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Sloppy Joe Reindeer Sandwiches

Sloppy Joe Reindeer Sandwiches turn a skillet of thick, savory sloppy joe filling into a festive meal with olive eyes, tomato noses, and pretzel antlers. Spoon the filling into hamburger buns, decorate, and serve immediately.
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Prep Time 10 minutes
Cook Time 21 minutes
Total Time 31 minutes
Servings: 4 servings
Course: Dinner
Cuisine: American
Calories: 525
Ingredients Equipment Method Notes

Ingredients
  

For the sloppy joe filling
  • 1 tbsp vegetable oil
  • 0.5 cup yellow onion finely chopped
  • 0.5 cup green bell pepper finely chopped
  • 2 cloves garlic minced
  • 1 lb ground beef 85% lean
  • 0.75 cup ketchup
  • 0.25 cup water
  • 1 tbsp yellow mustard
  • 1 tbsp Worcestershire sauce
  • 1 tbsp brown sugar packed
  • 0.5 tsp chili powder
  • 0.5 tsp kosher salt
  • 0.25 tsp black pepper
For the reindeer sandwiches
  • 4 hamburger buns
  • 8 black olives slices, drained
  • 4 cherry tomatoes halved
  • 8 pretzel twists

Equipment

  • 1 12-inch skillet

Method
 

Make the sloppy joe filling
  1. Heat the vegetable oil in a 12-inch skillet over medium heat, add the yellow onion and green bell pepper, and cook for 4 to 5 minutes until softened.
  2. Stir in the garlic and cook for 30 seconds.
  3. Add the ground beef and cook for 6 to 8 minutes, breaking it up, until browned and it reaches 160°F.
  4. Drain excess fat if needed.
  5. Stir in the ketchup, water, yellow mustard, Worcestershire sauce, packed brown sugar, chili powder, kosher salt, and black pepper.
  6. Simmer for 8 to 10 minutes, stirring occasionally, until thickened.
Assemble the sandwiches
  1. Split the hamburger buns and spoon the sloppy joe filling onto the bottom halves.
  2. Decorate each sandwich with two black olive slices for eyes, a cherry tomato half for a nose, and two pretzel twists for antlers; serve immediately.

Notes

For the best texture, serve as soon as the sandwiches are assembled. Refrigerate leftover filling in an airtight container for up to 3 to 4 days; freeze the filling for up to 3 months, but assemble the sandwiches fresh. Ground turkey can replace the ground beef for a lighter variation.