Sloppy Joes

This past weekend, I made the classic American minced meat sandwich, Sloppy Joes, for my kids. I was glad they loved my homemade version. I made it with ground beef, smoked paprika, peppers, onion, smoky barbecue sauce, and the good old tomato ketchup. The "Joe" as my son calls it, was smoky, spicy, a little sweet and tangy. Sandwiched between lightly toasted hamburger bun, this Smoky Sloppy Joe was fantastic. Try it!


Sloppy Joes
Ingredients
??3 Tbsp Olive Oil
?1 Large White Onion, finely chopped?
1 Large Green Bell Pepper, finely diced
1 Large Yellow Bell Pepper, finely diced
1 Jalapeno Pepper, finely diced
1½ lb Lean Ground Beef
1 tsp Smoked Paprika
2 Tbsp Brown Sugar
Freshly Ground Black Pepper
½ Cup Tomato Ketchup
¾ Cup Spicy BBQ Sauce (I used Rufus Teague~Blazing Hot)
?Sea Salt and Freshly Ground Black Pepper, to taste?
10 Regular Hamburger Buns, lightly toasted with garlic butter

Method?

Preheat the oven to 350?F/180?C.
?
Heat a large skillet over high heat, add 2 Tbsp of Oil and the ground beef, and cook for about 8 to 9 minutes, until the meat is cooked through but not brown. Remove the meat with a slotted spoon, and discard the liquid.

Meanwhile, heat the remaining olive oil in a large casserole dish over medium heat. Sauté the onion and peppers for a few minutes until it is golden and a bit sticky. Add the cooked ground beef, cook for a few minutes and then stir in the paprika and brown sugar. When you can smell the paprika, add ketchup and BBQ sauce, cook for another 4 to 5 minutes and season the mixture with salt and pepper.

Cover the casserole with a piece of parchment paper and then cover with the lid. Cook in the preheated oven for about 50 minutes, and season with sea salt and pepper, if necessary. Serve the meat mixture with lightly toasted garlic butter hamburger bun.

Makes about 10 Sloppy Joes