Table Talk » A new way to serve Sloppy Joes

Sloppy Joes make a quick and easy dinner, and if you use lean ground beef or turkey, Sloppy Joes can be both delicious and healthy. Joe at Culinary in the Country inspired me to serve my favorite Sloppy Joe meat over baked sweet potatoes. Well, I had mine on a sweet potato. Tom doesn't like sweet potatoes, so he had his on a whole wheat bun.

I grew up with Manwich Sloppy Joes. But today's Sloppy Joes are homemade. Let's see, here's the ingredient list for Manwhich: Tomato Puree, Water, Tomato Paste, High Fructose Corn Syrup, Corn Syrup, Salt, Sugar, Dehydrated Onions, Dehydrated Red and Green Bell Peppers, Chile Pepper, Tomato Fiber, Spices, Guar Gum, Xanthan Gum, Dehydrated Garlic, Carob Bean Gum, Natural Flavors. Ugh, as if high frutose corn syrup isn't bad enough, it also has corn syrup, and sugar. Spices, that's good. But lots of thickeners and fillers too.

Sloppy Joes are a wing-it thing for me. Back when I first made homemade Sloppy Joes, I did consult with the Manwich can to see the ingredient list. Mine start with sauteing a mess of chopped onions, then browning 2 pounds of lean ground beef or ground turkey, stirring in a small can (6 oz) of tomato paste, and a 8-ounce can of tomato sauce. Then since I like them tangy rather than sweet, next I add in a tomato paste can of cider vinegar. For seasoning, I use oregano, basil, chili powder, salt, and pepper.Maybe a tablespoon each of oregano and basil, a teaspoon of chili powder, a 1/2 teaspoon of salt and 1/2 teaspoon of black pepper. Stir it all up and let it simmer for 15 minutes. Adjust the seasonings. If you like sweetness, start with a tablespoon of brown sugar. Taste it and adjust it to your liking. I almost always end up adding in more cider vinegar.

I'm so glad that I came across this idea on Joe's blog. I loved the tanginess of the Sloppy Joe meat over the sweet potato. It was filling and delicious. Give it a try.

Posted January 19, 2009 8:13 PM in Weeknight Saviors

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1 Comment(s)

Marcy Kaminski said… (on January 19, 2009 at 21:18 PM #)

Just checked out Joe's blog. I love his "untamed" approach to cooking. Recipe sounds yummy. I made pulled pork tonight - sounds like the sweet potatoes could have made it more interesting. :)


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