When mama needs a mindless dinner, sloppy joes are a great answer.
And this recipe is originally dairy-free so it’s perfect for our milk allergy family.
See our easy sloppy joe recipe below…with a fun no-mess hack.
Sloppy Joes have been one of my go-to dinners even before kids.
Then when we had kids and milk allergy enter our life, sloppy joes were already a dairy-free dinner I knew how to make.
Toddler-friendly and no-mess with my fun little hack.
When food allergy moms ask the best meal to serve at birthday parties, I always recommend sloppy joes!
Again, it’s already dairy-free and guests will love it. It’s easy to make a big batch, keep it warm in a crock, and fill everyone up.
For parties, we serve it with plain chips and a veggie tray and are good to go.
Of course, don’t forget the dairy and egg free cake for dessert.
WHY IS SLOPPY JOE SO EASY?
It’s easy to simmer in the crockpot for busy days.
It’s super fast if you have burger cooked ahead of time.
It’s something you can cook and freeze for later.
It’s something that can be made in bulk for parties and guests.
And it’s originally dairy-free so friends and family love it, too!
NOT SO SLOPPY JOES
Any moms of picky eaters out there?
As in, anyone’s kids not like sloppy joes because they are…
dare I say…
too sloppy?
Oh dear Lord, I just can’t.
I have one child who used to cry at the dinner table because sloppy joes were sloppy.
Mama, hold me!
I tried many tricks including open face with a fork,
but here is the trick that finally worked…
serve sloppy joes on hot dog buns!
That’s right, a little something special for the kiddos who just can’t handle too much slop.
Problem solved.
Mom is sane again. Or close to.
DAIRY-FREE HOT DOG BUNS
If you are dairy-free, finding milk-free hot dog buns can be tricky.
We’ve been using Brownberry buns and just found Hy-Vee and Target brand to be ok for us, too.
Check labels for yourself always because ingredients can change,
especially with bread for some reason.
We also don’t call companies for manufacturing info so if your allergist requires that, do that first.
Here’s our favorite dairy-free sloppy joe recipe adapted from my Betty Crocker cookbook.
Don’t want homemade?
Check out the canned sloppy joe we also like.
PIN IT FOR LATER
SLOPPY JOES DAIRY FREE
INGREDIENTS
1 pound ground beef or venison
1/2 cup chopped onion (1 medium)
1 can diced tomatoes
2 Tablespoons quick oats
1 teaspoon chili powder
2-3 teaspoons Worcestershire sauce
1/2 tablespoons garlic salt
DIRECTIONS
Cook meat and onion til meat is browned and cooked through.
Drain the fat.
Combine cooked meat and onions with the rest of the ingredients.
Bring mixture to a slight boil.
Reduce heat.
Simmer, uncovered, for 5-10 minutes or until desired consistency is reached.
Serve in buns with veggie and chips.
Hope you like this dairy-free sloppy joe recipe as much as we do!
This was originally posted January 2013.