Quick hit: Sloppy Joes!

 I noticed that the most popular posts on this blog have been about old fashioned, no-frills, quick-to-the-table food. While I love to cook fancier stuff, I still love the comfort of the simple, hearty meals we all grew up on. I will be posting more "evolved" recipes, certainly, but humor me one more time as I take you back a few decades.

You like Sloppy Joes, right? Let me rephrase...who doesn't love a killer Sloppy Joe? The kind made with fresh, balanced ingredients and that makes you wonder why you don't make this hearty, delicious, wholesome meal-on-a-bun more often? I love this recipe. It's so F-A-S-T you will, again, bow to me! Trust me, once you make this, it will be part of your regular weeknight, meal-in-a-pinch rotation.

And please let me know what you think, if you do make it? I just love to share the love! Oh and this comes to you courtesy of Cooks Illustrated. I am indeed their biggest fan. If I weren't so full of myself I'd rename this blog after them....Allons-y, alors...

Ingredients

2 tbsp vegetable oil
1 onion, minced
1/2 tsp chili powder
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 lb. 85% lean ground beef (I use Costco's 88% and that's just fine)
1 cup tomato puree
1 cup ketchup
1/4 cup water
1 tsp brown sugar
Tabasco sauce
4 hamburger buns

Method:

Gather your mise en place. Please note, lazy bitches, the few ingredients!

Heat oil in 12-inch skillet over medium heat until shimmering. Add onion, chili powder, and 1/2 tsp salt.

Cook until onion is softened, about 5 minutes, and stir in garlic and cook until fragrant, about 30 seconds.

Add ground beef and cook, breaking up meat with wooden spoon or spatula until almost cooked through but still slightly pink, about 3 minutes.

Stir in tomato puree, ketchup, water, brown sugar, and 1/4 tsp Tabasco (or more if kids are not eating this. I like mine really spuh-cy!)

Simmer until sauce is slightly thicker than ketchup consistency, about 8 - 10 minutes.

Season with salt and spoon meat mixture onto your favorite hamburger buns. Serve with pickles, chips or any other thing you feel like. I told you it was easy.