Meet my California-inspired sloppy joe! Load it up with whatever taco toppings you like. The meat filling is also incredible served over mac and cheese.
—DEVON DELANEY WESTPORT, CT
START TO FINISH: 30 MIN. • MAKES: 6 SERVINGS
1 pound lean ground beef (90% lean)
1 medium onion, chopped
1 garlic clove, minced
1 can (8 ounces) tomato sauce
1 /3 cup soft sun-dried tomato halves (not packed in oil), chopped
1 /3 cup chopped roasted sweet red peppers
2 tablespoons chopped pickled jalapeno peppers
2 tablespoons tomato paste
1 tablespoon brown sugar
1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar
1 /2 teaspoon Montreal steak seasoning
1 /2 teaspoon pepper
6 hamburger buns, split
Optional toppings: chopped avocado, sour cream, shredded cheddar cheese and chopped green onions
1. In a large skillet, cook beef, onion and garlic over medium heat 6-8 minutes or until beef is no longer pink, breaking up beef into crumbles; drain.
2. Stir in tomato sauce, sun-dried tomatoes, roasted peppers, jalapenos, tomato paste, brown sugar, vinegar, steak seasoning and pepper. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat; simmer, uncovered, 4-6 minutes or until thickened, stirring occasionally. Serve on buns with toppings as desired.
FREEZE OPTION Freeze cooled meat mixture in freezer containers. To use, partially thaw in refrigerator overnight. Heat through in a saucepan, stirring occasionally and adding a little water if necessary.
NOTE This recipe was tested with sun-dried tomatoes that are ready to use without soaking. When using other sun-dried tomatoes that are not oil-packed, cover with boiling water and let stand until soft. Drain before using.
PER SERVING 1 sandwich ( calculated without optional toppings ) : 288 cal., 8g fat ( 3g sat. fat ) , 47mg chol., 575mg sod., 32g carb. ( 10g sugars, 3g fiber ) , 20g pro. Diabetic Exchanges: 2 starch, 2 lean meat.