The sloppy joe has been a staple of the budget-conscious family for years, but if you're from a family that grew up with this in regular rotation at the dinner table - have you even thought of making sloppy joes since? It's time for Sloppy Joe to grow up, get a job, enhance his resume. It's time for an adult sloppy joe - a sloppy joe with sweet, savory, and spicy flavors that a sophisticated palate can appreciate. Do not be overwhelmed by the list of ingredients for the sauce, it will be well worth the flavors you'll get from this grown-up 'joe - and keep in mind it will give you a lot of HEAT hidden beneath it's sweet bbq sauce taste.I love to hide veggies in recipes where they easily go undetected. I've snuck more than 3 cups of veggies into this recipe by using my mini food processor to make them the same size and texture as the ground beef. Covered in this recipe's sweet & spicy sauce, hungry eaters will be none the wiser.
I typically make a lot of sloppy joe and then freeze portions for nights I don't feel like cooking or nights I'm not home so Mr. B. has something to eat. This recipe makes a lot of sloppy joes. Please feel free to cut down this recipe to a half or a third, if you don't have room in the freezer and are only cooking for a few.
What you need:
~3 lbs lean ground beef
1 large yellow or vidalia onion, diced
3/4 cup diced carrot (about 2 carrots)
3/4 cup diced celery (about 3 celery stalks)
1 green bell pepper, diced
3 cloves garlic, minced
2 cups shredded cheddar cheese, for topping
Hamburger buns of your choice
Sauce:
2-1/2 cups ketchup
1/4 cup worcestershire sauce
1 tbsp dijon mustard
1 tbsp hot sauce
1 tbsp honey
2 tbsp apple cider vinegar
2 tbsp brown sugar
2 tbsp chili powder
1 tbsp dried oregano
1 tbsp paprika
2 tsp black pepper
2 tsp garlic powder
1 chipotle chile in adobo sauce, pureed (along with a small spoonful of sauce from can)
What to do:
1. Use food processor to prepare veggies so they are finely diced. Place in slow cooker.2. Puree all ingredients for sauce together in a food processor until smooth. Pour into slow cooker.
3. Brown beef in a large cast iron skillet over medium-high heat, making sure to separate/chop up beef as you cook.
4. Once beef cooked, use a slotted spoon to drain beef and add to slow cooker. Stir to combine with sauce and vegetables.
5. Turn slow cooker on high and cook for 3-4 hours.
6. Toast buns before making sandwiches, if desired. Add 1/2 or 2/3 sloppy joe mixture (depending on size of buns) and top with desired amont of shredded cheese. Enjoy!
You've given me a trip down memory lane as well as a recipe that will be terrific to make on a chilly, rainy day. It's also nice to read a blog post that's an actual recipe for a dish that requires actual cooking. This morning it seems that most of the posts I've come across have been what I call "pseudo-recipes." Finding something original was a breath of fresh air. Thank you.
ReplyDelete