Plant-Based Protein Messy Janes
with Pickled Onion, Roasted Potato Wedges & Vegan Chipotle Mayo
- Tree Nuts
- Soy
- Wheat
Craving the ultimate throwback of the humble sloppy joe—minus the meat? Look no further. This version stars ground, plant-based protein, and is worlds tastier than the ones the lunch lady slung: Think pickled onion, a smoky BBQ sauce, and a side of hearty potato wedges. (We’d still highly recommend keeping a few napkins nearby, though.)
Ingredients
4 tablespoon
BBQ Sauce
1 tablespoon
Cornstarch
1 unit
Red Onion
6 ounce
Ground Plant-Based Protein
(Contains: Tree Nuts, Soy, Wheat)
12 ounce
Potatoes
1 unit
Ketchup
1 unit
Mushroom Stock Concentrate
2 unit
Brioche Buns
(Contains: Wheat)
1 unit
Lime
2 tablespoon
Vegan Chipotle Mayonnaise
1 tablespoon
Southwest Spice Blend
Not included in your delivery
¼ teaspoon (tsp)
Sugar
1 teaspoon (tsp)
Cooking Oil
Nutrition Values
Utensils
Cooking Steps
• Adjust rack to top position and preheat oven to 450 degrees. Wash and dry produce. • Cut potatoes into ½-inch-thick wedges. Toss on a baking sheet with a large drizzle of oil, 1 tsp Southwest Spice Blend (2 tsp for 4 servings), salt, and pepper. (You’ll use the rest of the Southwest Spice Blend later.) • Roast on top rack until lightly browned and tender, 20-25 minutes.
• While potatoes roast, halve, peel, and very thinly slice ¼ of the onion; finely chop remaining. Quarter lime. Halve buns. • In a small microwave-safe bowl, combine sliced onion, juice from half the lime (use the rest of the lime as you like), ¼ tsp sugar (½ tsp for 4 servings), and a pinch of salt. Microwave until onion is softened, 1 minute. Set aside.
• In a second small bowl, combine BBQ sauce, ketchup, stock concentrate, half the cornstarch (all for 4 servings), remaining Southwest Spice Blend, and 1 TBSP water (2 TBSP for 4).
• Heat a drizzle of oil in a large pan over medium-high heat. Add chopped onion; cook, stirring, until softened, 4-5 minutes. • Add plant-based protein*; season with salt and pepper. Using a spatula, press into an even layer; cook, undisturbed, until browned on bottom, 3-4 minutes. • Break up protein into pieces and continue cooking until browned and warmed through, 3-4 minutes more.
• Add 2 TBSP water (4 TBSP for 4 servings) to pan with plant-based protein, then stir in BBQ sauce mixture. Cook, stirring, until sauce has thickened, 2-3 minutes. (TIP: If sauce seems too thick, add another splash of water.) Taste and season with salt and pepper. Turn off heat. • Meanwhile, toast buns until golden brown.
• Divide buns between plates; spread cut sides of bottom buns with vegan chipotle mayo. Fill buns with messy jane filling and as much pickled onion (draining first) as you like. Serve with potato wedges on the side and any remaining mayo for dipping.
Ground Plant-Based Protein is fully cooked when internal temperature reaches 165°.
Customer reviews
Review summary
Updated on Dec 2025- Flavor: Many loved the tasty sauce and found it surprisingly delicious, though some felt it was a bit too sweet.
- Ease of prep: Quick and easy to make, with great flavors, though a few noted prep time was longer than expected.
- Suggestions: Consider adding extra veggies or swapping potatoes for a salad. Try topping with cheese or serving open-faced for less bread.
- Portions: Some wished for larger buns to contain the filling better; others found it perfectly sized and satisfying.
- Plant-based protein: Most enjoyed the texture and taste, but a few preferred name-brand alternatives like Impossible or Beyond Meat.
Reviews from our home cooks
I was beyond shocked how good this was. I'm not really one to eat vegan, but wanted to give this a try. I was super sketchy about the vegan mayonnaise, but it was great. You can tell it's not meat, but texture and flavor is still really delicious. It's honestly probably one of my favorite recipes yet from Hello Fresh.
Tasty, easy to cook, good portion size, and easy clean up.
This was absolutely delicious. My only complaint was that the bun was not very wide, and could barely contain half of a serving without it all splattering out. But the filling was delicious on the fries, too, so that was fine.
No gonna lie, the veggie protein looked and smelled like dog food, but it was still tasty with the sauce. I was surprised it wasn't a more popular brand like Morningstar or impossible burger.
Sauce was a little two sweet for my family's preference but overall, everything was delicious. Loved the pickled red onions and lime!
Good - The pickled onions were not a fan favorite. The potatoes didn't work, even with extra baking time. Liked the sauce in the sandwiches and the meatless option.
Needs a wider bun and I had to make double the mayo as it was too little for two people.
Prepping the produce for this yummy meal took me at least 20 minutes, not 5 as it shows on the menu card.
Tasted different than in the past? Maybe the sauce ingredients were different. More flavorful in the past. LOVE that you increased the meat again....way too small last time I got it. Thank you!
Well balanced taste. The meat eaters in the house enjoyed it and it was vegan! Well done.
