CHEF JOHN’S HOT SLOPPY JOE DIP

For me this checks all the boxes for a hot party dip. It’s relatively cheap and easy to make, but maybe more importantly, it’s great hot, warm, or room temp. And it’s also incredibly versatile.

I wasn’t sure if this (or any other Manwich) recipe would be worth the trouble involved in hunting & gathering, chopping & cooking since the old reliable canned sauce from Hunts is a classic example of haute cuisine at my house.

My only change to CJ’s recipe was replacing one green pepper with some diced cellery. I didn’t taste the final product before packing it up for its trip to a friends house for college football viewing. The very sad news is that nothing was left in the dish for me to finish at home. Next time I’ll use a smaller dish.

INGREDIENTS:

2 pounds extra lean ground beef
2 green bell peppers, diced
1 onion, diced
4 cloves garlic, minced
3 tablespoons all-purpose flour
2 tablespoons brown sugar
2 teaspoons kosher salt, or to taste
1 teaspoon ground black pepper
cayenne pepper, to taste
2 cups chicken broth
1 cup ketchup
1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
1 cup shredded Cheddar cheese, divided

DIRECTIONS:

Place ground beef, bell pepper, onion, garlic, flour, brown sugar, salt, pepper, and cayenne pepper in a heavy pot.
Place pot over medium-high heat. Break up and stir mixture as it heats. Cook and stir until most of the moisture has evaporated and mixture is crumbly and begins to brown, about 15 minutes. Stir in chicken broth, ketchup, mustard, and Worcestershire sauce. Mix well and bring mixture to a simmer. Reduce heat to medium. Cook, stirring occasionally, until mixture is thick, about 45 minutes.
Set oven rack about 6 inches from the heat source and preheat the oven’s broiler …