So you like Sloppy Joes, right?  Who doesn’t?  (Well, ok, I see you raising your hand, but I also see that you collect those creepy “Little Elvis” Marie Osmond dolls, so how can we trust your opinion?)  But Sloppy Joes + Young Kids = Dog gets extra dinner.  What to do?  Well, rest easy, chickens.  Francie is coming to your rescue with my Neat Joes and they couldn’t be simpler.

First, make your favorite Sloppy Joe recipe.  Here’s mine.  It makes a lot because we like to have leftovers.

SLOPPY JOES

1 lb. ground chuck or lean beef
1 lb. ground turkey or soy crumbles (mixing half of this with the beef still tastes like all beef…sneaky, no?)
1/2 c. finely chopped onion
1 finely chopped red bell pepper
1 finely chopped green bell pepper (gotta sneak in some veggies!)
2 Tablespoons cider vinegar
1 Tablespoon dried mustard
3/4 c. brown sugar
1 (26 oz.) bottle of ketchup
Salt and pepper to season

Brown the beef and turkey/soy with the chopped onion and peppers.  Drain off any grease.  Mix the ketchup, mustard, cider vinegar and brown sugar and pour over beef mixture.  Season with salt and pepper.

Wait a minute, you say!  I know how to make sloppy joes.  What’s this NEAT thing?  Here ya go.

Fill and put the “cap” back on!

The tips just keep comin’!  If you don’t have an expensive mandoline to make paper thin wafers for chips, I bet you have one of these:

Oh, and the dancing chicken?  Well, you’ll have to click here to read my interview at Simmer Til Done to get the scoop on that.  Tell Marilyn I sent ya.