Trailer Trash Haute Cuisine

If you are a vegetarian, stop reading now. The fine delicacy that I am about to give you a recipe for definitely includes my old friend, ground chuck. If you want a healthier alternative, you could always use ground turkey but that really falls into the 'why bother' category in this particular case.

The delicious recipe that I am referring to is the Old Fashioned Sloppy Joe. In two occasions in the past month EJ and I have mixed up the following ingredients and delighted in it's simplicity, easy clean up, delicious taste and most of all, an efficiency that saves time for other fun weeknight events like strolling the street of Madison Park checking out all the beautiful spring gardens. As it turns out, this is much more satisfying than a $100 grocery bill at Red Apple and 30 minutes of clean up after dinner. Now, for you overzealous types, I am not suggesting that this is a wholesome and healthy meal more than a couple times a month, but hell, it is so delicious, you must try it sometime soon, if only so you can report back to yours truly.

On to the recipe. All you need is the premade spice packet for Sloppy Joes and the rest of the recipe is on the back. It includes ground beef, one small can of tomato paste, one and one quarter cups of water and the mentioned spice pack. Be sure to drain the fat regardless of the meat you choose and the crucial step here is the bun selection. The best bun I have tried is a sesame roll which toasts up nicely under the broiler. The key here is that the bun is fresh so even when you have a crispy outside, the meat of the bun is still nice and soft. No better way to ruin a 'SJ', or a hamburger for that matter, than to scrimp on the bun.

So, call me trailer trash if you must (not that I am so fond of that) but this is an incredibly easy meal that never disappoints. Cheers to the rise of the Sloppy Joe! Just remember who you heard it from first.