as sausage, pork, turkey, beef, or even a vegetarian meat substitute would work.

But here are the ingredients I used that I suggest starting with…

Italian Sloppy Joes Ingredients

• Olive Oil
• Onion
• Bell Pepper
• Ground chicken
• Salt
• Pepper
• Garlic Powder
• RAGÚ® Old World Style Traditional Sauce
• Rolls
• Mozzarella cheese

How to Make Italian Sloppy Joes

1. Heat the olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add onions and peppers, stirring occasionally, until vegetables start to soften about 2-3 minutes.
2. Add the ground chicken to the pan. Stir in salt, pepper, and garlic powder. Break up the meat and stir until meat is cooked through and vegetables are soft about 5-7 minutes.
3. Add the RAGÚ® Old World Style Traditional Sauce to the pan, stir to combine, and heat until warmed through.
4. Spoon sloppy joe mixture on to bottom parts of rolls then top with cheese and top part of rolls. Serve immediately.

(Full printable recipe card is at bottom of post.)

Quick Tips for Best Results

• The smaller you chop up your vegetables, the quicker they will cook. You can even chop your vegetables ahead of time and store in the refrigerator.
• You may need to add more or less oil to your pan to prevent sticking or use a nonstick pan and omit the oil entirely.
• Use your favorite vegetables in addition or instead of the onions and peppers. You may need to adjust the cooking time though depending on what you use. Or you could even use leftover cooked vegetables.
• Break up the chicken (or ground meat) and keep stirring so that it breaks up and cooks quickly. A large spatula or wooden spoon works well.
• If you have the time, let the ingredients simmer in the RAGÚ® Old World Style Traditional Sauce for 5-10 minutes for even more flavor.

Italian Sloppy Joes FAQ

Can I make these Italian Sloppy Joes ahead?
Yes! You can make a batch of the sloppy joe mixture ahead of time and store covered in the refrigerator for a few days.

How do I store the leftovers?
You can store the leftover sloppy joe mixture (if not made into a sandwich…) in an airtight container in the refrigerator for a few days. Or you can freeze (see below).

Can I freeze these?
I would not suggest freezing the assembled sandwiches, but you can freeze the sloppy joe mixture in an airtight container or resealable bag (freeze flat). Be sure to get out as much air as possible. 

Can I use something other than ground chicken?
Yes! You can definitely substitute your favorite ground meat such as Italian sausage, beef, pork, or turkey. For a vegetarian option, you could use your favorite ground meat alternative or omit completely and just add more vegetables or even your favorite beans.

Can I substitute anything for the green peppers and onions?
Definitely! You, of course, can add more vegetables or swap out the onions and peppers for other vegetables.  Just be sure to finely chop any vegetables you’re using. Other vegetables such as eggplant, zucchini, carrots, and mushrooms would work well. You may need to adjust the cooking time though depending on the vegetable and how large you chop them. You could even use precooked or thawed frozen vegetables.

What else can I add to this recipe?
Besides the other vegetables listed above, you could add your favorite dried or fresh herbs. Chopped fresh basil or oregano would be great additions. Other cheeses such as provolone or grated Parmesan would also be delicious! Or you could also use a shredded Italian blend cheese if you prefer.

Do you have other serving suggestions for these Sloppy Joes besides the rolls?
You can easily adapt this recipe for different dietary needs such as low carb or gluten-free. For a lower-carb option, you could serve the sloppy joe mixture in lettuce leaves for a fun Italian lettuce wraps or could serve over rice cauliflower. You could also serve the sloppy joe mixture over cooked rice (or rice cauliflower), pasta (or zoodles), or even mashed potatoes (or mashed cauliflower). 

What should I serve with these Italian Sloppy Joes?
I would suggest serving these sandwiches with a big Italian salad (if you’re in a hurry just buy a bagged salad!) or a green vegetable. Of course, homemade baked fries or zucchini fries would be great too if you have the time. An Easy Pasta Salad would also be a good choice.

You can never have too many easy dinner ideas right? Here are a few more you might like.

Other Quick Dinner Recipes You May Enjoy

• Spaghetti Puttanesca – Ready in less than half an hour this easy pasta dish has anchovies, capers, and olives.
• Spicy Veggie Quesadillas – Fun twist on the popular Mexican dish!
• Tuscan Style Sausage Sandwiches – Another easy weeknight meal idea that the kids will love!

Hope your kids don’t even notice how many veggies are stuffed into these sandwiches! 

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Hope you enjoy this Italian Sloppy Joe recipe with RAGÚ® Old World Style Traditional Sauce. Tell me in the comments about what veggies you used! For a quick dessert option to go with these fun sandwiches, check out my super popular Best Cannoli Dip! 

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5 from 5 votes

Italian Sloppy Joes

Italian Sloppy Joes with ground chicken, tomato sauce, and veggies!

Prep Time 15 minutes

Cook Time 15 minutes

Total Time 30 minutes

Yield 4 servings

Author Lisa Huff

Ingredients

• 1 teaspoon extra virgin olive oil
• 1 cup finely chopped onion
• 1 cup finely chopped green bell pepper
• 1 pound ground chicken
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 teaspoon black pepper
• 1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
• 1 (24 ounce) jar RAGÚ® Old World Style Traditional Sauce
• 4 rolls split and lightly toasted if desired
• 8 thin slices mozzarella cheese

Instructions

• Heat olive oil in large skillet over medium-high heat. Add onions and peppers, stirring occasionally, until vegetables start to soften about 2-3 minutes.
• Add the ground chicken to the pan. Stir in salt, pepper, and garlic powder. Break up meat and stir until meat is cooked through and vegetables are soft about 5-7 minutes.
• Add the RAGÚ® Old World Style Traditional Sauce to the pan, stir to combine, and heat until warmed through.
• Spoon sloppy joe mixture on to bottom parts of rolls then top with cheese and top part of rolls. Serve immediately.

Notes

SNAPPY TIPS: Depending on your pan, you may need more or less olive oil to prevent sticking.

SNAPPY SUBSTITUTIONS: Instead of (or in addition to) onions and peppers, you can use your favorite finely chopped vegetables such as zucchini, eggplant, carrots, and mushrooms. Instead of ground chicken, you could use ground turkey, sausage, pork, beef, or meat alternative.

Course: Dinner

Cuisine: American, Italian

Keywords: how to. make sloppy joes, weeknight dinner idea

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