Sloppy Joes

My daughter’s had a sleepover last night and I could have ordered a pizza, but that’s not really a budget-friendly thing anymore is it? It’s actually ridiculous what we pay for bad pizza in this country. Anyhoo, I rifled through my recipes and pulled out an old but delicious and affordable option. The kids loved it and my wallet is feeling like I deserve a trip to IKEA tomorrow.

Sloppy Joes

1 tbsp vegetable oil
1 tbsp salted butter
1 cup chopped yellow onion
1/2 cup chopped red bell pepper
12 ounces lean ground beef
2 cups tomato sauce
1/4 cup ketchup
1 to 2 tsps Worcestershire sauce
4 hamburger buns, buttered and toasted

Heat the oil and butter in a 10 or 12 inch skillet over medium-high heat. Add the chopped onions and cook, stirring occasionally, for 5 minutes. Add the bell pepper and ground beef, stirring to crumble and brown the meat. Add the tomato sauce, ketchup, and Worcestershire sauce and simmer for 15 minutes.

Lightly butter hamburger buns and place under broiler until toasted. Spoon Sloppy Joe mixture on top. Perfect with coleslaw on the side.

Pleasantville Note: You don’t have to use ground beef for this recipe. Feel free to substitute any ground meat you choose. This recipe easily doubles and is fantastic for leftovers the next day.