Burgers, Sanwiches, Wraps

All posts in the Burgers, Sanwiches, Wraps category

Meatless Monday: Spicy Bean and Rice Tacos

Published June 17, 2013 by jenmatteson

Once again, it’s Meatless Monday! For this edition, I decided to go with Jaida’s spicy bean and rice tacos from Sweet Beginnings. I’ve made her avocado and lime black bean tacos in the past for a recipe swap and saved this one as well. We love tacos, so I anticipate we’ll be back to try several more of her taco Tuesday creations. What a fantastic idea!

This really seems like a burrito-taco to me, seeing as though it has rice and beans, but honestly, I’m not sure what constitutes a taco or a burrito. I am going with tacos though, because they are in a taco shell, and not wrapped up like a burrito. That makes perfect sense, right? These tacos came together so quickly and incorporated ingredients that are always in my pantry or fridge. I added a little extra cayenne pepper, as we like it spicy, but other than that, these were perfect. Add some choice toppings and you’re good to go! We used the leftovers as salad toppers, as we do for most of our leftovers when applicable.

Spicy Bean and Rice Tacos

Source: Slightly adapted from Sweet Beginnings
Servings: 6

Ingredients:

1 tsp olive oil
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 chipotle pepper in adobo sauce, minced
1 tsp chili powder
1 tsp cumin
1/2 tsp cayenne pepper
1/3 cup water or vegetable broth
1-15 oz can black beans, drained and rinsed
1-15 oz can pinto beans, drained and rinsed
2 cups cooked whole grain rice
flour tortillas
toppings as desired (lettuce, tomato, onion, avocado, cilantro, hot sauce, Greek yogurt, etc.)

Directions:

1. In a large skillet, heat olive oil over medium heat. Add garlic, chipotle pepper in adobo, chili powder, cumin and cayenne pepper. Cook until fragrant, about 30 seconds.

2. Add the beans and water to the pan and bring mixture to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer for 10 minutes, stirring occasionally. Partially mash the beans with the back of a wooden spoon.

3. Remove from heat and add rice. Stir until well combined. Scoop mixture into tortilla shells and top as desired.

Simple Ingredients Make the Perfect Burger: Palapa Burgers

Published June 6, 2013 by jenmatteson

With our parents, Nate and I went to Belize last year…like last year February 2012, sadly, not this past winter I did quite a bit of research before we went to get in the know about the best places to go. The Palapa Bar was highly recommended on Trip Advisor, not only for its excellent, friendly service, beautiful location, the fact that you can float in inner tubes in the ocean while drinks are lowered down to you in a bucket, and that you can leave your mark (if you can find a place to do so), but because of their burgers. For all reasons listed, we hit this place one of the first days we were there.

Well, we ended up spending the majority of the day here. A quick recap of notable events: my mom got nice and toasted (and I don’t mean sunburned).

I found a swimsuit twin,

we left several marks on the bar,

we floated in inner tubes and had drinks lowered to us,

soaked up the sun,

and last but certainly not least, we had a burger. Usually I’d be skeptical and say it was just the atmosphere that made these burgers so delicious, but I must reject that theory. Why? Because we got the secret recipe from the owner and have made them at home.

That’s right, it’s a very secret recipe that I am about to share with you. The ingredients are so simple, and there are so few, you might actually think it couldn’t be true. Well guess what? It is.

Now, I’m certainly guilty of loading my ground beef with seasoning and onions and whatever else comes to mind before making my patties, but sometimes, you must adhere to KISS (keep it simple sweetheart). Sometimes adding ingredients is necessary if you’re making a turkey or chicken burger, mostly because they don’t have a lot of flavor alone, nor is there enough fat to keep them juicy. But sometimes, a plain and simple beef burger is where it’s at!

So, here it goes – I’m giving up the secret ingredients now. Ground beef (and not that lean crap that’s got no flavor; get the fatty stuff, like 80/20), salt and pepper. Yep, that’s it. Aren’t you sad you didn’t think of this? Don’t you feel stupid for looking up a burger recipe that is so simple? Well, don’t. I like people like you who keep me blogging about the stuff I’m blogging about. And you trust me to give you good info, and well, this is GREAT info. Best burger, hands down.

