Sloppy Pizza Joes

Sloppy Pizza Joes are a veganized version of a favorite childhood dish of John.  When I met John, over 15 years ago, he used to rave about “Sloppy Joe Pizza Burgers.”  I was not a huge sloppy joe fan, so I kept putting off adding these guys to our weekly meal plan.  Finally, he wore me down, and I added them to the list and had him make them for me.  

That day, my appreciation of sloppy joes and all things sloppy was born.  Sloppy Joe Pizza Burgers are AMAZING!  The toasted hamburger bun provided the perfect vehicle to get the flavorful “sloppy” filling topped with melted cheese to my mouth without a huge mess.  After that first time, I was always excited when they made their way to the weekly meal plan.

Sloppy Pizza Joes

We have made them since we went vegan with various filling options, but none were as perfect and reminiscent as this recipe.  Because of the quick cooking time of TVP and how easy this recipe is, we know you could whip these up on a  weeknight in honor of Meatless Monday or Finger Food Friday (is that a thing, or did I just make that up?).  We served them with a simple spinach salad dressed with seasoned rice vinegar.  BAM! Dinner is served!

It can be a challenge to find a nice hamburger bun that isn’t full of junk or the elusive “milk powder” ingredient.  Ick!  So, when you find your favorite hamburger bun, I suggest you stock up.  Fortunately for us, we live close to Whole Foods Market, and their hamburger buns are labeled vegan!  YES!  We’ve also tried this recipe on the Pretzilla Pretzel Buns – which were excellent and provide a unique variation.  However, when we find a whole grain hamburger bun, we are stocking up, but for now, these will do. Daves Killer Bread Buns would also work well for these!

We used Follow Your Heart brand American Cheese Slices.  They melt nicely, the flavor is perfect, and they have the same “stick to the roof of your mouth” thing the pre-vegan cheese did!  Just like the old days!

Let’s get to it!

Sloppy Pizza Joes

Yield: 16

Sloppy Pizza Joes are a twist to your sloppy joes.  This recipe is a veganized variation of a childhood favorite of The VegInspiredchef.  

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Ingredients

• 1 1/2 cups TVP (Texture Vegetable Protein), (we used Bob's Red Mill)
• 21 tablespoons water (or 1 1/4c + 1 Tablespoon)
• 1 teaspoon liquid aminos
• 1 14oz jar pizza sauce
• 1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
• 1 teaspoon onion powder
• 1 teaspoon chili powder
• 3 tablespoons molasses
• 1 teaspoon ground mustard
• water, (optional)
• hamburger buns, halved
• Vegan American Cheese Slices, We used Follow Your Heart Brand

Instructions

1. Reconstitute the TVP - bring to a boil the 1 1/4 c + tablespoon (21 T) of water, add TVP, remove from heat and set aside.
2. In a sauté pan, stir together pizza sauce, onion powder, garlic powder, chili powder, molasses, ground mustard, and TVP.
3. Add water to desired consistency and heat through.
4. Lay halved hamburger buns on a baking sheet
5. Top with about 1 1/2-2 tablespoons of filling
6. Lay 1/2 slice of vegan cheese on top
7. Broil for a few minutes until cheese is melted and bun edges are lightly browned.  Serve warm.

Nutrition Information:

Yield: 16 Serving Size: 1 grams
Amount Per Serving: Unsaturated Fat: 0g

We hope you enjoy this dear to our heart recipe.  It is always a joy to replicate a dish and be able to say “it is just like mom used to make.”  Be sure to snap a pic of your sloppy pizza joes and share them on social media #veginspiredfoodie and tag us, so we see them.

Until next time, Eat More Plants & Live VegInspired!

XO,

Kathy