Saturday, June 29, 2013

Sloppy Joe. Sloppy, Sloppy Joe.

What can I say about Sloppy Joes?

Not much, apparently. I made them about 3 weeks ago, along with homemade buns and sweet potato fries. I couldn't think of anything interesting to say about them, so I put them on the back burner. To be more precise, I put them in the freezer.



One thing I will say is this: always put coleslaw on your Sloppy Joe. Always.

Sloppy Joes

1.5 lb. lean ground beef
1 onion, diced
2 carrots, diced
(any other veggies you wish to sneak in there)
28 oz. can crushed tomatoes
1/2 cup ketchup
2 Tbs. brown sugar
1/2 cup brown lentils (optional)
1 cup water (not necessary if not using lentils)
1 Tbs. Worcestershire sauce
1 tsp. thyme
1 bay leaf
Salt and pepper

Brown the ground beef in a large pan. When beef is about half finished browning, add onion and carrot, sprinkle generously with salt, cook 3-4 minutes until veggies begin to soften. Add all other ingredients and bring to a simmer. Allow to simmer for around 45 minutes, until lentils are soft. You may have to add more water if your Joes get too thick. If you aren't using lentils, they only need to simmer for about 20-30 minutes for the flavors to blend together. Add more salt to taste , if necessary, and a few shakes of pepper.

We had enough to eat for dinner, have for lunch leftovers the next day, and freeze about 2 cups for later. I think the five of us eat the equivalent of 3 or 4 adults - the kids take their Sloppy Joes as more of a light coating of sauce on a bun with cheese. I don't see why you couldn't make this with all lentils, if that's your thing. We've done ground turkey in the past, too. I plan to try and remember to take these out of the freezer the night before and then just warm them up in a saucepan.

Nutrition Info
per 1/2 cup serving: Calories - 198, Fat - 6.3g, Fiber 3.5g, Sugar - 9g, Protein - 17g, Sodium - 408mg, Vitamin A - 28%, Iron - 16%

No comments:

Post a Comment