Sloppy Joe still fun with mushrooms, less fat, sugar

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, and, inevitably, at least some winds up on your face and fingers.

While it’s typically not considered healthful, just a few swaps can turn the sandwich into a good-for-you meal that is just as joyful.

In the accompanying recipe, there’s ground beef, but it is lean, and once browned it is mixed with lots of finely chopped, sauteed mushrooms whose meaty taste and texture allow them to blend in with the beef, adding vegetable nutrition, seamlessly. There’s plenty of red bell pepper upping the produce ante, too.

The mouthwatering sauce gets its sweetness from molasses, rather than refined sugar, which adds a distinctive deep flavor and valuable minerals. And seasonings — onion, garlic, chile powder, powdered mustard, cider vinegar — bring big flavor to the tomato-based sauce so you don’t need to lean on salt to get a punchy taste.

Served on whole-grain buns, the sloppy Joe makes for a meal that allows the cook to use a single skillet.

Beef and Mushroom Sloppy Joes

¾ pound 90 percent lean ground beef

1 tablespoon olive oil 1 medium onion, diced

1 medium red bell pepper, stemmed, seeded and diced 3 cloves garlic, minced

8 ounces sliced white button mushrooms, stemmed, cleaned and finely chopped

1 (15-ounce) can no-salt-added tomato sauce

1 tablespoon tomato paste

1½ tablespoons molasses

1 tablespoon chile powder

2 teaspoons apple cider vinegar

1 teaspoon powdered mustard

½ teaspoon kosher salt

¼ teaspoon ground black pepper

4 whole-wheat hamburger buns

Brown the beef in a very large skillet over medium-high heat, breaking it up as it cooks. Use a slotted spoon to transfer the meat to a plate.

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 color and peppers have softened. 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.

Reduce the heat to medium. Return the beef to the skillet, then stir in the tomato sauce, tomato paste, molasses, chile powder, vinegar, powdered mustard, salt and pepper, until well blended. Cook for 5 to 10 minutes, until the mixture thickens and most of its liquid has evaporated.

To serve, pile about ¾ cup of the mixture onto each split hamburger bun. Serve warm. Makes 4 servings. Nutrition information: Each serving contains approximately 410 calories, 27 g protein, 15 g fat, 47 g carbohydrate (17 g sugar), 55 mg cholesterol, 520 mg sodium and 8 g fiber.

Carbohydrate choices: 3.