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All Americans would like to know how to make Sloppy joes. After all, they are the most popular comfort food (next to burgers, of course!). Lucky for you, there are plenty of sloppy joes recipes that you can find online.
Once you have mastered the art if making sloppy joes, the next problem that you will encounter would be to find out the most suitable side dish for your sloppy joes. Yes, this food is already a meal in itself, but the addition of a few side dishes will undoubtedly take your dinner into a whole new level.
So what goes good with sloppy joes? Read this article to find out!
What Goes Good with Sloppy Joes?
Below we present to you some of the best side dishes that can take your sloppy joes experience into a whole new level!
Coleslaw
We all know sloppy joes to be one of the meatiest dishes you can ever bite on. The best thing that you can do is to combat its greasiness with something healthy and cold, and coleslaw is just the perfect option for that.
For an easy coleslaw recipe, is to mix shredded cabbage and carrots. To make it flavorful, we highly suggest that you add a mixture of mayonnaise, white sugar, lemon juice, white vinegar, salt, and pepper. Mix the slaw and the seasoning well. Refrigerate it for a few minutes and serve!
You will be amazed at how refreshing your sloppy joe meal can be with this side dish.
Macaroni Salad
Another cold and easy-to-make salad that would go well with your sloppy joes would be a macaroni salad. If you are tired of vegetable salads, a macaroni salad will surely be a refreshing twist!
For a classic macaroni salad recipe, prepare cooked elbow macaroni. Rinse it under cold water and drain. Transfer it in a bowl. In a separate bowl, mix the salt, pepper, mustard, vinegar, sugar, and mayonnaise. Mix the sauce with the macaroni and add in the pimentos, carrot, onion, celery, and green pepper.
Potato Salad
If there is one side dish that will surely go well with sloppy joes, it would be no other than French fries. But what if you are trying to cut down on your calorie consumption or you want to have a healthier version of a potato side dish? If that’s the case, we suggest that you go for a potato salad!
If you want a traditional potato salad recipe, boil potatoes until they are slightly tender. Afterward, peel and chop them.
Boil eggs in a saucepan. Peel and chop afterward. In a large bowl, place the eggs and the boiled potatoes. Add in the garlic salt, onion, celery, relish, celery salt, pepper, mayonnaise, and mustard. Mix everything well and refrigerate for a few hours before serving.
Vegetable Salad
And of course, there is the old-fashion, very easy to make, no-frills vegetable salad. If you want something light and fresh, this is definitely the best option for you. The great thing about it is that it is straightforward to prepare.
For a low-calorie vegetable salad, we suggest mixing just a few greens like lettuce and kale and go for a vinaigrette-based dressing. But if you want something fancier, you can add in some fruits, carrots, cucumber, boiled eggs, meat strips and pair it with a creamy dressing.
The best type of lettuce that would go well with a sloppy joe is no other than Romaine lettuce. Its crispy texture goes so well with the chunkiness and meatiness of sloppy joes. If you want to improve the crisp factor of your salad, you can add in more crunchy ingredients such as croutons, seeds, and nuts.
Corn on Cob
Another high-fiber option that you have is corn. If you wish to stick to the low carb route, it would be best that you got for a corn on a cob instead of canned corn. The sweet flavor of this vegetable would match the tangy and sweet taste of Sloppy joes pretty well.
Just like salad, corn on the cob is also easy to make. All that you have to do is to bring a pot full of water to a boil. Add in lemon juice and sugar and allow the sugar to dissolve. Afterward, drop the ear corns in the boiling water and let it simmer for 10 minutes.
Steamed Veggies
If you do not like to eat raw veggies but would like to minimize your calorie consumption, you can try steaming your vegetables instead. The best vegetables to steam are no other than broccoli and cauliflower.
To make the veggies a bit tastier, you can drizzle it with either sesame oil and olive oil and lemon. You can also top it with brown butter.
Cheese Dips and Chips
If you have no idea what to do with your sloppy joes or if you are tired of using your sloppy joes as fillings for your buns, this is one of the best ideas that you can try—serve your sloppy joes with a cheese dip and some chips and eat it like nachos!
This combination may not be familiar, but the Mexicans have already proven how well this pairing can get!
Baked Potato Chips
If you want a healthier alternative for potato chips, try making your own potato chips. This is a lot healthier since it will be baked and not fried. Plus, you will be using fresh potatoes, so you are assured that your side dish will not be laden with preservatives.
To make this, wash your potatoes and cut them into thin slices. Preheat your oven to 380 degrees Fahrenheit as you do that. Arrange the potato slices in one layer in a baking sheet. Bake the potatoes for 10 minutes on one side. Flip it over then bake the other side for 10 more minutes. Afterward, transfer the slices into a large bowl. Add salt, paprika, and pepper and mix it well.
Dill Pickles
At some point in your meal, there would come a time that your taste buds would like to take a break from the tanginess of your sloppy joes. Dill pickles side dish would give it the break it needs.
Cut your cucumbers into thin slices. Place the cucumber in a jar and add in red onions and fresh dill fronds. Season the mixture with black pepper and kosher salt. Add the water and vinegar mixture in the jar and cover it tightly. Refrigerate for 4 hours before serving.
In Summary
The sweet-tart tomato-ish sauce of your sloppy joes is already an art in itself. Because of this, you would want your side dishes to be as simple and fuss-free as possible. In this way, you can let the sloppy joes be the star of the night!
We hope that you will find our recommendations the perfect answer to your biggest question—what goes with sloppy joes. Try any of these side dishes in one of your sloppy joe parties and it will surely be a hit to all of your guests!