Quick and Easy Sloppy Joes
You look in the fridge and see basically nothing. The freezer yields a lonesome-looking package of ground beef, original intent long forgotten. So, what’s for dinner?
The obvious answer is sloppy joes! I have a friend who laughs at me when I make homemade bread instead of running to the store for it. However, I laugh at her for making a trip to the grocery to buy canned sloppy joe sauce. You only need a few basic ingredients to whip up some pretty good sloppy joes. And, if you have a slightly stocked pantry, you increase your options for different varieties of these tasty sandwiches. Look for cream of mushroom or other creamed soups, cheddar cheese soup, ketchup, or mustard.
Below is my standard recipe for sloppy joes, and below that are some alternatives.
Sloppy Joes
serves 6 / prep. time: 20 minutes / cook. time: the same
2 lbs. ground beef, the leaner the better
1/4 c. wheat germ, optional
3/4 c. ketchup
4 T. mustard
2 T. worcestershire sauce, optional
salt and pepper
As I’m sure you can figure out, start by browning the meat in a large skillet. When it’s browned, lower the heat and drain as thoroughly as you can. I do this by pushing all the meat to one side and using folded paper towels to soak up the fat. After that, I stir in the wheat germ. (I do this because A. It’s good for you, B. The kids never know it’s there, and C. It soaks up even more grease and reduces the sloppiness of the Joes.) Finally, add in the ketchup, mustard, salt and pepper.
Consider these alternatives:
Mushroom or celery soup
cheddar cheese soup
Barbeque sauce instead of ketchup
Or add in some finely chopped vegetables:
celery
onion
green pepper
mushrooms
carrots
Tomorrow… Why I use real butter when making cookies.
Add comment February 20th, 2006