Palapa Burgers

Source: Not at all adapted from The Palapa Bar
Servings: 4

Ingredients:

1 lb ground beef
Kosher salt
fresh ground black pepper

Directions:

1. Preheat grill to medium-high. Divide beef into four equal parts and shape into patties. Transfer to plate and season top side generously with salt and pepper.

Here’s a hint: Do you ever suffer from a bloated burger? You know, when it shrinks in diameter but plumps up in the middle, almost like a slightly flattened meatball? Well, if you gently press your thumbs into the center of the patty before grilling it, this will prevent the bloated burger, thus making it pretty and fit on your bun (and in your mouth) much easier.

2. Once grill is heated, place patties on hottest part of the grill, seasoned side down. Season the top side of the burgers. Grill over medium-high heat until you begin to see “burger sweat”. These are juices that accumulate on the top of the burger. It’s hard to say how long based on how you like your burger cooked and the temp you are grilling at. About 5-6 minutes should be efficient for a 1/4 pound burger cooked to medium. It’s time to flip**. Grill for 1-2 minutes less than you did the other side. If you want cheese, add it in the last 1 minute of cooking. Close the top and cook until cheese is melted.

3. Remove from the grill and do yourself a favor. Let the burger rest for at least 5 minutes before shoving it down your pie hole. This will allow the juices to redistribute, making it a flavor explosion in your mouth. Serve with desired garnishments.

**Two important things about flipping burgers, and more broadly, meat in general.

1. If you cannot easily get your spatula under it because the meat is sticking to the grates, than guess what? It’s not time to flip. Do not, I repeat, do not try flipping it anyway, otherwise your poor burger is going to fall apart.

2. Please note that meat needs, and should be, flipped only once. Just once. Two is too many. None is not enough. Once. And stop playing with it on the grill for God’s sake. It’s already dead and will not play with you back. Just let it do its thing and enjoy the weather. The more you move, play with, and flip your meat, the more dry and sucky it will be. For real.

Slow Cooker Cuban Pork Sandwiches

Published May 15, 2013 by jenmatteson

I absolutely love the slow cooker, and it is so underused in my kitchen. Especially in the warmer months. We tend to do a whole lot more grilling; who doesn’t? But, the slow cooker is good in the summer too because it doesn’t heat up your kitchen, and you can enjoy the wonderful weather in the evening instead of trying to get dinner on the table at a reasonable time. We’ve all been there.

I saved this recipe about a month ago for several reasons. 1) As mentioned above, I need to use my slow cooker way more. 2) I like the sound of all the ingredients in this recipe. 3) I’m a sucker for any type of pulled pork sandwich. 4) I had a pork shoulder in my freezer that I had purchased on sale a few weeks back calling my name (and this recipe’s name). Normally, I probably would have just made BBQ pulled pork sandwiches with the pork shoulder, but we’re adventurous and wanted to try something a little different. This was perfect.

Everything came together super quickly, and I had everything on hand already – with the exception of a lime. I pretty much always have lemons and limes on hand, but just happened to be out when I was pulling this together. Seeing as though I was doing it before work, I really didn’t have time to run to the store, so I forged ahead without the lime juice. I feel like that was a mistake. The pork was still really tender, moist and delicious, but it seemed like it was lacking a bit of freshness, which I’m sure the lime would have contributed. The cilantro mayonnaise was great! Nate said he didn’t think it added much to the sandwich, but I liked it and it was a change from my usual BBQ and/or hot sauce. When we had leftovers, we added a little mango Habanero hot sauce to our sandwiches and they were awesome! This would be an excellent meal for company on a Friday night so everything is ready to go when you get home from work and you have little prep. You can focus on cleaning those last little places and getting cocktails and appetizers out instead of worrying about the main event!

