Sloppy Joe, Slop Sloppy Joe

I recently purchased an amazing cookbook in the Willams-Sonoma collection called Comfort Food Warm and Homey, Rich and Hearty.  What I love about this cookbook is that the recipes are old favorites or the foods that remind me of my mom's cooking, with a little twist.  Last night's dinner contained two recipes from Comfort Food, the main course being Sloppy Joes, with Coleslaw and Potatoes on the side. My mom used my Grandma Edie's Sloppy Joes recipe, which is actually the base of the WS version, and Tanya confirmed that her everyday version is also very close.  Somehow, WS managed to make an everyday favorite just a little bit better without any extra work...just a couple more ingredients.  Enjoy the recipes for Real Sloppy Joes and Creamy Coleslaw.  We aren't going to talk about the potatoes - they were an experiment that were still not as good as my mom's but it takes a lot to mess up potatoes, so we still ate them...and I ate the leftovers for breakfast!

Menu:  Baked Brie and crackers, then Real Sloppy Joes, Creamy Coleslaw, baked potatoes and Robert Mondavi Cabernet Sauvignon.

Real Sloppy Joes

Ingredients:

• 1 Tbs. canola oil
• 1 yellow onion, diced
• 1 celery stalk, diced
• 1/4 cup finely diced green bell pepper
• 1 1/2 lb. ground beef
• 1 cup tomato sauce
• 1/2 cup ketchup-style chili sauce
• 1 Tbs. Worcestershire sauce
• 1 Tbs. Dijon mustard
• 1 Tbs. cider vinegar
• 1 Tbs. firmly packed light brown sugar
• 1 tsp. kosher salt
• 1/4 tsp. freshly ground pepper
• 6 sesame-seed sandwich buns, split

Directions:

In a large fry pan over medium heat, warm the oil. Add the onion, celery and bell pepper and cook, stirring occasionally, until the onion softens, about 5 minutes. Add the beef, increase the heat to medium-high and cook, stirring and breaking up the beef with a wooden spoon, until it is no longer pink, about 10 minutes. Stir in 1/4 cup water, the tomato sauce, chili sauce, Worcestershire sauce, mustard, vinegar, sugar, salt and pepper and bring to a simmer. Reduce the heat to medium-low and simmer, stirring frequently, for about 20 minutes to blend the flavors.

Toast the buns. Place the bottom halves of the buns, cut side up, on warmed individual plates and top with the beef mixture, dividing it equally. Cover with the bun tops and serve immediately. Makes 6 sandwiches.

Joanne's Comments:  I would cook the beef until it is still a little pink, then drain the fat off. I bought pretty lean beef and there was still a significant amount of fat that then settled on the top of my finished masterpiece.  After draining, simmer with the cooked veggies until beef is cooked through.  Also, Chili Sauce was a new ingredient to me, so I wasn't quite sure what I was in for.  If this is new to you too, Chili Sauce is not spicy and was in the ketchup section at the grocery store. 

Loved the Sloppy Joes!  I think next time, I will also add kidney beans, like my Grandma's Sloppy Joes.

Creamy Coleslaw (I can't find the link on WS.com)

Ingredients:

• Green Cabbage, 1 head (about 2 pounds)
• Celery, 2 stalks
• Granny Smith apple, 1 
• Yellow or red onion, 1 small
• Carrots, 2 small, peeled
• Cider vinegar, 2 tablespoons
• Fresh flat-leaf parsley, 2 tablespoons minced 
• Mayonnaise, 1 1/4 cups
• Kosher salt and freshly ground pepper

Directions:

Cut the cabbage into wedges through the stem end, and cut out the core.  Using a food processor or a stand mixer fitted with the thin slicing attachment, slice the cabbage into thin slivers.  Transfer to a large bowl.  Slice the celery with the slicing disk, and add it to the cabbage.

Replace the slicing attachment with the shredding attachment.  Halve and core the apple but do not peel.  Cut the apple and the onion into wedges.  Shred the apple, onion, and carrots, and add to the cabbage and celery.

Sprinkle the vegetables with the vinegar and toss to coat evenly.  Add the parsley and mayonnaise and mix well.  Season with salt and pepper.  Cover and refrigerate until chilled, at least 2 hours.  Taste and adjust the seasoning with more vinegar, salt and pepper before serving.  Serve cold.

Joanne's Comments:  If I had read the directions, I may not have tried this recipe for the sole reason that I don't have a food processor.  Since I had a head of cabbage, I figured I would give it a whirl.  I am not sure what the first direction for wedging a cabbage really means, so I just kept cutting chunks off and slicing them the way I felt coleslaw should look like.  Using the same knife, haha, I sliced the celery as thin as possible, then using my cheese grater, grated the onion and apple.  I then peeled the carrots and then just kept peeling the carrot into the bowl.  I also used parsley from my spice cabinet, but I am sure fresh would be pretty nice too.  Luckily, I decided to make this early in the afternoon, so I succeeded in chilling it for about 2 hours and it tasted great!  It was a yummy pairing to the sloppy joes.

Also, I apologize, I couldn't figure out how to add a picture, but I promised it looked exactly like the picture in the link on WS.com.