My ‘Go To’ Sloppy Joe

One of the reasons I started blogging was because people would regularly ask me to pass along the recipes that I make all the time; recipes that were my ‘go to’ recipes because they were simple, straight-forward, and tasted good.  Well, BEHOLD!  This recipe is just that.  Classic and great using regular ingredients instead of a package of seasoning mix that has only God knows what in it.  It goes together just as fast as the convenience kind but has a ton more flavor and is much better for you.  Well, all right.  Fine.  It isn’t as fast as opening up a can of Manwich and dumping it on your meat, but almost.

You may think that the addition of a grain in this recipe is weird, but to me it is totally normal.  My Mom used to add a can of chicken gumbo soup to her sloppy joes, just to give them a bit more substance and to stretch the recipe a bit.  She used the chicken gumbo, I assume, because it had peppers and rice in it-two things that go well in sloppy joe mix.  I got in the habit of adding whatever leftover carb I had in the fridge and just stuck with it.  We always have peppers in the fridge (my kids LOVE them) so it was natural to include them in my recipe too.  Both add a hit of nutrition to an otherwise plain meal.  The other ingredients come from just trying to copy the flavors of a barbecue sauce because I didn’t want to actually add barbecue sauce.  The result?  A sweet and tangy staple that I make over and over.  The fact that it isn’t to shabby for your bod helps too!  Especially now, at the start of a new year.  Feel free whip this up and lick your fingers guilt-free! One Year Ago: Peppermint Meringue Cookies W/Mini Chocolate Chips
Two Years Ago: Shrimp Quesadillas, Alfredo, Filet Au Poivre, Honey Waffles, Hot Wings

Sloppy Joes
You could easily sub out the ground beef for ground turkey to make this even leaner.  Leftovers freeze beautifully.  I usually serve these on whole wheat buns, but they were out this particular day!

1 lb ground beef, 85 or 90% lean
1 onion, diced
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 sweet bell pepper, diced
3/4 c cooked brown rice or quinoa (barley would be nice too)
1 T mustard
1-2 T molasses (I use 2 but I like it a bit sweeter)
1 T worcestershire sauce
1 tsp chili powder
salt and pepper
1 (14 oz) can crushed tomatoes
whole wheat buns

In a large frying pan or cast iron skillet, brown the beef in a tiny bit of olive oil over medium heat.  Break it up into small pieces as you go.  When it is about halfway done, add the onion, garlic, and diced pepper.  Once all the meat is cooked through and no longer pink, and the veggies are getting soft, add the rest of the ingredients, through salt and pepper.  Let cook gently over medium low heat, stirring often, until the flavors have all come together, about 5 minutes. Add the crushed tomatoes, and bring up to temp stirring often, letting it all cook together for another 5 minutes.  Taste for seasoning.  Serve on whole wheat buns.