Sloppy Joes

Who can resist a big, messy sloppy joe? A big sandwich, dripping with sweet and spicy tomato sauce, just begging for you to pick it up... doesn't it remind you of being a kid again?

Have some napkins ready for this meal, friends, especially if you choose to eat it like a sandwich. They call them sloppy joes for a reason, after all. More civilized folk would eat it with a knife and fork, though. (And we won't talk about what kind of person - ahem, like me - eats the warm leftovers right out of the gladware container because it's almost too good to share with the hamburger bun.)

This recipe is everything you'd expect from a sloppy joe. A large amount of sweet and tangy sauce, hearty ground beef, and just a little bit of kick. But it has some unexpected elements too - like peppers and pinto beans - that add a little something different and a lot of extra nutrition. The picky boy didn't even notice there were beans in it until I told him! Serve it with a light salad to balance the hefty sandwich, or go all out and have some onion rings or fries... or just have another serving, because who needs a side dish when the main attraction is so good?

Trust me... try this one and you'll never eat another girly-wich again. :)
Sloppy Joes
from The Food You Crave

Ingredients
1 pound extra-lean ground beef
1 medium onion, diced
4 cloves garlic, minced
1 jalapeño pepper
1 medium red bell pepper, seeded and diced
one 15.5-ounce can small red or pinto beans, preferably low-sodium, drained and rinsed
1 1/2 cups no-salt-added tomato sauce
2 tablespoons tomato paste
1 tablespoon red wine vinegar
1 tablespoon unsulfured molasses
1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
1 teaspoon dry mustard
3/4 teaspoon salt
freshly ground black pepper to taste
whole-wheat hamburger buns

Directions
1. Brown the meat and onion in a large non-stick skillet over medium-high heat for 5 minutes, breaking up the meat into crumbles as it cooks. Pour the drippings out of the pan and discard.
2. Add the garlic, jalapeño, and red pepper and cook 5 minutes more, stirring occasionally. Stir in the rest of the ingredients, except the buns, reduce heat to low, and simmer for another 5 minutes.
3. Serve over hamburger buns and enjoy!