Sloppy Joes

I can't help but think about summer camp when I think of sloppy joes.  I use to really look forward to them because I never had them any other time of year.  They also remind me of this scene in the Olsen twins movie It Takes Two: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=u3jBWs5oR08 when one of the Olsen twins eats a sloppy joe for the first time and calls it a "big gooey messy burger" haha.  I use to be obsessed with the Olsen twins and always thought Mary-Kate was the coolest (I mean she was right? Kinda tom boyish and sportier haha!)  Anyways back to the sloppy joes, this is sort of a healthier version, but with all the same familiar flavors.  You can pack a lot of veggies in this meal without feeling like you're eating them if that makes sense.  My favorite way to serve these sloppy joes is over some gluten free cornbread, but they're also good in corn tortillas and tortilla chips!


S L O P P Y  J O E S  R E C I P E


Ingredients
☂ 2 lbs. ground beef (I use at least 90% lean)
☂ 6 celery stalks, chopped
☂ 2 onions, diced
☂ 2 green bell peppers, chopped
☂ 1 (15 oz.) can of tomato sauce
☂ 2½ Tbsp. corn starch
☂ 3 Tbsp. brown sugar

☂ ¾ cup ketchup 
☂ 4 Tbsp. yellow mustard
☂ salt and pepper to taste

Directions
☂ Heat a pan to medium heat and add in your ground beef.  Cook the beef until it is all the way cooked through and add it with a slotted spoon (so not to transfer the remaining fat in the pan) to a slow cooker on HIGH (4 hour) setting.
☂ In the pan that cooked the ground beef remove all the remaining fat except two tablespoons.  The remaining two tablespoons will be used to cook the vegetables.
☂ Add celery, onions, and green bell peppers to the pan.  Season with salt and pepper.  Saute until they begin to soften and then transfer them to the slow cooker with the ground beef.  
☂ To the slow cooker add the remaining ingredients and give it all a mix until everything is incorporated and make sure to put the lid on the slow cooker.  
☂ Let the sloppy joes cook in the slow cooker for 2½-3 hours, making sure to stir them every 30 minutes so the sides don't burn.  
☂ Serve with gluten-free cornbread, tortilla chips, gluten-free bun or whatever your heart desires!
☂ WALAH!  Enjoy and start feeling nourished♥