Sloppy Joes

How on earth do you make a Sloppy Joe look classy? You don't =). They are just good ol' shloppy, yes shloppy, deliciousness. Piled high and spilling over. It's impossible for any bun to fully retain all that saucy, meaty goodness. How I love a good Sloppy Joe. They may not be the fanciest meal but they are oh so scrumptiously tasty. I grew up eating them so I will always love them. These far outdo what comes in a can. Isn't everything better made fresh from scratch? Don't be scared of the long list of ingredients, other than the fresh peppers, most of them are ingredients you likely already have on hand. I kept adding a little of this and a little of that until I got this recipe just where I wanted it. If you are a cheeseburger fan, try them topped with a sprinkling of freshly grated cheddar cheese. Also, if you like a little heat feel free to add in some cayenne pepper or red pepper flakes. Enjoy!

Sloppy Joes

Yields about 6 servings

Ingredients:

1 1/2 lbs lean ground beef

1 Tbsp olive oil

1/2 cup diced yellow onion

1/2 cup diced red bell pepper

1/2 cup diced green bell pepper (or an additional 1/2 cup red bell pepper)

1/4 cup diced poblano pepper (optional)

1 medium carrot finely grated (about 1/2 cup)

2 cloves garlic, minced

2 (8 oz) cans tomato sauce

1/3 cup water

1 1/2 tsp lemon zest

2 Tbsp lemon juice

2 Tbsp Worcestershire sauce

1 1/2 Tbsp molasses

1 Tbsp yellow mustard

1 tsp liquid smoke flavoring

3 Tbsp granulated sugar

2 Tbsp dried parsley

1 1/2 Tbsp chili powder

1 1/2 tsp paprika

1 tsp cumin

1/2 tsp salt, and then to taste

1/2 tsp freshly ground black pepper, or to taste

Directions:

Heat olive oil in a large non-stick skillet over medium high heat, crumble in ground beef and cook, stirring occasionally and breaking up beef when stirring, until beef has browned. Drain beef into a bowl lined with paper towels, reserving 1 1/2 tbsp fat in pan.

Add onion, green bell pepper, red bell pepper, poblano pepper and carrot to fat in skillet and cook over medium high heat, stirring frequently for about 5 minutes until veggies become translucent and tender. Add in garlic and cook 1 more minute. Reduce heat to low and add remaining ingredients, along with browned beef and stir. Cover and cook 1 hour, stirring occasionally. Serve warm on toasted hamburger buns (delicious toasted with butter and rubbed with a clove a garlic), and sprinkle optional cheddar cheese over Sloppy Joe mixture.

Recipe Source: Cooking Classy