Slow Cooker Cuban Pork Sandwiches

Source: Adapted from Hezzi-D’s Books and Cooks
Servings: 6-8

Ingredients:

For the pork:
1 onion, halved and sliced
3 lb boneless pork shoulder (butt would work, too)
1 tbsp packed brown sugar
2 tsp dry minced garlic
2 tsp cumin
1/2 tsp salt
1 tsp fresh ground black pepper
juice of one lime
1/4 water
hamburger buns. toasted (toasting is optional, but it keeps the bun from getting overly soggy)

For the cilantro mayonnaise:
2 cloves garlic
2 tbsp cilantro, minced
1/2 cup mayonnaise
1 tbsp lime juice

Directions:

1. Arrange onions on bottom of slow cooker. Place pork shoulder on top.

2. In a small bowl. combine brown sugar, garlic, salt and pepper. Sprinkle over pork. Pour lime juice and water around pork.

3. Cover and cook on low for 8-10 hours, until pork very tender. Meanwhile, combine ingredients for cilantro mayonnaise and refrigerate until ready to use.

4. Remove roast from slow cooker and pour liquid into bowl. Return roast to slow cooker and shred with two forks. Skim fat from reserved liquid and pour about 1 cup skimmed liquid over pork.

5. To serve, spread cilantro mayonnaise on one side of the bun and top with pork.

Recipe Swap: Rosemary Chicken Burgers with Garlic Rosemary Mayonnaise

Published April 26, 2013 by jenmatteson

Another round of Blogger’s Choice Recipe Swap, hosted by Sarah at a Taste of Home Cooking. I was excited to be assigned a blog I have not yet visited, Jenna’s Cooking Journey, so I had a good time sifting through all of her recipes to find something tasty! Of course, most dishes fit that parameter, but I wanted to find something that would be good to grill. We had another snow storm over the past weekend, some areas getting up to 8″, and another one earlier this week, with an estimated 6-10″ of snow…in April. The end of April.

Seeing as though it’s not yet spring outside, I thought making something on the grill might make us feel like it’s spring inside. I make a lot of turkey burgers at home, but I had yet to make a chicken burger No real reason why, just hadn’t tried them, which is why Jenna’s chicken burgers with garlic rosemary mayonnaise was the perfect match! I’ve never heard of putting mayonnaise in the burgers, but it really does make sense to add a little moisture and fat to the very lean chicken burger so you don’t end up with a hockey puck. Sort of defeats the purpose, though, right? I suppose I would say this is still on the healthy side though.

Nate and I had a busy and active Sunday morning. We headed to the gym for an hour and a half, then we had some errands to run. By the time we got home, I was famished, so I started in on these burgers right away. Like I said previously, I was a bit skeptical of adding mayonnaise directly to the burgers, but thought it couldn’t hurt to try it. The original recipe called for 1/2 cup of the mayonnaise in the burgers, but after adding only about 1/4 cup of the mayonnaise, I thought that was plenty. The burgers actually were quite difficult to handle because they were so moist. I decided grilling them probably wouldn’t work well, so I ended up using a skillet instead.

The result was absolutely amazing! The mayonnaise added a lot of moisture and the rosemary added so much flavor that I almost forgot I was eating a chicken burger. Although it’s a burger and my initial thought was that it might make us feel more spring-y, the rosemary actually made it more hearty and would be a really great burger for the wintertime. So I guess, technically, with all the snow we are still getting, it really was the perfect match! The arugula added just a hint of spice and freshness. I don’t usually buy arugula and would have used spinach instead, but I’m glad I sprung for the spicier green option. The only thing I would change for next time is a tomato slice to bring more freshness and color to the plate. Nate and I both loved them; he ate two in one sitting, and called the third one for his lunch on Monday. It’s definitely a keeper!

Rosemary Chicken Burgers with Garlic Rosemary Mayonnaise

Source: Adapted from Jenna’s Cooking Journey
Servings: 4

Ingredients:

For the mayonnaise:
1/2 cup light mayonnaise
2 tbsp fresh rosemary, finely chopped
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 tbsp lemon juice

For the burgers:
1 lb lean ground chicken
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp black pepper
1 tsp fresh rosemary, finely chopped
4 hamburger buns (I used sandwich thins)
1 cup arugula

Directions:

1. In a small bowl, combine ingredients for mayonnaise. Add half the mayonnaise to a larger bowl, and refrigerate remaining mayonnaise.

