SLOW-COOKER ITALIAN SLOPPY JOES

Slow-Cooker Italian Sloppy Joes image

These tasty sloppy joes with plenty of mass appeal are perfect for a gathering. If you're taking them to an event later in the day, simplify your morning by cooking the beef mixture and stirring in other ingredients the night before. Cool the meat sauce in shallow bowls in the fridge, then cover and refrigerate them overnight. The next day, transfer the meat mixture to the slow cooker to finish cooking, and then keep it warm for the party. -Hope Wasylenki, Gahanna, OH

Provided by Taste of Home

Categories Lunch

Time 4h30m

Yield 36 servings.

Number Of Ingredients 11

Ingredients

2 pounds lean ground beef (90% lean)
2 pounds bulk Italian sausage
2 medium green peppers, chopped
1 large onion, chopped
4 cups spaghetti sauce
1 can (28 ounces) diced tomatoes, undrained
1/2 pound sliced fresh mushrooms
1 can (6 ounces) tomato paste
2 garlic cloves, minced
2 bay leaves
36 hamburger buns, split

Steps:

Cook the beef, sausage, peppers and onion in a Dutch oven over medium heat until meat is no longer pink; drain. Transfer to a 6-qt. slow cooker. Stir in the spaghetti sauce, tomatoes, mushrooms, tomato paste, garlic and bay leaves., Cover and cook on high until flavors are blended, 4-5 hours. Discard bay leaves. Serve on buns, 1/2 cup on each. Freeze option: Freeze cooled meat mixture in freezer containers. To use, partially thaw in refrigerator overnight. Heat through in a saucepan, stirring occasionally and adding a little broth or water if necessary.

Nutrition Facts : Calories 246 calories, Fat 9g fat (3g saturated fat), Cholesterol 29mg cholesterol, Sodium 522mg sodium, Carbohydrate 27g carbohydrate (6g sugars, Fiber 2g fiber), Protein 13g protein. Diabetic Exchanges