End of the year cooking always has me waxing nostalgic for comfort food. I think back to cold winter days and nights here in the Midwest, my mom cooking up an easy hot meal after a long day at work. Thoughts of my childhood got me to thinking about my mom’s Sloppy Joes. This loose meat sandwich has a variety of localized names nationally, but they all come down to one thing: you better keep the napkins handy.
The origin story of Sloppy Joes is hazy, from Iowa to Florida to Cuba. Essentially it’s ground beef in a tomato-based sauce. Different regions vary on the spices added, so what I prepare is a blue-collar Chicago-style version served on a buttered and toasted bun, and topped with a trio of sweet pickles on top.
As luck would have it, Aldi had fresh corn available the day I was going to prepare this dish, so between the hot buttered corn and a handful of salty chips I was ready. Or was I? Seeing as this is December, and knowing I am addicted to cranberries, I whipped up a sidecar of my cranberry relish. Use it as a side dish, or as a topping on a grilled ham, brie, and sliced apple sandwich. Yeah, you’ll never look at cranberries the same way again.
Sloppy Joes
Serves: 4
Prep time: 10 minutes
Cook time: 20 minutes
Total time: 30 minutes
1 tablespoon butter
1 lb. ground beef
1 small onion, small diced
1 small green pepper, small dice
2 cloves garlic, minced
3/4 cup ketchup
1/2 cup water
1 tablespoon brown sugar
1 teaspoon chili powder (can double)
1 teaspoon dry mustard
1 tablespoon tomato paste
Salt and pepper to taste
Hamburger buns
1. Melt the butter in the skillet or Dutch oven over medium heat. Add the ground beef and cook until browned. Remove the cooked beef, drain most of the fat to discard.
2. Add onions, green peppers, and garlic and cook until vegetables are softened.
3. Add the ketchup, brown sugar, chili pepper, dry mustard, tomato paste, salt, pepper, and water. Stir until blended, then add the browned meat back in and stir till coated. Simmer for about 15 minutes.
4. Give your Joes a good taste. Adjust your seasonings, if desired. I have friends who use more chili pepper than I prefer, and others who add Worcestershire and/or Tabasco. You do you - comfort food is about making you cozy.
Here’s my recipe for a versatile cranberry sauce. Pro tip: Fresh cranberries are not available after mid-January, so I buy 10 bags every year at the end of cranberry season and keep in my mini freezer to make this sauce all year long. It’s a real show stopper on burgers, sliced ham and turkey sandwiches, and alongside a pork loin. Enjoy!
Cranberry Relish
Yield: 6-8
Prep time: 10 minutes
Cook time: 20 minutes
Cooling time: 30-60 minutes
1 cup water
3/4 cup sugar
1/2 cup orange marmalade or cherry jam
3 cups fresh or frozen cranberries, rinsed
- Add the sugar to the water and bring to a simmer, stirring to melt the sugar.
- Add the cranberries and let them cook over medium high heat until they stop popping.
- Take off the heat, add in the marmalade or jam.
- Put into serving container and let it cool. It will thicken as it cools.
Personalize it: As a side, I’ve added in chopped walnuts or pecans. I’ve also put in diced apple (shown in this photo). In the summer I put in some chopped mandarin oranges. I like to keep it balanced sweet and tangy.
Cooking for a crowd? Here’s a slider version. And for those who enjoy a zestier relish, consider this one.
If cozy dinners sound great this time of year, consider joining us for one of our upcoming classes. Whether it’s Homemade Soups and Breads From Scratch, Winter in Toscana, Cozy Casseroles: Bake and Take, or Gluten-Free Nashville Hot Chicken, we’ve got you covered to enjoy a deliciously warm evening in.