2. To the larger bowl with 1/2 the mayonnaise, add ground chicken, salt, pepper and rosemary. Gently combine with fingers, being careful to not over work the meat. The mixture should be quite moist. Divide into four equal parts and shape into patties.

3. Preheat a large skillet over medium heat. Spray with olive oil. Gently place patties (I had to do them two at a time) in the skillet and cook over medium low heat for 8-10 minute. Flip and continue cooking until chicken is cooked through, about 8-10 more minutes. Remove from pan and let rest. Repeat with remaining patties.

4. Prepare buns with reserved garlic rosemary mayonnaise on tops and bottoms. Divide arugula among the bottoms of the buns, place burger on top of the greens, add the top of the bun. Enjoy!

Check out what everyone else made for the Blogger’s Choice Swap!

TBA (Turkey, Bacon, Avocado) on Tomato Basil

Published February 12, 2013 by jenmatteson

If you haven’t tried this tomato basil bread yet, you’re really missing out. What are you waiting for? Of course I just made it on Saturday night, and so I was dying to make a sandwich with it for lunch on Sunday. It snowed all day on Sunday, and while Nate headed out to shovel for the second time, I started these sandwiches. To take it to the next level, I even broke out the Panini press! Oh yeah

I added a little mozzarella to Nate’s sandwich (we had a tiny bit in the fridge that I just wanted to use up), but of course I loved it without . There was so much flavor, I wouldn’t even know where to begin explaining it. Crisp salty bacon, creamy avocado, oven roasted turkey, and fresh, fluffy tomato and basil bread. It was a perfect little lunch on a snowy day. I also brough one for lunch today – minus the bacon and Panini pressed part. Looking forward to lunch in a few minutes…

TBA on Tomato Basil

Source: Pigzilla Original
Servings: 2 sandwiches

Ingredients:

4 slices tomato basil bread
2 tbsp low-fat mayonnaise or Miracle Whip
16 leaves fresh spinach
sliced red onion
1/2 lb oven roasted turkey
4 slices cooked bacon
1/2 avocado, sliced thin
mozzarella (if desired)

Directions:

1. Spread 1 tbsp of mayonnaise on two slices of bread. After the mayonnaise, layer each slice with 8 spinach leaves, sliced red onion, 1/4 lb oven roasted turkey, two slices bacon and avocado slices (add mozzarella if desired). Top each with remaining slices of bread.

2. Place sandwich on heated Panini grill. Press and cook for 2-4 minutes. Keep an eye on it so the bread doesn’t burn. Remove, slice, and enjoy!

Recipe Swap: Avocado and Lime Black Bean Tacos

Published November 30, 2012 by jenmatteson

It’s that time again – Blogger’s Choice Recipe Swap, hosted by Sarah at A Taste of Home Cooking. This week, I was assigned Jaida’s blog, Sweet Beginnings. It might sound familiar because I’ve made several of her recipes in the past: double crunch pork chops, pumpkin scones with maple glaze (which I just made again before Thanksgiving), and salsa verde chicken ‘n’ dumplings. Scroll to the bottom of this post if you want to see what other recipe swappers made!

I have to be honest, I must have been out of my mind to sign up for a recipe swap right after Thanksgiving. We still had turkey and potatoes leftover, I had to test a pot pie recipe for a dinner I’m catering next week, so we had 6 total (thankfully Nate didn’t mind bringing them for lunch and making his co-workers jealous!), and we also had a ton of leftover salsa chicken that Nate had practically begged me to make because he loves it so much. We still have pie, cookies and pumpkin scones from our friends thanksgiving, so the last thing I needed was another sweet. But, I powered through and found an awesome recipe

It really came down to the wire for me to make something for this swap, and I ended up having to do it on a night that Nate had class. I definitely didn’t want to make some extravagant meal for just myself, so I opted for something similar to what I make myself when he’s not home, but with a fun twist.

