Sloppy Joes for a Crowd. This is a recipe from our old Church cookbook for sloppy joes to serve a large group. It serves 60 people. So If you’re looking for a recipe for sloppy joes for a crowd, this will fit that bill.
This is a great recipe to keep on hand in case you’ve invited 58 friends over for dinner, or if you’re the Osmonds and have 58 of your great grandchildren over for lunch (hey, I–am–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. 🙂
The History of Sloppy Joes
When I decided to prepare this recipe, I wondered about the origin of the name “Sloppy Joe”, so I Googled “Where did the name Sloppy Joe come from” sure enough I was rewarded with answers:
One web site claims: The Original Sloppy Joe Sandwich was invented at Sloppy Joe’s Bar in Key West. The original is still available and consists of ground beef in a sweet rich tomato sauce, with onions, peppers and spices.
Hence the sandwich was named for the establishment, not the consistency, as suggested by the Manwich people.
(Ok now this really bothers me, what’s up with those Manwich “people” starting ugly rumors?)
Another web site suggests that it was named after a Green Bay Packer team member Joe Krzrwinski … aka “Sloppy”, a nickname given to him for his inconsistent play on the field. The first creation was made with ground sausage during 1930.
According to another story, the sandwich was named after the Sloppy Joe’s Bar in Havana, Cuba which was the first to serve a sandwich of this variety.
So depending on if you’re a Cheese Head, or a Parrot Head you’ve got your answer.
Even James Beard, the 20th Century Godfather of American cooking wrote about Sloppy Joes: “This is a product of the modern age, and though it is not a palate-tingling delight it has a large public.”
Perhaps Beard’s generous use of a 1/4 cup of Worcestershire sauce in his version of Sloppy Joes had something to do with his unenthusiastic view. Plus I think it’s a slap in the face to white-trash food. Just who does he think he is??? (Oh, that’s right, he’s the 20th century godfather of American Cooking.)
Where did this Sloppy Joe Recipe Come From?
This 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.
For tonight’s dinner we weren’t all that hungry, so I decided to scale the recipe down from 60 servings to 2. 😉
But below you’ll find the original recipe. I like the flavor of this, sweet/tangy. I served this with sides of Loaded Baked Potato Salad, and a big pot of Calico Beans.
Sloppy Joes for large group gatherings are an easy way to feed that crowd.
Sloppy Joe Recipe for Large Crowd
I hope you give this Sloppy Joe Recipe a try next time you’re hosting a large group. And if you do, please come back and give the recipe a star rating and leave a message about your experience with the recipe.
And if you have a recipe for feeding a large group, let me know, I’d love to give it a try. I host our yearly block party and am always looking for recipe ideas.
Are you a Sloppy Joe Fan? Take a look at this unique Asian flavored version and my recipe which I think is just about a perfect combo of sweet, savory and tangy.
More Sloppy Joes Recipes
- Asian Sloppy Joe Sliders Hoisin, lime juice and Chili Sauce are just the beginning of a great lineup of flavors. Easy fixings for your next party crowd
- Perfect Sloppy Joes This is a just-right flavored, no guess, recipe for Perfect Sloppy Joes. Make these with ground beef, ground turkey, or a combo of half ground beef and half Italian Sausage.
And if you’re in the sandwich mood, don’t miss my Sandwich Category. You’ll find lots of fun ideas. Including the most popular sandwich recipe on my site for Dr Pepper Pulled Pork Sliders. Another great recipe to feed a large group. I made these for a block party a few years ago, and I can’t tell you how many times I was asked for the recipe.
Ingredients
- Sloppy Joes for 60
- 6 pounds ground beef extra lean
- 1/4 cup flour
- 2 cups celery diced
- 2 cups onion diced
- 1/2 cup mustard
- 1/2 cup vinegar
- 1/2 cup brown sugar
- 28 ounces catsup
- 2 cups water
- 60 Hamburger buns small ones, but not slider buns
Instructions
- In a very large pot, cook meat until almost browned. Add celery and onion. Stir in flour slowly. Add remainder of the ingredients and simmer for at least 30 minutes. If the mixture seems dry, or needs a little punch of flavor, I add a little bit of bottled bbq sauce.
- Adjust seasonings to taste.
Notes
Nutrition
Sloppy Joes for a Crowd …It’s What’s For Dinner
what size crock pot would you use for this recipe
I’m not sure Amber. I would think it would take at least 2 6 quart slow cookers, or 3.
How do you get 10 Sloppy Joes out af a pound of hamburger?
Hi Dawn, and thanks for the note and the question.
This recipe is a direct recipe from my church cookbook. I didn’t chage a thing from the original recipe.
There are a lot of additional ingredients added to that pound of hamburger to add volume to the end result. Such as 2 cups each onion and celery.
Plus, in the instructions, it indicates to purchase small hamburger buns, rather than the large buns available at the store. Those smaller buns will most certainly stretch those sandwiches to go much further.
Let me know if you have any other questions.
How do you get 10 sloppy joes out of a pound of hamburger?
Just wondered what size bottle do you use for catsup?
I’m so sorry I’m just now seeing this message. I’m not sure of the weight/ounce size. Just the regular small bottle.