Brace yourself—it looks gross, but tastes so good! This Halloween twist on classic Sloppy Joes is the ultimate “eww-but-yum” meal for your party table. It’s got all the messy, saucy goodness you love, loaded with flavor and a dash of silliness. Perfect for family dinners, kids’ parties, or that one friend who laughs a little too hard at the creepy stuff.
Ingredients (makes 4–8 servings): • 1 Tbsp oil • ½–1 lb ground beef • ½ Tbsp chili powder • ½ Tbsp brown sugar • 1 Tbsp apple cider vinegar • 1 cup stewed or diced tomatoes • 1 small jar tomato paste • 1 tsp Worcestershire sauce • 1 onion, julienned • 1 jar no-salt-added peas and carrots • 1–2 packages flatbread
Instructions: 1. Heat oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. 2. Add ground beef and cook until browned, breaking apart as it cooks. Drain and wipe out the skillet. 3. Return beef to skillet. Add chili powder, brown sugar, vinegar, tomatoes, tomato paste, Worcestershire sauce, onion, peas, and carrots. 4. Mix well and cook 1–2 minutes until heated through. 5. Spoon the mixture generously over flatbread—let it ooze and spread for maximum gross-out effect!
🎃 Halloween Fact: The first recorded Halloween parties in America took place in the mid-1800s, filled with harvest foods, spooky games, and playful “gross-out” dishes just like this one. People have always loved a mix of fright and fun at the dinner table!
👻 Spooky Serving Idea: Arrange the mixture spilling off a platter lined with lettuce “guts.” Add edible candy eyes on top so it looks like your Sloppy Joe “came alive.” Serve with napkins—because it’s deliciously messy, as all great Halloween food should be!
