Sloppy Joes — ground meat in tomato sauce served over Cuban bread — have been an American favorite for over half a century. There are many claims to the origins of Sloppy Joes. One is from the H.J. Heinz Co., which, of course, made theirs with ketchup; another is a cafe in Iowa whose chef, Joe, created a “loose meat sandwich” in 1930. My favorite story is that Sloppy Joe’s Restaurant in Key West, Fla., took the Cuban stewed ground meat dish, picadillo, which is traditionally served with rice or potatoes, served it over 2 halves of Cuban bread and called it a sloppy Joe. Whichever tale you choose to tell, this saucy meat sandwich makes a delicious, easy to make and enjoy dinner.
Traditionally, it’s served over thick Cuban bread. For this recipe I serve it over a hamburger bun. Or you can serve it over any type of hearty sliced bread.
Serve sloppy Joes with a green salad.
One-Pot Sloppy Joe
Recipe by Linda Gassenheimer. Yield 2 servings.
2 teaspoon canola oil
2 cups sliced onion
3 teaspoons minced garlic
1 cup green bell pepper cubes (about ½-inch cubes)
¾ pound 95 percent lean ground beef
2 cups reduced-sodium tomato sauce
2 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce
2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
2 whole wheat burger rolls
Vegetable oil spray
Heat oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Add the onion and saute 3 to 4 minutes. Add the garlic and green bell pepper. Continue to saute 2 to 3 minutes. Add the ground beef and break it up into small pieces with the edge of a large spoon and stir to brown the meat. Add the tomato sauce and mix well. Add the Worcestershire sauce and balsamic vinegar. Lower the heat to medium and cook, gently, stirring occasionally, for 15 minutes. The meat should be cooked through, and flavors blended. Add salt and pepper to taste.
To serve, spray the cut side of the rolls with the vegetable oil spray and toast in a toaster oven or under a broiler for a minute to brown. Divide the mixture in half and spoon the sloppy Joe mixture on the rolls.
Per serving: 599 calories (27% from fat), 18.1 g fat (4.8 g saturated, 8.1 g monounsaturated), 108 mg cholesterol, 45.9 g protein, 62.8 g carbohydrates, 10.6 g fiber, 420 mg sodium.
