Sloppy Joes

Sloppy Joes are an American classic. Growing up we had them from time to time. I always saw it as a quick, fun... if you didn't mind the lack of structure, meal which my mum could throw together in no time. Now that I am an adult I still view Sloppy Joes in the same way and every now and again fancy one.

While checking out the local organic shop I found a Sloppy Joe seasoning packet. The sodium content was reasonable and so was the price so I bought it. Using the seasoning packet did not necessarily cut down on time it was more convenient. My only issue with this seasoning mixture is that the directions state to "mix packet contents with warm water in a bowl, stirring until completely dissolved" ... since it didn't specify a specific amount of water I just added what I thought would dissolve the spices however I ended up with a thin paste. I was not sure if the warm water activated the seasonings some how or why you would need to water down the seasonings as they were there to give it flavour.   Next time I will opt to make my own seasoning mix. 

1 x Simply Organic Sloppy Joes seasoning packet

1 x 454g ground(mince) meat... usually lean minced beef is used or sometimes minced turkey however I used minced chicken. 

1 x can of tomato paste

1 to 2 carrots, peeled and coarsely grated
1 piece of celery, chopped 

and half a large yellow onion, diced

*You could also add some diced red and green peppers.

Make according to the seasoning package. 

If you do not have a seasoning packet then you will need a combination of the following ingredients. 

1 to 2 teaspoons of chili powder 

Worcestershire sauce 

possibly some mustard

1 can of tomato paste 

1 clove of garlic, peeled and minced

some honey 

balsamic vinegar

salt and pepper

How much or how little will be up to you. My son thought adding some Sriracha sauce would be great too. 

Place a little bit of oil in a large fry pan, add the meat and onions and cook on high heat until the meat and onions are soft. Add the grated carrots and chopped celery or any other veggies you may want to add. Let those cook for a few minutes then add the seasoning sauce you made, from the list of ingredients above, or a seasoning packet, as I did, and let simmer for about 15 minutes. Serve on buns, rolls or try serving it in a wrap. 

Hope everyone had a good week. School is just about finished for my kidlets so these few weeks have been busy ones. Enjoy your weekend! - JD