Sloppy Joes

Growing up, we didn't eat Sloppy Joes all that often. I'm not sure why? I guess because it meant more mess for my mom to clean up. :) But my husband loves them. Once I made this dish, he was a total fan.

Sure, it's easy to pick up a canned mix, but I like the idea of using fresh ingredients. It makes it much healthier for you, plus this recipe really isn't all that hard.

Just toss it all together, cook, and serve!

The best part is that it calls for items I typically already have in my pantry/fridge.

It's a great go-to dinner when you're just not in the mood for anything complicated, but you don't want to sacrifice taste and quality.

Sloppy Joes

(Original recipe by the Neelys)

(Photo courtesy of Food Network)

Ingredients

• 1 tablespoon vegetable oil
• 1 green bell pepper, chopped
• 1 red bell pepper, chopped
• 2 garlic cloves, chopped
• Salt and freshly ground black pepper
• 2 pounds lean ground beef
• 1 (8-ounce) can tomato sauce
• 3 tablespoons tomato paste
• 1 cup barbecue sauce
• 1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
• 1 teaspoon hot sauce (recommended: Tabasco)
• 4 hamburger buns, split
• Barbecue sauce, for topping

Directions

Heat oil in a large skillet with straight sides. Add the bell peppers and garlic. Saute until tender, about 3 minutes. Season with salt and pepper.

Add the ground beef to the vegetables. Stir and cook about 8 minutes, until the meat is no longer pink and fully cooked.

Add tomato sauce, tomato paste, barbecue sauce, Worcestershire, and hot sauce into the skillet. Stir. Simmer until thickened, about 10 minutes. Serve on hamburger bun with extra sauce.
Serves 4.