Homemade Sloppy Joes

Description

Since our school cafeteria days, sloppy joes have been a family favorite. They’re easy to make, fun to eat and perfect for a weeknight dinner.

1 medium onion, finely chopped

1 large zucchini, finely chopped

1 medium red pepper, finely chopped

2 cloves garlic, minced

1 teaspoon olive oil

1 pound ground beef (or bison)

1 teaspoon thyme

1 can fire-roasted crushed tomatoes (15 oz)

3 tablespoons ketchup

2 teaspoons Worcestershire sauce

Whole wheat buns

Sauté the onion, zucchini, red pepper and garlic in a little olive oil, until the onions are soft.
Add the meat and thyme and cook over medium heat until the meat is nearly done (bison will take less time than beef, so keep a watch if you’re cooking with it for the first time).
Add the tomatoes, ketchup and Worcestershire sauce. Use a spoon to break up the meat and stir well. Cook over medium-low heat for 15 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the sauce thickens.
If the sauce doesn’t thicken quickly enough, put a couple spoonfuls of the sauce into 3 tablespoons flour and stir to a paste. Cook over medium-low heat for 2 minutes to remove the starchy taste from the flour; then add 2 tablespoons more sauce and mix well (make sure to avoid lumps from the flour). Add the entire mixture back into the pan and stir well. Let boil for a few minutes to thicken the rest of the sauce.
Serve on whole-wheat buns.

If your garlic is browning too much, add it last so the other vegetables create a bed to protect it as it browns.