sloppy joes from scratch

I'm definitely on a 'comfort food' kick.  Today I'm going to make sloppy joes from scratch.  As much as my kids love the original Manwich, I'm trying to eliminate most processed foods from the pantry.  Fingers crossed that we find a yummy compromise!


Ingredients:

1 T EVOO
1/2 onion, chopped fine
1/2 red pepper, chopped fine
1 carrot, grated
5 cloves of garlic, minced
kosher salt
2.5 lbs ground meat (I used a combo of chicken and beef)
3 c tomato sauce (I used Hunt's)
1/4 c brown sugar
2 T tomato paste
1 T red wine vinegar
1 T Worcestshire sauce
1 t dry mustard
1 t chili powder


Directions:

1. Saute the aromatics till they soften (5-7 minutes) in the EVOO: onion, red pepper, carrot & garlic.  Sprinkle with a little kosher salt to help release the moisture.

2. Add the ground meats and brown.  (I didn't really have any grease to remove since I was using grass fed beef (very lean) and chicken.)

3. Combine all the other ingredients to make the sauce.  Pour over the meat and veggie combo, bring to a simmer and cook for 5 minutes or longer.

Viola!

PS - This was a huge hit! Our boys and friend devoured the sandwiches.  Great for busy nights when it is every man for themselves!

Ga-Ga for Grilled Cheese

Fall means COZY foods and some of my favorites involve the comfort of melted cheese. While recently watching an episode of The Great Food Truck Race, I was inspired to think 'outside-the-box' on grilled cheese. (Thank you On Demand) My kids still love a classic but I've been trying some new cheese and bread combos. My current fave is pictured above, Taleggio cheese on Iggy's Brioche roll, after a few minutes in the panini press. Between two cast iron pans would work, too!

I like to slice cheese in advance and we grill them up to order on busy nights when we can't all eat at the same time.

Our favorite combos:

(Depending upon the bread, I'll use a griddle or a panini press.)

Pepperidge Farm + American

A classic for my kids - they can devour them by the stack on a day filled with soccer.

Sourdough + Gruyere

Great combo - the sourdough can stand up to any of your favorite Alpine cheeses.

Italian + Fontina

Fontina melts like a dream; mozzerella would be great here, too.

Brioche + Taleggio

Talleggio is a beautiful (slightly stinky) cheese from Italy - you can find it at Whole Foods. A few minutes in the panini press makes this sandwich restaurant-worthy.

What's your favorite Grilled Cheese?