When Nate’s gone, one of my favorite things to make for myself are black bean tacos – black beans, onions, jalapenos, peppers, lettuce, cilantro (sometimes avocados – it really just depends on what is in my fridge), hot sauce and a dab of Greek yogurt on a whole wheat flour tortilla. I saw Jaida’s avocado and lime black bean tacos and thought it’d sounded perfect. Oh, and if you are a taco fan (which I am) she has Taco Tuesdays and has more taco recipes on her blog than I’ve ever seen before (over 40!). Love it!

While the ingredients are fairly similar to what I would normally use, I found that sprinkling the tortilla with cumin really brings out the smokey flavor (I normally add it into the black beans), but it’s balanced out perfectly with the lime juice. What an excellent combination! I omitted the cheese (as I’m not a fan) and unintentionally omitted the egg whites. I thought I had eggs (or at least egg substitute) at home, but I didn’t. They were still excellent! These tacos were an excellent way to jazz up my normal Wednesday night alone meal.

Avocado and Lime Black Bean Tacos

Source: Sweet Beginnings
Servings: 2

Ingredients:

1 cup black beans, drained and rinsed
1 jalapeno, seeded and diced
1/4 cup cilantro, chopped
2 tbsps lime juice
kosher salt
1 avocado, chopped
2 whole wheat flour tortillas
1 tbsp cumin
1/2 cup shredded Mexican blend cheese
plain non-fat Greek yogurt (or sour cream)

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line baking sheet with foil.

2. In a small saucepan, heat black beans over medium heat, about 2 minutes, until heated through (microwave would work fine here). Set aside to cool.

3. In a medium bowl, combine beans, jalapeno, cilantro and lime juice. Add salt to taste. Stir in avocado and set aside.

4. Place tortillas on baking sheet and sprinkle each with cumin. Add cheese. Bake until cheese is melted, about 5 minutes.

5. Spoon bean mixture evenly on each tortilla. Add a dollop of Greek yogurt (or sour cream) and hot sauce if desired, fold gently and serve.

Mango-Habanero Chicken Sandwiches

Published October 25, 2012 by jenmatteson

I wanted to make a chicken sandwich with my latest homemade hot sauce, mango-habanero. I quickly Googled it as I knew I couldn’t be the first person to think of such a sandwich, and guess what? I wasn’t. Domino’s Pizza has a chicken habanero sandwich, so I used that as inspiration. I added some additional ingredients, and omitted cheddar cheese and jalapenos. Normally, I wouldn’t omit a pepper like jalapeno, but I thought the mango-habanero hot sauce was spicy enough, so they weren’t necessary.

We both thought the sandwiches were perfect. Nate said it met his threshold of spicy, but really enjoyed it. I’ll have to come up with more ways to use this homemade hot sauce, but for now, this was great!

Mango-Habanero Chicken Sandwiches

Source: Adapted from Domino’s Pizza
Servings: 2

Ingredients:

2 hoagies
4 slices provolone
handful spinach leaves
2 boneless, skinless chicken breasts, cooked and shredded (I used taco seasoning on mine)
2 tbsp mango-habanero hot sauce
sliced onion
1/4 cup pineapple tidbits

Directions:

1. Preheat broiler. Slice the hoagies down the center on top. Scoop out a little of the insides. Spray with olive oil, and layer cheese on each hoagie. Place under broiler until cheese is melted and hoagie is lightly browned, 2-3 minutes.

2. Remove from oven and add spinach leaves and shredded chicken. Drizzle 1 tbsp of hot sauce over the chicken. Add onion, pineapple bits and another layer of provolone cheese. Place under broiler until cheese is melted. Remove and let cool before serving.

