sandwich

Sloppy Joes (Day 6)

sloppy-joes

Welcome to Day 6 of the 31 Days of Slow Cooking.  Today I’m featuring sloppy Joes.

The Imaginative One is a Boy Scout.  For the past year, he’s tried to get all of the requirements done so that he can move up to first class.  On Tuesday night, he met up with an Eagle Scout who helps with the troop to assure he has all the requirements done.  Then once he got home from the meeting, he called the advisor who holds the Board of Review so that he could set up an appointment.  Next Tuesday, he’s going to meet with the advisors so that they could determine if he’s ready to move up to first class.  I’m so proud of him.

We also had his parent teacher conference.  One thing about the Imaginative One is that he is a big reader.  When he crossed over to Boy Scouts in February of 2015, he would read during the majority of the meetings instead of paying attention.  As time passed, he has become more and more social.  Anywho, Hubby was told that the teacher didn’t know if the Imaginative One was paying attention in class because he will socialize at times.  It turns out the class is the English Language Arts class.  One of his Boy Scouts buddies is in that class.  I never thought I would hear that about the Imaginative One.

This is an easy recipe to put together in the slow cooker.  Sloppy Joes are great for lunch or even dinner.

Once you make up a batch, freeze smaller portions so you can have sloppy Joes whenever you don’t feel like cooking.  I did this before the Fourth of July. Then I ended up getting sick on the Fourth.  Luckily I had the sloppy Joes in the freezer so the family still had a delicious meal on the Fourth of July.

Sloppy Joes

Stars of the Recipe:

  • 1 & ½ lbs. Ground beef, browned and drained
  • 1 envelope onion soup mix or ¼ c. homemade onion soup mix
  • 1 c. ketchup
  • 1 c. water
  • 2 Tbsp. packed brown sugar
  • Hamburger buns

Steps:

  1. Combine all ingredients except for buns in the slow cooker.
  2. Cook on low for 4 to 6 hours or 2 to 3 on high.
  3. Serve on buns.
  4. Enjoy!
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Slow Cooker Pulled Pork Sandwiches plus a trick

I’ve signed up for a 31 day  writing challenge.  Everyday in October, I am posting a new slow cooker recipe, a link to a previous posted slow cooker recipe, or a link to a recipe from another blog.

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This pulled pork is super easy and only requires three ingredients.

Yesterday I went on a field trip to the Freedom Center down in Cincinnati.  When I got home, I was exhausted so having the pork in the slow cooker made having dinner easier.  I shredded up the pork and then made some root beer barbecue sauce for the sandwiches.  Imaginative One made some French fries to go with the sandwiches.  The pulled pork sandwiches were such an easy dinner.

I ended up freezing the remaining pulled pork for future meals.

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Easy Pulled Pork

adapted from Recipes that Crock

Stars of the recipe:

  • 2 – 3 lb. pork tenderloin or shoulder butt pork roast
  • 1/2 c. chicken broth
  • seasoning salt or favorite barbecue seasoning blend

Steps:

  1. Place pork in slow cooker.
  2. Sprinkle seasoning salt or barbecue seasoning blend over the pork.
  3. Pour the chicken broth over the pork.
  4. Cook on low for 8 hours.
  5. Shred.
  6. Enjoy on buns with your favorite barbecue sauce.  (I used my recipe for root beer barbecue sauce.)

A trick to shred up cooked up pork quickly and efficiently

  1.  Pull the cooked pork out of the slow cooker.

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2.  Place pork in a stand mixing bowl.  Use the paddle to shred up the meat.

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3.  Put the shredded meat back in the slow cooker until you are ready to serve dinner.

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If you enjoyed this recipe, please share it on Facebook or Pinterest.  Here is a link to my Facebook page and my Pinterest page.

Happy eating,
Traci

Slow Cooker Cheese Steak Sloppy Joes

I’ve signed up for a 31 day  writing challenge.  Every day in October, I am posting a new slow cooker recipe, a link to a previous posted slow cooker recipe, or a link to a recipe from another blog.

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My family loves simple meals like sandwiches.  These sloppy Joes are an easy meal to put together especially if you bulk cook the hamburger and use frozen peppers and onions.

Hubby enjoyed his sandwich.  The boys balked at it because of the onions, peppers, and mushrooms.  Wee One refused to try it while the Imaginative One picked out the onions, peppers, and onions.  I loved it but then again I love cheese steaks!

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So who and where did the cheese steak begin?  I looked on the Internet and found the history of the first cheese steak even though there was no cheese on the first sandwich.

1930s – During the 1930s in the Italian immigrant section of South Philadelphia, brothers Harry Olivieri (1916-2006) and Pat Olivieri sold hot dogs and sandwiches. Tired of hot dogs, Pat suggested that Harry go to a store and buy some beef. Harry brought it back, sliced it up and grilled the beef with some onions. The brothers piled the meat on rolls and were about to dig in when a cab driver arrived for lunch, smelled the meat and onions and demanded one of the sandwiches. Pat never got a bite because a cab driver drove by, smelled the sandwich, and asked how much? He didn’t know what to charge, so he charged a nickel. The cab driver supposedly said,  “Hey . . . forget about those hot dogs, you should sell these.” It was not until 20 years later that cheese was added to the sandwich by a longtime employee, Joe Lorenzo, who was tired of the usual sandwich and added some cheese.

From What’s Cooking America  (Click on link for more information about the cheese steak.)

Slow Cooker Cheese Steak Sloppy Joes

adapted from Spend with Pennies

Stars of the recipe:

  • 1 lb. of ground beef
  • 1 clove of garlic, minced
  • black pepper, to taste
  • 1 large onion, sliced
  • 1 green pepper, sliced or 2 c. frozen pepper and onion mix
  • 1 1/2 c. sliced mushrooms or a small can of mushrooms, drained (optional)
  • 2 Tbsp. flour
  • 1 can of beef broth
  • 1 tsp. Worcestershire sauce
  • Provolone cheese or American cheese, slices

Steps:

  1. In a skillet, brown the ground beef or bulk cook the hamburger in the slow cooker.  Drain the fat off.
  2. Place the ground beef, garlic, black pepper, onion, green pepper, and mushrooms in the slow cooker.
  3. Sprinkle flour over the ground beef and veggies.  Toss too coat the meat and veggies.
  4. Pour the beef broth and Worcestershire sauce over the meat and veggies.
  5. Cook for 5 hours on low.
  6. Enjoy on a bun with your favorite cheese

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If you enjoyed this recipe, please share it on Facebook or Pinterest.  Here is a link to my Facebook page and my Pinterest page.

Happy eating,
Traci