This started out as just a Shredded Beef Slow Cooker Sloppy Joe recipe. I have really been needing some super easy, but tasty dinner ideas, and this is definitely one. Everybody seems to love Sloppy Joes, but me. I really just don’t like ground beef. I mean, it is ok in a few things – like chili, but as a rule, it is not my thing, so I came up with this recipe using shredded beef instead. And, it is a slow cooker recipe, which makes it even better!
So, how did I end up with spiders? Well, there was this recipe on Pinterest, that I saw and at first glance, I thought it was Sloppy Joes. Come to find out, it was a recipe for cookies – they were chocolate, but I thought, why not make Sloppy Joe Spiders instead. And, turning them into spiders was super easy. The legs are made from crescent rolls and the eyes are olives. One can of crescent rolls makes enough for 4 spiders, but you will have a lot more than four spiders would of Sloppy Joe.
Slow Cooker Sloppy Joes or Sloppy Spiders
Ingredients
Sloppy Joes
- 3 pounds stew beef
- 1 28 ounce can tomato sauce
- 1 6 ounce can tomato paste
- 1/2 cup vinegar
- 3/4 cup brown sugar
- 4 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 onion, chopped
- 1 large green bell pepper, chopped
- 1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
- salt and pepper to taste
- 1/4 cup cornstarch
- 1/2 cup cold water
For four spiders
- 1 can crescent rolls
- 8 whole olives stuffed with pimento
Instructions
Sloppy Joes
- Mix all ingredients in the insert of a slow cooker.
- Cook on high, covered for 5-6 hours.
- Break up meat with a wooden spoon.
- Make a slurry with the cornstarch and water.
- Stir into meat mixture.
- Continue to cook on high for another hour uncovered or until mixture reaches desired thickness.
- Serve on buns. Make into spiders, if desired.
For four spiders
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
- Roll out crescent roll dough.
- Separate into 4 rectangles, and pinch together diagonal perforations.
- Slice each rectangle, beginning with the short side, into eight strips.
- Form each slice into a curved spider leg shape.
- Bake for 14 – 15 minutes or until golden.
- To assemble the spiders, place Sloppy Joe mixture on one half of bun.
- Attach olive eyes and eight legs.
- Enjoy!
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