B.L.T. with Poached Egg and Basil Mayo

Published September 30, 2012 by jenmatteson

I’m still on tomato overload and finally made our first B.L.T.s with them (I really can’t believe it’s taken this long!). However, I wanted to make them a little fancy, so I added a poached egg and basil mayo. Not that B.L.T.s alone aren’t good enough, because let’s face it, bacon and fresh from the garden tomatoes, YUM! But, I thought the egg would add just a little bit of class (because “money can’t buy you class”, right Countess LuAnn?). I love basil on my B.L.T.s, but didn’t have any on hand. I went for the next best thing and mixed an equal amounts of basil pesto and Miracle Whip (mayonnaise would work just fine, but we prefer the tangy zip of the Whip).

Taking a picture of this beauty was another story. Of course, as mentioned previously (and probably in many posts to come this winter), the pictures aren’t very good since it gets so dark so soon now-a-days (yes, I’m blaming light, not my photography skills, and I can because I haven’t yet invested in one of those super fancy lights). Not only does the lighting suck, but I was afraid to put the top of the sandwich on and cut it, because of course, the beautifully poached egg would puncture. That’s the point of the sandwich in the first place, but trying to capture that moment when the yolk leaks out of the egg and all over the rest of the sandwich is an art. Which is precisely why I am not a food photographer, or even a photographer in general!

This was really good. Nate didn’t even speak a word while putting it down. Very quick, very easy, and if you can’t or don’t want to poach an egg, you can always use a fried over easy egg. Works the same!

B.L.T. with Poached Egg and Basil Mayo

Source: Pigzilla Original
Servings: 2 sandwiches

Ingredients:

2 tsp distilled vinegar
2 eggs
2 tbsp basil pesto
2 tbsp Miracle Whip (or mayonnaise)
4 slices whole wheat bread, toasted
16 leaves spinach, washed and dried
1 large tomato, sliced
6 slices bacon, cooked

Directions:

1. Fill a large sauce pan with water and add vinegar. Bring to a low simmer. Slowly add eggs, one at a time (tips for a perfectly poached egg). Cook for about 3 minutes, until whites are set and yolks are warm and runny.

2. Combine pesto and Miracle Whip in a small bowl. Spread on one side of the four slices of toasted bread. Layer one slice of bread with spinach, tomato, bacon, and top with poached egg. Add second slice of bread and serve immediately.

Slow Cooker Pulled Pork

Published September 7, 2012 by jenmatteson

A few nights ago I hosted my second fantasy football draft at my house. I must say, the Madtown Muskrats will be pretty good, so my cousins best watch out! I planned on making some pulled pork sandwiches using a 3-4 lb pork shoulder in the slow cooker with some beer. I didn’t have any small bottles of our homebrew, and I didn’t want to use an entire 22 oz bottle (seeing as though it was 7 AM before work, it probably wouldn’t have been the best idea to drink the rest of it ). So I grabbed a bottle of black cherry soda that had been in my fridge for probably close to a year and prayed for the best. I’ve seen several similar recipes using Dr. Pepper or Cherry Coke, so I figured what’s the worse that can happen?

It actually turned out really well, but I couldn’t even taste the black cherry soda – sort of a disappointment, but the meat was tender and flavorful (too spicy for some, but that is easily adjustable). After cooking and shredding it, I removed the bone and added some BBQ sauce. Not homemade, but maybe that’ll be on my list for next year. I like Ken Davis BBQ sauce. It’s affordable, smokey, a hint of tangy, and no spice (you might be thinking what has happened to me, but really it’s just because I can add my own heat, but others can’t take it out if it is already in the sauce).

I served Nicole, from Prevention RD’s, bacon coleslaw with the pulled pork sandwiches. I didn’t put the slaw on my sandwich that night, but I did with the leftovers, and boy did I miss out before. What a great combination – and bacon on pork? Oh yeah, I did it.

What would you have made for a fantasy football draft?

Slow Cooker Pulled Pork

Source: Pigzilla Original
Servings: 10-12

Ingredients:

3-4 lb pork shoulder (pork butt or tenderloin would work too)
1 tbsp cumin
1 tbsp garlic powder
1 tbsp dried oregano
1 tbsp dried jalapeno peppers
2 tbsp chili powder
2 tbsp fresh ground black pepper
1 tbsp salt
olive oil
12 oz black cherry soda (or use your favorite – or in my case, what you have on hand)
1-2 cups BBQ sauce
hot sauce to taste
favorite buns

Directions:

1. In a small bowl, mix cumin, garlic powder, oregano, jalapenos, chili powder, pepper and salt together. Sprinkle generously over pork and drizzle with olive oil. Rub in seasoning so it is evenly distributed. Place pork in slow cooker and add soda. Cook on low for 8 hours.

