Sloppy Joe Pizza, combining two of my family's favorites to create a new favorite

When my teenage son came in and saw me topping pizza dough with Sloppy Joe meat, it put a huge grin on his face. He knew it was going to be awesome without even tasting it! Topping pizza dough with Sloppy Joes might not be a novel idea, but it does combine two dinners that are big hits in our household into one, easy-to-eat dinner. The thick pizza crust holds up better than soft hamburger buns, making this Sloppy Joe Pizza a little less sloppy!


 I press homemade pizza dough out to create a foccacia-style crust. The thicker crust tends to hold all the meatiness of thick Sloppy Joe mix loaded with onions and peppers. For an easy weeknight shortcut, I use a Sloppy Joe seasoning packet and add onion and peppers to the browned ground beef. If you prefer to make your Sloppy Joes from scratch, Diane at Recipes for our Daily Bread has a great recipe.

Sloppy Joe Pizza

Ingredients

   For the Sloppy Joe topping:

• 1 pound ground beef
• 1 onion, diced
• 1 green bell pepper, diced
• 1 red bell pepper, diced
• 1 Sloppy Joe Seasoning Packet
• 6-oz can of tomato paste

• Pizza Dough
• 2 cups shredded cheese, Cheddar, Monterey Jack, or Mozzerella

Directions

1. Brown ground beef, and drain well. Remove from pan.
2. Add diced onion and bell peppers to hot pan, and sauté until softened.
3. Return meat to pan, add contents of the seasoning packet, tomato paste, and 1 can-full (6 ounces) of water. I add less water then called for on the seasoning packet to make a thicker sauce to prevent my pizza crust from becoming soggy.
4. Simmer for 5-10 minutes, until the mixture is hot and thickened.

To assemble the pizza, top your favorite pizza dough or my Rosemary Focaccia Dough (prepared pan-pizza style) with shredded cheese and your Sloppy Joe topping. My family prefers a Cheddar and Monterey Jack blend, but mozzarella or any easy-melting cheese would be fantastic. Sprinkle a bit of extra cheese on top and bake on a pizza stone in a 450 F oven for 15-17 minutes, or until the crust is golden brown. Garnish with basil, and serve. If you like your Sloppy Joes a little spicy like we do, top your pizza with a few dashes of hot sauce or jalapeño pepper rings.

This pizza brought Sloppy Joes up a notch and received high praise from my kids and husband alike. What are some of your family's favorite dinners?