If You Have Time: Toast The Buns! If you have a few minutes, toast gluten-free buns in the oven for a few minutes or in a pan until golden. You can brush them with butter or mist them with olive oil spray if you like for a more golden, crispy texture.

Brown The Beef. Start by adding butter or oil to a large skillet. Add the ground beef and cook the beef over medium-high heat 8-10 minutes or until browned and just cooked through, breaking the beef up into small pieces as you go. Remove the beef from the pan and set aside on a plate. (If you’re using very lean ground beef, there’s no need to drain the pan here. If you have excess fat in the pan, feel free to drain most of it, but leave about 1 Tablespoon to help you cook the vegetables).

Cook The Veggies. Add the onion and bell pepper to the same skillet and cook 4-5 minutes on medium heat, or until the vegetables are softened and the onion is translucent.

Mix In The Sauce. Return the beef to the pan along with any juices from the plate. Add garlic, chili powder, salt, pepper, and brown sugar (if using). Add tomato paste, mustard, worcestershire sauce, ketchup, and water, and stir to combine.

Cook To Thicken. Reduce the heat to low and cook the sloppy joe sauce, stirring regularly, 5-8 minutes, or until it’s your desired thickness. (If it’s too saucy, cook a few minutes longer to reduce the sauce. If it’s too thick, you can add a splash of water to thin it back out.)

Serve. Spoon the sloppy joe sauce onto toasted gluten-free buns, into baked potatoes, or into sloppy joe bowls with sweet potatoes and coleslaw or vegetables. Store leftover sloppy joe sauce in an airtight container in the fridge 3-4 days, or freeze up to 2 months.