Sloppy Joes for a crowd. This is a recipe from our old Church cookbook for Sloppy Joes to serve a large group. This recipe from the book is titled Sloppy Joes for 60. If you want to make a lot of Sloppy Joes for your next party, this has the recipe you need. Let’s take a look.
Sloppy joes are a classic American sandwich that have been a staple at backyard barbecues and potlucks for generations. Consisting of seasoned ground beef served warm on a hamburger bun, they are beloved for their saucy, messy deliciousness But when making sloppy joes for a group, it can be tricky to figure out exactly how much ground beef to buy per person. This article will provide a complete guide to determining the right amount of ground beef per serving of sloppy joes
How Much Meat Per Sloppy Joe Sandwich?
The first step in calculating how much ground beef you need total is determining how much meat goes into each individual sloppy joe sandwich This can vary based on personal preferences and the size of the bun
According to most sloppy joe recipes, including our own classic recipe, you should plan for approximately 3 ounces of ground beef per sandwich. This is based on using 1 pound of ground beef to make 6 sloppy joe sandwiches.
However you may want to adjust this amount depending on the following factors
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Bun size: If you are using larger hamburger buns, you may want to increase to 4 ounces of meat per sandwich. For slider-size buns, 2 ounces may be sufficient.
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Meat preferences: If you or your guests prefer an especially meaty and filling sandwich, consider increasing the amount to 4 ounces per sandwich. For smaller appetites, 2 ounces could work.
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Additions: If you will be including extra toppings and fillers like cheese, onions, bell peppers, etc., you may be able to get away with slightly less meat per sandwich.
So while 3 ounces per sloppy joe is a sensible standard guideline, feel free to adjust the amount of ground beef up or down by an ounce or two depending on your specific preferences and serving needs.
How Much Ground Beef Per Person?
Once you’ve determined how much meat goes into each sandwich, you can calculate how much ground beef you need per individual guest. Here are some general guidelines for how many sloppy joe sandwiches to plan per person:
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Adults: Plan on 1-2 sloppy joe sandwiches per adult guest. Most adults will likely eat 1 sandwich, but hearty eaters may want 2.
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Kids: For younger children, plan for 1 sandwich per child. Older kids may be able to eat up to 2 sandwiches each.
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Teenagers: Expect 2-3 sandwiches per hungry teenager.
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Leftovers: It’s always smart to make a few extra sandwiches to leave room for second helpings. Leftover sloppy joe meat can also be repurposed into dishes like sloppy joe stuffed potatoes or nachos.
Using this number of sandwiches per person, you can calculate the total amount of ground beef needed for your crowd. Here are some example amounts:
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For 10 adults, plan for 15-20 total sandwiches (1-2 per person). This equals 45-60 ounces or 3-4 pounds of ground beef.
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For 5 kids, plan for 5-10 sandwiches (1-2 per child). This requires 15-30 ounces or 1-2 pounds of ground beef.
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For a party with 10 adults and 10 kids, plan for 25-40 total sandwiches. You’ll need 75-120 ounces or 5-8 pounds of ground beef.
These amounts can be adjusted up or down depending on the size of your buns and the meat preferences of your guests. It’s always wise to err on the side of having extra meat than not enough. Leftovers can be repurposed creatively.
Tips for Serving Sloppy Joes to a Crowd
Making sloppy joes for a large gathering doesn’t have to be daunting if you follow these handy tips:
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Buy in bulk: Check for sales on family packs or bulk packages of ground beef at warehouse stores like Costco or Sam’s Club. This will help lower the cost per pound.
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Prep ahead: Brown the ground beef and make the sloppy joe sauce up to 2 days in advance. Refrigerate until ready to reheat and serve.
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Reheat carefully: Use a slow cooker or chafing dish to keep the sloppy joe meat warm and tasty throughout serving.
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Include toppings: Offer fun personalized toppings like different cheeses, crispy fried onions, jalapeños, guacamole, etc. This adds variety while stretching the meat.
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Serve sides: Pair the sandwiches with salads, chips, coleslaw, cornbread, watermelon, or other simple sides to make a complete meal.
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Use buns creatively: If you run low on burger buns, sloppy joe meat can be served on slices of French bread, Hawaiian rolls, or inside baked potatoes.
With the right amount of planning and preparation, serving sloppy joes to a group can be easy and enjoyable. Just follow this handy guide to determine how much ground beef you need per person, shop for ingredients accordingly, and get ready for a deliciously messy time!
Where did this Sloppy Joe Recipe Come From?
This old fashioned sloppy joe recipe is from my church cookbook. The church that I attended when I was growing up in the middle of Kansas.
You’ll find Sloppy Joes for 60 along with Baptist Punch for 100, which is an odd combination of ginger ale, Kool-Aid, Hawaiian Punch and 7-Up. I was surprised to see they didn’t add five cups of sugar, I wonder if it’s sweet enough. Do they even make Hawaiian Punch anymore?
Church ladies often published these types of recipes serving large groups because of Church socials or Church suppers.
Please keep this recipe handy in case you have 58 guests coming over for dinner or if you’re the Osmonds and have 58 of your great-grandchildren over for lunch (hey, I’m not making that up, it was on Oprah on Friday).
Or if you’re empty nesters like us it will yield you 30 Sloppy Joes each.
We were not very hungry for dinner tonight, so I changed the recipe from making 60 servings to making 2 servings. .
But below you’ll find the original recipe.
The flavor of this recipe is perfect sloppy joe flavor in our books. Sweet tangy and savory.
What Side Dishes Go With Sloppy Joes?
Need side dish ideas for a big group to go with these Sloppy Joes? Just double or triple these recipes. Pioneer Woman’s Best Pasta Salad, Classic Potato Salad, or a big pot of Calico Beans.
How to Make Your Favorite Childhood Sloppy Joes
FAQ
How many people will 1 lb of sloppy joes feed?
How much ground meat do I need for 20 people?
How many pounds of ground beef do I need for 21 people?
How many people does 1lb of ground beef feed?
How much ground beef do you need for a sloppy joe sandwich?
1⁄4 pound (4 ounces) of raw ground beef makes enough cooked meat for 1 big sandwich or 2 smaller sandwiches. 1 pound of ground beef cooks down to make sloppy joe filling for 4 to 6 sandwiches. The meat shrinks as it cooks – raw beef becomes about half the amount after browning and simmering in the sauce. So remember to buy extra meat!
How many Sloppy Joes can a pound of ground beef make?
With one pound of ground beef, you can typically make 3 to 4 sloppy joes, assuming a standard serving size of around 1/4 to 1/3 pound per person. 3. What other toppings can I add to my sloppy joes? Common toppings for sloppy joes include cheese slices, pickles, sliced onions, mustard, ketchup, or coleslaw.
How many sloppy joes should a group eat?
The average serving size for sloppy joes is about 1/2 cup, and the standard recommendation is to plan for one to two sandwiches per person. Keeping this in mind, you can calculate how much ground beef will be needed to prepare the dish for your specific group size. Additionally, it’s important to consider the composition of your group.
How much sloppy joes should a kid eat?
For most older kids and adults, plan on 2 sloppy joes sandwiches per person. So figure about 1/2 pound of raw meat per person. With smaller kids (under 10), 1 sandwich per child is usually plenty. Go with around 1/4 pound of meat per kid. For teens and pre-teens, count on 1 1/2 to 2 sandwiches per person. Estimate 1/3 to 1/2 pound of meat per teen.