Sloppy seconds...

Those of you who have been following the blog for a while now may remember the post I did about sloppy joes. I used canned Manwich sauce and ground turkey to make quick dinner sandwiches on a night where I was pressed for time. I even entertained the idea of making homemade sloppy joe sauce. Well, that day has arrived. I found a recipe in my Williams-Sonoma Comfort Food: Warm and Homey, Rich and Hearty book.

They were extremely easy to make and the flavors were scrumptious. Definitely worth the extra effort and time. Sorry Manwich!

Real Sloppy Joes

Revised by Foodism Mom from the recipe in Williams-Sonoma Comfort Food: Warm and Homey, Rich and Hearty

Ingredients:

• 1 Tbs. canola or olive oil
• 1 yellow onion, chopped small
• 1 celery stalk, small dice
• 1/2 green bell pepper, small dice
• 2 tsp chopped garlic
• 1 1/2 lb. ground beef or turkey
• 1 cup tomato sauce
• 1/2 cup ketchup-style chili sauce
• 1 Tbs. Worcestershire sauce
• 1 Tbs. Dijon mustard
• 1 1/2 Tbs. cider vinegar
• 2 Tbs. firmly packed light brown sugar
• 1/2 tsp. kosher salt
• 1/4 tsp. freshly ground pepper
• 6 buns of your choice (hamburger,kaiser,etc.), split

Directions:

In a large fry pan over medium heat, warm the oil.

Add the onion, celery and bell pepper and cook, stirring occasionally, until the onion softens, about 5 minutes. Add the meat and garlic, increase the heat to medium-high and cook, stirring and breaking up the meat with a wooden spoon, until it is no longer pink, about 10 minutes. Stir in 1/4 cup water, the tomato sauce, chili sauce, Worcestershire sauce, mustard, vinegar, sugar, salt and pepper and bring to a simmer.

Reduce the heat to medium-low and simmer, stirring frequently, for about 20 minutes to blend the flavors.

Toast the buns. Place the bottom halves of the buns, cut side up, on warmed individual plates and top with the beef mixture, dividing it equally. Cover with the bun tops and serve immediately. Makes 6 sandwiches. Try some sliced cheese on top!