Super Sloppy Joes

  

I tend to think that Rachel Ray’s recipes are a bit lacking in the flavor-department.  Not that they taste bad by any means (well, one pumpkin pasta recipe of hers REALLY tasted bad) but they just need a little tweaking… a little of this and a little more of that to suit our fancy. 

But not this recipe.  We LOVE it, just as it is… with a side of crispy, restaurant style French fries. 

And who doesn’t love a quick, easy, flavorful, inexpensive, one skillet meal that even the kiddos like?

Ingredients

1 Tbls. olive oil

1 1/4 pounds ground beef (or turkey or venison)

1/4 cup brown sugar

2 tsp steak seasoning blend (We use Montreal)

1 medium onion, chopped

1 red bell pepper, chopped

1 Tbls. red wine vinegar

1 Tbls. Worcestershire sauce

2 cups tomato sauce (I usually just use a 15oz can)

2 Tbls. tomato paste

4 crusty rolls (kaiser), split, toasted, and lightly (or heavily) buttered 

Directions

Heat a large skillet over med-high heat.  Add oil and beef to the pan, spreading it around the pan to break it up.  Combine brown sugar and steak seasoning.  Drain fat from skillet (if there is any) when meat is still cooking (pink is still seen) and then add the brown sugar/steak seasoning mix to the meat. 

When the meat has browned, add onion and red pepper.  Reduce heat to medium and cook for 5 minutes or so, until tender-crisp. 

Add vinegar, stirring briefly to reduce, and then add Worcestershire, tomato sauce and paste, stirring to combine. Reduce heat to simmer and cook Sloppy Joe mixture 5 minutes longer. 

Serve on rolls, either open faced or as a messy, messy sandwich. 

Makes about 4 servings, depending on your appetite!