Be like Joe — be a fun guy
You can’t take yourself too seriously when you’re eating a sloppy Joe sandwich. You’re bound to giggle at some point when the saucy meat starts spilling out of the bun.
While it’s typically not considered healthful just a few swaps can turn the sandwich into a good-for-you meal that’s just as joyful.
In today’s recipe, there’s ground beef, but it’s lean, and once browned, it’s mixed with lots of mushrooms whose meaty taste and texture allow them to blend in, adding vegetable nutrition, seamlessly. There’s plenty of red bell pepper upping the produce ante, too.
The sauce gets its sweetness from molasses, not refined sugar, which adds a distinctive deep flavour and valuable minerals.
BEEF AND MUSHROOM SLOPPY JOES
Serves: 4
12 oz (340 g) lean ground beef 1 tbsp (15 mL) olive oil
1 medium onion, diced
1 medium red bell pepper, stemmed, seeded and diced 3 cloves garlic, minced
8 oz (226 g) sliced white button mushrooms, stemmed, cleaned and finely chopped
15 oz (426 mL) no-salt-added tomato sauce
1 tbsp (15 mL) tomato paste 1 1/2 tbsp (22.5 mL) molasses 1 tbsp (15 mL) chili powder
2 tsp (10 mL) apple cider vinegar
1 tsp (5 mL) powdered mustard 1/2 tsp (2.5 mL) kosher salt 1/4 tsp (1 mL) freshly ground black pepper
4 whole-wheat hamburger buns
1. Brown the beef in a very large skillet over medium-high heat, breaking it up with a spoon as it cooks, for 3 to 4 minutes. Use a slotted spoon to transfer the meat to a plate.
2. Add the oil to the pan (medium-high heat); once the oil shimmers, stir in the onion and peppers; cook for 5 or 6 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the onions have picked up a little colour and peppers have softened.
3. Stir in the garlic; cook for 1 minute, then add the mushrooms and cook for about 5 minutes, stirring once or twice, or until they release their moisture and begin to brown.
4. Reduce the heat to medium. Return the beef to the skillet, then stir in the tomato sauce, tomato paste, molasses, chili powder, vinegar, powdered mustard, salt and pepper, until well blended.
5. Cook for 5 to 10 minutes, until the mixture thickens and most of its liquid has evaporated.
6. To serve, divvy up the mixture onto each split hamburger bun.