Staying away from rolls, no problem! These sloppy joes on crispy sweet potato “rolls” are everything you could ever want, minus the processed, refined flour from a roll.
With food, you are only as limited as your imagination so never feel restricted or deprived by eating healthy. Just imagine: sweet & savory sloppy joe meat sandwiched between crispy, garlicky sweet potato rounds and topped with crunchy, tangy pickled onions.
are sloppy joes healthy?
Sloppy joes are healthy, especially if you omit ingredients that have added sugar (and bypass a white flour roll).
This sloppy joe recipe uses grass-fed beef, unsweetened ketchup, mustard and coconut aminos. Instead of brown sugar I used Swerve Brown, a zero calorie sweetener. If you want to make this paleo/whole30, use honey or maple syrup to sweeten the beef.
how to make sloppy joes
Sloppy joes are very easy to make and can be done in less than 30 minutes. While you make the beef, you can roast the sweet potato rounds so everything finishes around the same time.
Start by dicing your onions and celery and slicing your sweet potatoes. You can use white potatoes like Russets or red potatoes as well.
Slice the sweet potatoes into rounds or slabs, between ¼” and ½” thick. The easiest way to do this is to cut off the ends, then slice off a thin piece from the side so you have a nice steady surface. Put that flat part against the cutting board and cut the potatoes into thin slices (either into rounds, or long-ways into slabs).
Place the sweet potato slices on a baking sheet, then add olive oil, garlic powder and sea salt. Mix well to coat all potatoes and arrange them on the sheet. Don’t overcrowd, you may need to use a 2nd baking sheet. Stick the potatoes in the oven.
While the potatoes are cooking, add olive oil to a large saucepan or Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Add celery and onions and cook until translucent (about 5 minutes). Add the beef and cook until it’s browned. Drain well.
Add the ketchup, mustard, Swerve brown, coconut aminos and vinegar. Add salt to taste. Mix and simmer for 20 minutes uncovered.
how to add pickled onions
Pickled onions are optional but a fantastic complement to the savory beef and salty, garlicky sweet potato. I used this recipe for pickled onions and added 2 teaspoons of Swerve granular (zero calorie sweetener). You could omit the sweetener entirely or add sugar instead.
These are great to keep in the fridge and throw on sandwiches, salads or omelettes.
If you don’t have pickled onions, regular dill or bread and butter pickles would be a nice addition to the sandwich.
how to serve sloppy joes on crispy sweet potato rounds
The sweet potatoes and sloppy joe meat should be finished around the same time.
Pair similar sizes of sweet potato rounds and put aside. Lay out 1 round from each pair on a plate. Add lettuce, sloppy joe meat and pickled onions to each round. Top with the 2nd round from the pair. Sprinkle flaky sea salt on top of the sweet potato round.
Feel free to add cheese, bacon, avocado, tomato, jalapeños or whatever else to your sandwich!
what to serve with sloppy joes
Depending on the size of your rounds, these may be the size of sliders or sandwiches. Keep that in mind when you’re planning this meal.
I got about 6 nice size rounds from each sweet potato (3 sandwiches). The smaller slices on the ends were great to eat on the side as fries. You could even lay out the smaller rounds on a plate and top with remaining sloppy joe meat and serve it like nachos!
are sloppy joes keto?
To make sloppy joes keto-friendly, use condiments with no added sugar (suggestions in recipe), use a zero carb sweetener like Swerve brown or lakanto golden and omit the sweet potato or roll. Instead, serve the sloppy joe on a lettuce wrap or in a salad. Here’s a tasty-looking Keto sloppy joe recipe using a keto burger bun. I’ve never tried this but it looks good!
other paleo/whole30 recipes you’ll enjoy:
- steak fajita stuffed sweet potatoes
- copycat Chick-fil-A sandwich
- butternut squash noodles with chicken & cream sauce
- copycat in-N-out burger (whole30, paleo)
and for dessert, check out:
- keto lemon bars
- dairy-free cheesecake with chocolate ganache
- skillet cinnamon apples with orange cream sauce (whole30, paleo)
- homemade twix bars (keto, GF)
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Enjoy sweet and savory sloppy joe meat sandwiched between crispy, garlicky sweet potato rounds and topped with crunchy, tangy pickled onions. Made in less than 30 minutes!
Ingredients
- 2 celery stalks, diced
- 1 medium onion, diced
- 2 pounds ground beef*
- 1 cup unsweetened ketchup (I use Primal Kitchen)
- 1/2 cup yellow mustard
- 2 tablespoons Swerve brown (can sub brown sugar; Or, maple syrup or honey if Paleo)
- 4 tablespoons coconut aminos (can sub Worcestershire sauce)
- 2 large sweet potatoes* (the fatter the better)
- 1 tablespoon (beef) + 1 tablespoon (potatoes) olive oil
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1/2–1 teaspoon sea salt
- pickled onions to top (optional)
- flaky sea salt to garnish
- lettuce to garnish
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.
- Dice onions & celery. Cut sweet potatoes into rounds or slabs, between ¼” and ½” thick. The easiest way to do this is to cut off the ends, then slice off a thin piece from the side so you have a nice steady surface. Put that flat part against the cutting board and cut the potatoes into thin slices (either into rounds, or long-ways into slabs).
- Place sweet potatoes on a baking sheet and add olive oil, garlic powder and salt. Mix to coat the potatoes well and arrange the slices on the pan. You may need to use a 2nd pan. Place in the oven and cook for 12-15 minutes. Check and if they’re brown on one side and soft, flip them and cook for 5 more minutes.
- While potatoes are cooking, saute onions and celery in oil in a dutch oven or large saute pan over med heat. Once the veggies are soft (about 5 minutes), add the beef. Cook beef until brown. Drain well.
- Add ketchup, mustard, coconut aminos and Swerve brown. Mix into the beef. Add salt to taste. Simmer uncovered for 20 minutes.
- Once the sweet potatoes are finished, pair rounds that are closest in size. Place pairs on a plate and add lettuce, sloppy joe and pickled onion in between each pair.
Notes
- I like to use grass-fed beef for extra nutrients including omega 3s. You could also substitute ground turkey.
- You can use white or red potatoes instead of sweet potatoes.
- Nutrition facts based on 5 servings.
Keywords: sloppy joes, healthy sloppy joes, sloppy joes sweet potato
