Sloppy Jo's (skip the "e")

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If there’s one go-to meal that I know is sure to please at our house it’s Sloppy Jo’s….skip the “e”….cuz I’m a girl, and girls’ names aren’t spelled J-O-E, their spelled J-O!  Good, now that that’s settled, let me give you 2 reasons Sloppy Jo’s are a main staple at our house.  #1:  Steve LOVES them, and #2: They’re SUPER easy to make.  Growing up, I had never been a big fan of Sloppy Joe’s, but now that I’m the ripe old age of 24….(25 in 21 days…yikes), they’ve kinda grown on me.  No need to make these Jo’s from scratch.  They’re just as good with the pre-packaged mix you can get for super cheap at any grocery store.  And if you’re on a low carb diet like me, just use high fiber sandwich bread instead of a normal bun.  I found this amazing bread with only 3 net carbs!  It’s Nature’s Own brand and it says Double Fiber with Omega 3s on the front with a blue stripey thing, in case you were gonna go out and buy some for yourself…..which I highly recommend if you’re doin’ the low carb thing.

Now back to the Sloppiness.  Start by adding a pound of ground beef (or however much you need to make for your family’s needs….in my case it’s less than a pound) to a hot skillet.

 

Now, if you have an adorable furbaby like me, (or in my case, 5 of them) give him a hoof or pig ear to chew on.  He will love you long time!

 

Cook the beef til it’s completely browned, then transfer to a paper-towel lined plate to drain the fat off.  Dump the meat back into the skillet.

 

Now just look at all that fat that is now on the plate instead of in your belly.  Your arteries will thank you.

 

Look at that big ball of love laying patiently at my feet while I cook.  Doesn’t even beg for food!  Such a good boy Camelot is!

 

Now, take your Sloppy Jo mix that you bought from the store….cuz we’re time savers like that, and sprinkle onto your meat.

 

 

Since I’m only using about a half a pound of ground beef I’m only going to use an 8 oz can of tomato sauce.  If you were making a whole pound you would use a 16 oz can.  You can also use tomato paste and water.

 

Pour onto meat and stir until combined.

 

 

Let simmer for about 10 minutes on very low heat and stir occasionally.  In the mean time, heat your oven to 450° and put your favorite frozen fries on a baking sheet and bake for 15 min.  Or, if you’re on a low carb diet like yours truly, heat up some broccoli.

 

While everything cooks, you have time to look at your sweet baby boy who is being such a good helper by just laying there.  Don’t you just wanna snuggle with him?  After he stops barking of course, which he will do non stop for about 15 minutes when you arrive at HIS house.  Such a good guard dog I tell ya…but only to alert, not to inflict any harm. 🙂  And yes, I made this picture extra big so you could get a good look at him in all his glory.

 

Now that your food is almost done cooking, pop your buns and/or low carb bread into the oven to get a little toasty.  Cuz no one likes soft buns with their Jo’s.

 

Season your fries with — what else? — seasoned salt, and dish everything out!  This is Steve’s plate.  2 Sloppy Jo’s, tons of fries, and a minimal amount of broccoli.

 

My plate is the exact opposite.  Low carb bread (with the crust cut off) houses my Jo, and my plate is LOADED with broccoli, and has only 4 fries on it.  Sigh…the things I do to fit into a wedding dress!