If a sloppy joe and a taco met across a crowded room and decided to fall in love, their child would be strange — and delicious. That was essentially our dinner last night. But first, a little backstory.
I had an amazing childhood. I literally grew up at camps. My father managed camp, so my school years were spent at a summer camp and winter retreat: first at Lake Louise United Methodist Camp and later at Camp Asbury.
Summers meant a busy lake full of swimmers, boats and fishermen, and meadows full of noisy kids from around the state. I spent my summers swimming and fishing in what I thought was the most beautiful lake in Michigan while admiring all the cute kids who came through camp.
Can you imagine a better—or worse, depending on whether you were the kid or the parent—place for a boy-crazy teenage girl to live? They bused city kids right into my backyard. Nature’s grandeur plus a fresh crop of teenagers every week—those were advantages I appreciated.
Summers also meant my family ate most dinners in the dining hall with the campers, which meant we ate the same menu they did. Weeknight dinners were predictable: roast beef, tacos, pizza, sloppy joes, fish night, plus a nightly salad bar. When we got a new salad bar, we were ecstatic—though I never cherished the sneeze-guard cleaning duty.
Those repeated meals became part of my memory landscape. For me, pizza, sloppy joes and tacos—the holy trinity of camp food—evoke bright skies, dock-side afternoons and toes in Thumb Lake’s cool water. Over time they became comfort food linked to cherished memories. It might sound lofty to feel nostalgic about sloppy joes and tacos, but there you go.
Every so often, nostalgia strikes and I make a giant batch of sloppy joes. Because we once fed hundreds, a pot doesn’t feel right unless it’s huge. Early in my marriage I discovered that my husband didn’t share my affection for sloppy joes. Curious, I asked him why. He shrugged and finally admitted, “Meh. It’s sweet spaghetti sauce on a bun.”
I was shocked. I tried every sloppy joe recipe I could find, even canned versions, and even made very spicy versions loaded with habanero peppers. Nothing converted him. Then last night I was pressed for time after getting lost in a book and realized dinner time was less than an hour away.
I grabbed a big amount of ground beef and improvised because I was out of carrots, celery and diced tomatoes. I turned to taco flavors: enchilada-season-type spices, a can of tomato paste and water added to browned ground beef. In under 15 minutes I had taco-flavored sloppy joes simmering on the stove.
When my husband called and asked what’s for dinner, I said, “Taco Joes,” not expecting much. I also prepared toppings—corn and black bean salad, a mountain of sharp cheddar, and sliced avocados—because taco toppings are half the fun. I anticipated polite eating and quick departures to evening activities, but everyone loved them. They went back for seconds and thirds.
The filling had a slightly smoky, garlicky, tomato-forward taco-meat flavor and, crucially, it wasn’t sweet. After years of trying, I finally made a sloppy joe my husband truly enjoyed. Thus, Taco Joes were born.
I had mentioned cooking a large amount of beef earlier—well, I cooked six pounds on purpose so I could freeze portions. After seeing how well the Taco Joes went over, I’m glad I made enough. For our family, the batch provided at least five meals. It also freezes wonderfully and can be repurposed as taco meat, nacho topping, taco pizza topping, or for taco soup.
It’s comforting to know an almost-instant meal is waiting in your freezer. If this converted my husband, it might win a few of you over too. Please try a batch soon—simple, satisfying, and delicious. You’ll be a happy camper.
Taco Sloppy Joes
Taco Sloppy Joes
Rebecca Lindamood
Pin Recipe
Ingredients
- 2 pounds super lean ground beef
- 3 cups cold water
- 1 6 ounce can tomato paste
- 1/4 cup homemade taco seasoning or 2 packets taco seasoning
- salt and pepper to taste
- 12 sandwich buns or bread
- 1 avocado, sliced
- 1 cup salsa
- 2 cups shredded cheese
- 2 to tomatoes sliced
- 1 sweet onion sliced
Instructions
-
Break up and brown the ground beef in a large soup pot over medium-high heat. When the meat is just browned and no longer pink, add the water, tomato paste and taco seasoning and stir well. Bring to a boil, then lower the heat. Stir frequently and simmer for about 30 minutes, or until very thick. The goal is a thick, cohesive meat filling that holds together on a bun: moist but not saucy.
Nutrition
Carbohydrates: 33g
Protein: 25g
Fat: 16g
Saturated Fat: 6g
Cholesterol: 64mg
Sodium: 1052mg
Potassium: 680mg
Fiber: 4g
Sugar: 8g
Vitamin A: 1104IU
Vitamin C: 12mg
Calcium: 201mg
Iron: 4mg
Nutritional information is an estimate and provided as a courtesy. Calculate nutrition using the actual ingredients you use if desired.
did you make this recipe?
Share your version on Instagram and tag @foodiewithfam using #foodiewithfamily so the author can see it.