By Chef Alli

Slow Cooker Tex-Mex Sloppy Joes

Ingredients

  • 3 lbs. ground beef, 95 percent lean
  • 1 yellow onion, diced
  • 2 tsp. ground cumin
  • 2 cups ketchup
  • 2 cups frozen corn, thawed
  • 2 14-oz. cans black beans, rinsed and drained
  • 16 oz. tomato sauce
  • ¼ cup taco seasoning blend
  • ½ cup chopped fresh cilantro
  • Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste

Instructions

  • Heat a large, greased cast iron skillet over medium-high heat until hot.
  • Add ground beef, onion and cumin; cook 10-12 minutes, breaking ground beef into crumbles and stirring occasionally until cooked throughout.
  • Drain fats, then stir in ketchup, corn, beans, tomato sauce and taco seasoning; bring to a boil.
  • Reduce heat; simmer 10 minutes, stirring often.
  • Stir in cilantro; season to taste with salt and black pepper.

To serve at a picnic, potluck, or family reunion:
Keep beef mixture warm in a large slow cooker. Lay out buns for sandwiches, flour tortillas for soft tacos, tortilla chips for taco salad - plus all the trimmings. A low-carb option is the meat mixture served in a bowl topped with the slaw. It’s fun to offer a variety of ways this can be eaten. Kids will often eat the sloppy joe mixture just plain, using tortilla chips for dipping.

Looking for more potluck and picnic recipes and tips? Try these:

  • Chef Alli

    Chef Alli is a wife, mom and chef. She's been stirring up a love of farm fresh cooking for more than a decade.  To see more of Alli's recipes, go to www.chefalli.com.