Sloppy Joes & Baked French Fries

Ok, so when I hear "Sloppy Joes," I think of Manwhich from a can. Guess their marketing worked on me. Even though I associate Manwhich with sloppy joes, sloppy joes from a can just does not sound good to me. I like finding recipes for childhood comfort foods, so I looked up sloppy joe recipes. This recipe is easy and full of flavor. Way better than from a can.

Sloppy Joes

1 lb. ground chicken, turkey or beef - I used ground turkey
1 medium onion
1 Tb. mustard
1 Tb. Worcestershire sauce
1 Tb. sugar
1 Tb. vinegar
3/4 cup of ketchup
1 tsp. salt
1/2 cup green bell pepper - I just used half a pepper
1/2 cup celery

Brown meat in large heavy skillet over moderate heat for 2 to 3 minutes, breaking up clumps. Add onion, mustard, Worcestershire, sugar, vinegar, ketchup, salt, green bell pepper and celery. Reduce heat to low and cook, stirring now and then, about 40 minutes so the flavors mingle.

Ladle meat generously on top of hamburger buns.

Baked French Fries

Cut potatoes into wedges.
Toss with vegetable oil and salt on a baking sheet.
Bake in a 400 degree oven for 35 minutes or until wedges are golden brown.
Adjust seasonings to taste.

Yes, it is sloppy to eat sloppy joes.

Of course I omitted the onions and celery from this dish because Wes doesn't like them. And honestly, I think I like this without those ingredients anyway. The sauce definitely thickens up during the 40 minute time and it turns into a sweet, kind of tangy coating for the meat.

I really like the ground turkey for this dish. It's obviously lighter and healthier than ground beef. Of course, if you're used to eating sloppy joes with ground beef, use ground beef. It'll taste just as good! And the green bell adds a nice crunch and sweetness to the dish.

A very easy dish to make, but a little time consuming because of the merrying of ingredients. I didn't let mine sit a full 40 minutes since it seemed thick enough by time the fries were done. Oh, and can I say how much I like these fries? They're crispy on the outside while light and fluffy on the inside. Super easy to do too!

Such a great comfort meal that reminds me of a childhood meal. Though I don't think my mom ever really served sloppy joes. Oh, well. Maybe it'll remind you of your childhood.

Happy cooking!