Root Beer Sloppy Joes

When I first saw today's recipe in the September 2014 edition of Cooking Light, I immediately knew I had to try it. For one, I'm a huge fan of root beer. People are typically shocked when they learn this little tidbit about me - I don't like to eat sweets, yet my favorite soda is, well, pretty darn sugary. I'm not sure why I can do sweet drinks but not sweet food, but that's no matter. On top of loving root beer, I also love sloppy joes. Yes, they're typically considered a "kid's" food, aren't exactly something you'd find on a gourmet restaurant's menu and are really quite messy (hence the name), but there's just something comforting and nostalgic about them. Come on, admit it: you like them, too. And I can assure you, you'll LOVE this recipe. It's super easy, done in less than 20 minutes and YUMMY. Can't beat that! I paired it with some store-bought sweet potato chips (I purchased SimpleTruth brand). Fabulous.

"Root Beer" Sloppy Joes

Cooking Light, September 2014

2 tsp canola oil

3/4 cup chopped onion

1 lb 90% lean ground sirloin

1/2 cup tomato sauce

1/4 cup bottled chili sauce (like Heinz)

1/4 cup root beer (I used Barq's)

1 tbs Worcestershire sauce

2 tsp minced garlic

1 tsp dry mustard

1 tsp chili powder

1 tsp tomato paste

4 hamburger buns, toasted

Heat a large nonstick skillet over medium heat. Add oil and swirl to coat. Add chopped onion and cook for 3 minutes before adding beef. Cook beef approximately 5 minutes, or until browned. Stir in tomato sauce, chili sauce, root beer, Worcestershire sauce, minced garlic, dry mustard, chili powder and tomato paste. Bring to a simmer and cook for 5 minutes or until mixture thickens slightly, stirring occasionally. Divide sloppy joe mix evenly among 4 hamburger buns and serve with sweet potato chips or whatever side you prefer.

Until next time...

Cheers!

Slow Cooker Special: Pizza Pasta

Remember Jack? That little kid who lives inside me and begs for junk food every chance he gets (if you have no idea what I'm talking about, you can read about him here)? Well, Jack loves me right about now, because last night I kicked my normal "Cooking Light" approach to dinner out the window and made a meal that most any kid will love.

Yes, it's important to eat healthy, but sometimes...well, come on. You just want to cheat. And if you ask me, cheating every now and then is absolutely acceptable. In fact, I encourage it (clearly, since I'm giving you this recipe!).

If you like pizza (and who doesn't?), you're going to LOVE this meal. It's so easy and delicious that you'll probably want to make it every night. Ok, not every night - but more often than you probably should.

True to form, I've included a spicy component in the dish; however, before you get scared, I do want to point out that the crushed red pepper you see in the ingredient list actually serves as more of a flavor infuser than an added blast of heat. If you really don't like spicy, you can leave it out - but if you're not afraid to try it, go ahead and make the recipe as is.

 1 lb uncooked macaroni (or any small pasta)

3 cups shredded mozzarella cheese, divided (2 cups and 1 cup)

2 10 oz jars pizza sauce 

1 can cream of mushroom soup

1/2 cup water

1 1/2 tsp crushed red pepper

1 tsp italian seasoning

pepperoni (use your own discretion)

Add uncooked pasta, 1 cup mozzarella cheese, pizza sauce, soup, water, crushed red pepper, italian seasoning and pepperoni to slow cooker and stir to mix well. Cook on low for 3 1/2 hours.

Add 2 cups mozzarella cheese to cover the top of the pasta (do not stir) and top with additional pepperoni. Cook for another 30 minutes on low until cheese is melted.

Just like pizza, this pasta is also versatile when it comes to the flavors that you like. This is essentially a base recipe for the pasta, so feel free to add any of your favorite pizza ingredients - black olives, onions, green peppers, sausage, etc. Don't worry about cooking the pasta before you put it in the Crockpot - it will cook on it's own with the sauce, soup and water. 

Until next time...

Cheers!