Sloppy Joes

Thanks to Adam Sandler and his lyrical genius the Sloppy Joe has sort of gotten a bad rap over the years.  Come to think of it, I actually don’t remember ever having Sloppy Joes in the school cafeteria so I don’t have that negative association.   

My mom used to make Sloppy Joes by simply browning meat, then adding 2 jars of Heinz Chili Sauce and sweet relish.  I of course began adding onion, garlic and other spices.  Then after moving overseas I haven’t been able to find Heinz Chili Sauce, so I worked out this pretty good version here after a bit of trial and error.

I find this to be a quick and easy dinner that I can turn to when I don’t really feel like cooking.

Sloppy Joes

Ingredients:

1 lb. Ground beef, turkey, lamb, pork or veggie crumbles

1 white onion – diced

3 cloves garlic - minced

3 stalks of celery diced

1 bell pepper - diced

2 12oz. cans of tomatoes (puréed)

2 tablespoon chili powder

1 tablespoon white vinegar

1 tablespoon sweet pickle juice

1 teaspoon onion powder

1 teaspoon garlic powder  

½ teaspoon black pepper

1 teaspoon red pepper flakes

½ teaspoon salt  

½ cup ketchup

4 Sweet and sour pickles – minced (or 2 tablespoon sweet relish)

Hamburger Buns

Process:

Brown ground meat in a skillet over medium high heat.

Add the onions after the meat is about ½ way done.

Cook until the onions begin to wilt then add the garlic, celery, and bell pepper and cook the mixture for approx. 2 minutes.  

Add remaining ingredients and mix well.  Simmer for 20 minutes giving the flavors a bit of time to meld.  If the mixture is a little too runny, blend 1 tablespoon butter and 1 tablespoon flour, then add to the Sloppy Joes while they are still simmering

Toast the hamburger buns with a little butter and garlic salt.

Serve as an open faced sandwich with your favorite vegetables.

Enjoy!