Welcoming Sentiments

If you’ve followed me on any platform you know I like to sneak in vegetables as I cook. These Paleo Sloppy Joes with Hidden Vegetables are exactly that—a hearty, flavorful meal that satisfies picky eaters and health-conscious adults alike.

Whether you’re following a Paleo lifestyle or just trying to eat cleaner, this recipe is a great way to enjoy comfort food without the added sugar, processed ingredients, or refined carbs. And the best part? No one will even notice the extra vegetables packed into every bite.

Why You’ll Love This Recipe

• Paleo-friendly – No refined sugar, grains, or processed sauces
• Veggie-loaded – Hidden cauliflower and spinach
• Quick & Easy – Ready is about 30 minutes
• Kid-approved – Sweet, flavorful and comforting

Ingredients

• 1 lb ground beef (or ground meat of choice)
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 tsp. chili powder
• 1 15 oz can tomato sauce
• 2 Tbsp. local, raw honey
• 1 Tbsp. coconut aminos
• 1 tsp. red wine vinegar
• 1 tsp. Dijon mustard (paleo-friendly, I use Primal Kitchen)
• 2 handfuls of spinach (fresh or frozen)
• Riced cauliflower (1/4 cup or more, read for explanation)

There are some optional things you can add. We don’t eat onion but most recipes call for onion so by all means you can add it. Often sloppy joe calls for a diced bell pepper. Those are harder to hide so I leave them out. I feel this recipe is flavorful enough but you can also add salt and pepper to taste. If you want an extra kick you can also add crushed red pepper flakes.

Even with the added riced cauliflower the sauce is ‘saucy’ enough for me. If your seems a little too dry once everything is mixed you can add 1/4 cup of water.

Instructions

1. Cook the meat. I typically double the recipe and have 2 pounds of meat. I often use 1 pound of ground beef and 1 pound of turkey or chicken. For this particular instance where photos and video were taken I used 1 pound of ground beef and 1 pound of ground bison. You can use whatever meat you want.
2. As your meat is cooking you can prep the hidden spinach. Pour a can of tomato sauce into a mason jar. Add your spinach and puree with an immersion blender.
3. Drain grease. We get our meat from a local farm co-op and it’s pretty lean. Bison, chicken etc. are typically pretty lean too so I don’t have a lot of grease once my meat is done browning. I just turn the heat up and simmer what is there off. If your meat is greasy then you may need to drain it.
4. Have meat in the pan and add the cauliflower. I always keep frozen riced cauliflower in the freezer. You can make your own from a fresh head if you’d like. If you are new to adding cauliflower to your dishes you may want to start with a small amount, 1/4-1/3 of a cup. This is not for taste reasons because it doesn’t change the taste. If you have people who visually notice things like that then start small. I’ve been doing this for so long my son doesn’t know any different. It’s just how he started eating these foods as he began eating solids. I just dump about 1/2 a bag into the meat. Let it cook for just a minute.
5. Add the remaining ingredients to the pan and simmer until sauce has thickened.

To keep this paleo you can eat it over a sweet potato. I make sourdough so will eat it on that too. You can use whatever rolls fit your dietary needs and family preferences.

Mom Tip:

Want to make this meal go even further? Double the batch and freeze half for an easy weeknight dinner. It reheats beautifully and is perfect for meal prep.

Final Thoughts

These Paleo Sloppy Joes have become a go-to in our house. They’re cozy and nostalgic while still fitting into a clean, whole-food lifestyle. I love knowing my family is getting a good serving of veggies, even in a dish that feels like comfort food.

Have you tried a veggie-loaded version of Sloppy Joes before? Let me know in the comments or tag me if you give this recipe a try.

Need more inspiration for hiding vegetables? Check out my taco recipe!