Almost Meatless Sloppy Joes

Yield: 4 servings (serving size: 1 sandwich)

Ingredients

  • 2  tablespoons  olive oil
  • 1/2  cup  finely chopped white onion
  • 1  tablespoon  minced garlic
  • 1/2  teaspoon  salt
  • 1/4  teaspoon  freshly ground black pepper
  • 6  ounces  ground sirloin
  • 1/2  cup  grated carrot
  • 2  teaspoons  chili powder
  • 1  teaspoon  brown sugar
  • 1/2  teaspoon  dried oregano
  • 1/4  teaspoon  ground red pepper
  • 2  cups  canned crushed tomatoes
  • 1  (15.5-ounce) can low-sodium red beans, rinsed, drained, and divided
  • 4  (2-ounce) whole-wheat sandwich rolls, split and toasted
  • 4  (1/4-inch-thick) red onion slices, separated into rings

Preparation

1. Heat olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add onion, garlic, salt, black pepper, and beef to pan; cook 5 minutes or until meat is browned and vegetables are tender, stirring occasionally to crumble beef.

2. Add carrot, chili powder, sugar, oregano, and red pepper; cook 2 minutes, stirring occasionally. Stir in tomatoes; bring to a boil. Reduce heat to medium; cook 10 minutes or until thickened and carrot is tender, stirring occasionally.

3. Partially mash 1 cup beans with a fork or potato masher. Add mashed beans and remaining whole beans to pan; cook 1 minute or until thoroughly heated. Spoon 1 cup bean mixture onto bottom half of each roll; top each serving with 1 red onion slice and top half of roll.

 

Meatballs

Source:  Katie

Prep time: 5 minutes. Cook time:  15-20 minutes. Servings: makes approx. 24 meatballs, depending on size

Ingredients
1 pound 96% lean ground beef or 93% lean ground turkey (99% lean turkey wouldn’t work well here)
1 egg
1/4 cup bread crumbs (more if mixture seems too wet shape into balls)
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon pepper
3 tablespoons grated parmesean cheese (or more is great too, and the cheap green can is fine for this)
1 teaspoon dried oregano
1 teaspoon dried basil
1 teaspoon garlic powder
1 teaspoon onion powder

Instructions

Mix all ingredients in a bowl until well combined.  Scoop and roll with hands into meatballs (wetting hands with water before you start helps them not get too sticky).

Bake meatballs on sheet plan at 350 degrees for 15-20 minutes.  Rotating halfway helps them cook more evenly and with better color, but I usually forget and they are still fine.  Combine with pasta and sauce.

Notes

I’ve never really measured out any of this recipe (something that’s probably not that great to confess on a recipe blog), but I included the recipe in case I’m incapacitated and Rhiannon needs to make meatballs for some reason, or in case anyone else wants to try them out.  I’m freakishly good at estimating the size and amounts of things, so this recipe should be fairly close to the amounts I usually use, but adding more or less of the spices depending on what you have and what you like will work just fine.  Relax, it’s just dinner.

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