Old Schooling It! : Old School Sloppy Joes

 

What do you do with that leftover ground beef from your Labor Day grilling?

Make my Old School Sloppy Joes!

Do you remember Sloppy Joes?  There is something wonderfully fun about getting to eat a burger/sandwich that is messy by nature.   Memories of the mix in the can or the mix in the package made me seek a way to create these by hand and make a tastier sandwich.  I've tested these many ways, tweaking the ingredients until I found the variation that I favor best.  These are my "Old School Sloppy Joes"!

 

The secret to wonderful Sloppy Joes in my opinion is the ratio of ingredients creating that unique flavor.  Oh, and a soft bun is a must! (I used a soft kaiser roll) Some like to add bell peppers or beans to their meat mixture.  I'm more of a plain Jane in that aspect, but to me it's all about the flavor of the sauce.  Some people add brown sugar, and mustard, which really creates a BBQ sauce.  I like it more tomatoey with a bit of tang.

Try my version, and bring out the kid in you!

Remember, use up your extra or leftover ground beef.  They are quick and easy to make, inexpensive, and kid friendly.


Old School Sloppy Joes

serves 4


1 tablespoon canola oil
1 medium onion, finely chopped
2 cloves garlic, minced
kosher salt and ground pepper
1 pound ground beef
3/4 - 1 can (15 ounces) tomato sauce
1 1/2 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce
4 hamburger buns or soft kaiser rolls, split (toasted optional)

In a large skillet, heat oil over medium-high heat. Add onion and cook until soft about 5 to 7 minutes. Add garlic and stir 30 seconds.

Add ground beef to skillet. Cook, breaking up meat with a wooden spoon, until it is no longer pink, 6 to 8 minutes.

Stir 3/4 can of tomato sauce and Worcestershire sauce into beef mixture in skillet. Taste for flavoring.  Add more tomato sauce or Worcestershire sauce to adjust flavor to your liking.  Simmer until thickened, stirring occasionally, 6 to 8 minutes.

Season the mixture with more salt and pepper, if desired. Spoon onto buns, and serve.  

Labor Day Ideas: Chipotle Steak Salad with Fig Vinaigrette

Labor Day is upon us and what better way to celebrate than to share good times and good food with friends and family.

I know it's "Burger Season" and I've been posting some great options which you can check out here...
The Best Stuffed Grilled Cheeseburger
Blue Cheese Stuffed Burgers
Grilled Santa Fe Burgers
The Ultimate Burger Starter from Williams-Sonoma

But today I'm introducing a dish that is man pleasing (hence the steak) and woman pleasing as well (hence the salad).

Now my man is a rabbit by nature. He'll eat salad 10x more often than he eats steak. He can't get enough, so this dish was heaven for him. Actually the best of both worlds rolled into one.

The flavors of this dish are perfect. You have a spicy, touched with heat, chipotle rub on the steak. The salad is touched with the sweetness of fig jam and raisins, but also carries a touch of heat with the chipotle seasoning as well.

Flank steak was chosen because it cook's fast, and the result is tender, juicy steak.  Make sure to cut against the grain in thin slices to achieve tender pieces. 

I love Mrs. Dash's salt free seasoning blends. I think that rubs and marinades don't need all that salt, which is usually the first ingredient, that is put in most seasoning blends. To me, these are just perfect, and I can control the salt. So, I chose to use her Southwestern Chipotle seasoning in this dish. Perfection! You can certainly switch this up to a BBQ rub or other spicy rub of your choosing. 

So grill burgers if you like, but maybe on second thought try something different and make this salad.  Surprise everyone!  This dish is perfect for a party, and will be enjoyed by all!

Happy Labor Day!

Chipotle Steak Salad with Fig Vinaigrette

serves 6

1 – 1 ½ lbs flank steak
3 T chipotle seasoning (such as Mrs. Dash)
3 T fig jam
3 T olive oil
2 T red wine vinegar
2 T raisins
1 t stone ground mustard
½ t chipotle seasoning
Salt & pepper
6 c chopped romaine lettuce
2 c sliced English cucumber
1 c shredded carrot
1 c red cabbage, shredded
1 c cherry tomatoes, halved
½ c cilantro, chopped

Rub flank steak with seasoning. Heat grill pan over medium high heat. If using a skillet add 2 T oil. Cook meat 4-5 minutes per side. Remove from heat and allow to rest 5 minutes.

Meanwhile, in a small bowl add jam, oil, raisins, mustard, and seasoning. Whisk to combine. Add salt and pepper to taste. Set aside.

Combine lettuce, cucumber, carrot, cabbage, tomatoes, and cilantro in a large bowl. Toss with vinaigrette.

Slice steak thinly against the grain. Arrange salad on each plate and top with steak. Serve.

Slow Cooker French Dip Sandwiches

Today is all about one of my favorite sandwiches, the French Dip! 

I remember growing up and my mom and I would always go out to lunch and order a French Dip sandwich.  I always thought it was so fancy and different from regular sandwiches because you got to dip it in a wonderful beefy sauce.  Through the years I've had some very good French Dips and some bad ones.  But I never really thought about making one at home.

So I was feeling nostalgic the other day and decided  to cook a brisket in the slow cooker and make my favorite sandwich.  Nothing could be easier than making these in the slow cooker.  You just put in the ingredients and walk away.  When you come back 8 hours later you get succulent beef and a wonderful dipping sauce.  For flavoring I used an old trick that my friend Mary taught me for her pot roasts, using a dry onion soup mix.  I chose a beefy onion soup mix, but if you can't find that use the regular onion soup & dip mix.  It's easy peasy...and it tastes fabulous.

I served the sandwiches with the following salads and they were the perfect side dishes:
Artichoke and White Bean Salad

Asparagus Tabbouleh with Prosciutto





The sandwiches or either salad would be a great dish for the upcoming Labor Day! 
Hope you enjoy these as much as well did.  So many memories.  Plus the leftovers were even better!

Slow Cooker French Dip Sandwiches

serves 8

1 3 lb beef brisket
1 pkg dry beefy onion soup mix or regular onion soup mix
1 10.5 oz can condensed beef broth
8 hoagie or french rolls

Place beef in cooker. In small bowl, mix dry soup mix and broth; pour over beef. 

Cover and cook on low for 8 to 10 hours. Skim any fat from the liquid in the cooker. Remove beef from cooker and place on a cutting board. Cut the brisket across the grain into thin slices.

Cut each sandwich roll in half horizontally.   Place sliced beef on bottoms of rolls and top.  Cut in half crosswise and serve with broth for dipping.