I know. I’m weird.
Anyway, the husband requested Sloppy Joe’s so I obliged. I just didn’t tell him I wasn’t going to use the canned stuff.
I was hoping he wouldn’t notice but he did. His problem wasn’t the HORDE of vegetables I used. It wasn’t the fact I served them on whole grain buns. Nope, it was that there wasn’t enough “sauce.” I believe they weren’t SLOPPY enough for him.
Ok.. then.
I guess I should NOT have made a light, flavorful, “neat” Sloppy Joe. lol
The Little Guy ate it but he’s just not a fan of this type of meal in general. He didn’t like the pulled pork I made a few weeks ago either. BUT he ate both with a little coaxing and a firm voice saying “no dessert unless your plate is clean.” That gets him every time. :)
Here’s what I did. Oh! and I LOVED it. Could have seriously eaten the whole batch with a spoon. This is my kind of meal.
- 12oz Lean Ground Beef
- 1 sweet onion chopped small
- 8 oz of mushrooms chopped small
- 3 cloves of minced garlic
- 2 bell peppers diced small (I used 1 red and 1 green) chopped small
- 1 small (6oz) can of tomato paste
- 2 tbsp honey
- 1 tbsp molasses
- 1 tbsp Worcestershire sauce
- 1/4 tsp red pepper flakes (more to taste)
Brown the meat, onion, mushrooms and garlic in a deep pot over medium-high heat.
Add the peppers and cook for a few minutes until they soften and everything starts to melt together.
Add the tomato paste, honey, molasses, Worcestershire sauce and pepper flakes. Stir to combine everything and let it come to a boil before dropping down to a simmer. Add a splash of water if everything is too thick but the “juice” from the veggies should be enough.
Simmer for about 20 minutes or until ready to serve. It made 4 cups and 1/2 cup is the perfect amount on your average size hamburger bun.
I paired it with some quick Sugar-Snap Peas.
I’m thinking leftovers tomorrow over a bed of spinach with a little cheese on top! :)
| Servings | Amt per Serving | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 8 | 1/2 cup (not including bun) | |||
| Calories | Fat | Fiber | WWPs | |
| 145 | 5g | 2g | old: 3 | new: 4 |
| Sugar | Sat Fat | Carbs | Protein | |
| 12g | 2g | 17g | 11g | |
I LOVE revamping the classics!! Ok, question for you…you said Ryan will eat if you threaten with no dessert but what do you do if they say “ok”?? My 5 yr. old daughter is one of those really sweet kids that will go with the flow but if she doesn’t like something there’s no way she’s doing it. Shes not rude or argumentative just an “ok, mom.” It’s mostly with food and if I threaten with “eat at least half or no dessert” she’ll tell me “oh that’s ok i don’t need dessert” (seriously who rejects desserts!?) sooo then I say “fine don’t ask for a snack later..” AND SHE WON’T! seriously??? do I just have a stubborn kid or is this a glimpse into the teenage years!? She’s a healthy eater for the most part throughout the day but she’s VERY difficult to pursue with the veggies and I don’t want to have to keep pureeing them into her food, she’s getting a little too old for that lol thanks for any advice!!
Sometimes it doesn’t work, so I say..
Ok, you must not be hungry, I won’t force you to eat it.
THEN I leave the plate in tact. Later when he asks for a snack or dessert I say…
Not until that plate is clean and I warm it in the microwave for him.
So, this may not work for you but if your daughter doesn’t ask for anything later but Ryan ALWAYS does.
I’ve been doing this forever so he knows he’s not gonna get away with anything now and just eats it the first time (more times than not.) but when he was 3-4 it was TORTURE! ugh. I can’t believe I’m gonna have to do it again with Bean. lol
My advice is to not turn it into an argument if possible (I’ve lost my cool way too many times) and remember they won’t starve. If you find she’s getting full on other things reduce those on her plate and give her more veggies (or whatever you are having issue with he not eating.)
Stick to your guns it will pay off. Ryan’s not a perfect eater but he does eat a variety of foods I feel good about.
This looks so yummy! I think I will try it with ground turkey, we are on a turkey quick in my house right now.
oops. I meant turkey kick, lol.
Now THIS is my kind of sloppy joe! Oh man, I love all the veggies you added. My hero! Saved.
This sounds great! I love sloppy joes and this is a fantastic way to get a whole bunch more vegetables. It looks delicious!
Thanks Roni–I had hit a roadblock while planning out the week’s meals. Sloppy Joes got the ball rolling! I’ve never tried putting mushrooms in–sounds yummy.
I make quick Sloppy Joes with lean ground turkey, jarred salsa, canned crushed tomatoes and a little ketchup and spices – For those lazy days… No veggie chopping required!
Aww! Nuts! I wish I had read this a few days ago! Now it’s a Lenten Friday, 8:50 am and I want a sloppy joe! The real aggravation is the fact that I have everything to make them! Story of my life! lol
This is great! I’m not a huge fan of Manwich and this is pretty much staple-sponsored. ( Of course it isT That was the point! *smacks forehead*)
Just made these for dinner! My super-picky, non-veggie eating husband said they were a little onion-y but good with BBQ sauce. And yes, I definitely count that as a win considering there is a serving of vegetables in his portion! ;)And I thought they were out of this world good!
Roni – do you think this would work with even more veggies and a little bit of soy-”meat”? I don’t eat meat but think I might actually be able to do the morningstar crumbles with this recipe. If I try it, I will let you all know how/if it turns out! :)
I think it would be great! Let us know!
made this tonight and thought it was great! Just added a little extra water to make it extra “sloppy”.
Thanks!