2. Drain juices. Shred pork with two forks or in a stand mixer (I removed a lot of the fat on the pork so it wasn’t mixed in before shredding). If you used a shoulder, be sure to remove the large bone. Add BBQ sauce and hot sauce to taste. Season with more salt and pepper if desired.

3. Serve pulled pork on buns and garnish with additional BBQ sauce, hot sauce, and/or coleslaw as desired.

Recipe Swap: Sloppy Joes

Published August 13, 2012 by jenmatteson

The theme of the most recent recipe swap was “Too Hot to Cook”, so all the recipes submitted were ideally no cook recipes, so at least no stove/oven, but grilling and slow cooker were allowed. I submitted my Chili Lime Shrimp Salad. I received Tina’s blog, Tasty Treats by Tina, and she submitted sloppy joes. This was originally a swap recipe she’d received in the past, but altered to her own liking the second run, so I went off of her recipe.

I was a bit hesitant as I’m very particular about sloppy joes, and I’ve only liked my mother’s recipe growing up (and still). My only change to her recipe is to use ground turkey instead of ground beef. No biggie. Nate and I love them; I guess I should blog it sometime – though I’d have to get permission from Mrs. Pigzilla

Anyway, I did the same thing with Tina’s recipe and substituted turkey meat for ground beef, and omitted tarragon, really just because I didn’t want to buy any just before leaving on vacation. I also adjusted the measurements for my own taste. After tasting it after it’d been in the slow cooker for a while, it was a little too tomatoy for my taste, so I did add more mustard to combat that.

In the end, they were pretty tasty. Nate commented that they were a little too sweet, and I even lowered the amount of brown sugar it called for. Next time, I’d probably omit the sugar as I find it unnessicary.

Sloppy Joes

Source: Tasty Treats by Tina
Servings: 4

Ingredients:

i lb ground turkey
1/2 large onion, chopped
3-4 cloves garlic, minced
1/2 tbsp cider vinegar
1/4 cup yellow mustard
5-8 leaves fresh basil, chopped
2 tsp Cajun seasoning
2 tbsp brown sugar
1/4 cup ketchup
1 can tomato paste
salt and pepper

Directions:

1. In a large frying pan, brown turkey meat over medium heat. Drain and add to slow cooker. Add remaining ingredients, mix, and cook on low for 6-8 hours. *Since I only used 1 lb of turkey meat (vs. Tina’s 2 lb ground beef), I only cooked my sloppy joe’s on low for about 4 hours.

2. Serve on toasted bun.

becoming pigzilla

Burgers, Sanwiches, Wraps

All posts in the Burgers, Sanwiches, Wraps category

Meatless Monday: Spicy Bean and Rice Tacos

Spicy Bean and Rice Tacos

Simple Ingredients Make the Perfect Burger: Palapa Burgers

Palapa Burgers

Slow Cooker Cuban Pork Sandwiches

Slow Cooker Cuban Pork Sandwiches

Recipe Swap: Rosemary Chicken Burgers with Garlic Rosemary Mayonnaise

Rosemary Chicken Burgers with Garlic Rosemary Mayonnaise

TBA (Turkey, Bacon, Avocado) on Tomato Basil

TBA on Tomato Basil

Recipe Swap: Avocado and Lime Black Bean Tacos

Avocado and Lime Black Bean Tacos

Mango-Habanero Chicken Sandwiches

Mango-Habanero Chicken Sandwiches

B.L.T. with Poached Egg and Basil Mayo

B.L.T. with Poached Egg and Basil Mayo

Slow Cooker Pulled Pork

Slow Cooker Pulled Pork

Recipe Swap: Sloppy Joes

Sloppy Joes

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