Sloppy Joes were always a quick weeknight dinner when trying to maneuver life around school, homework and sports events. With three hungry boys, you had to think quick! That was then, and this is now. As satisfying as those canned sauces for Sloppy Joes were back then, now I prefer to be a little more in control of exactly what ingredients are in my food. Thanks to my next door neighbor Pat, I have a new versatile recipe whose leftovers, if there are any, can be transformed into another weeknight meal! You see, there are only 2-3 that currently live in this house. Out of habit, I seem to cook for at least double that number of mouths. Her recipe for Quick Weeknight BBQ is shared here for you to enjoy. My variation uses turkey, but use ground beef, if you prefer. I also used about an extra quarter pound to stretch it out a bit more.
The Sauce:
Blend all of the sauce ingredients together and set aside until meat is prepared.
Prepping the Meat:
- Saute the onions with butter, or olive oil if you prefer, until softened.
- I used 1.3 pounds of ground turkey in place of the beef. (You could definitely use beef, using an equivalent 93/7 amount.) Add in the turkey and cook until no longer pink. Chop up as you cook to break up meat into smaller bits.
- Add in the prepared sauce and cook on low until sauce is absorbed and sauce doesn’t run together when you push a spatula through the mix.
Leftover Ideas:
- Quick Shepherd’s Pie: Mix a bag of cooked(frozen) vegetables with leftover BBQ. Grate some cheddar cheese over the top. Then, spread warm mashed potatoes to cover the top. Bake at 350 until center is hot and it appears bubbly around the edges of the pan. (The picture below is before it went into the oven.)
- Chili: Pat indicates that she will add cans of beans, diced tomatoes and some V8 juice to make a quick chili. *
* Pat usually makes double my recipe so adjust your additions based upon amount you have leftover.
Quick Weeknight BBQ
Ingredients
BBQ Sauce
- 1/2 c ketchup
- 1/4 c water
- 1 T sugar(granulated or brown)
- 1 T Worcestershire sauce
- 1 T apple cider vinegar white vinegar could be substituted
- 1 T Dijon mustard yellow mustard could be substituted
- 1 t Kosher salt
- 1/4 t freshly ground black pepper
- 1/4 t smoked paprika regular paprika could be substituted
In the Pan:
- 1 T butter or oil
- 1/2 c finely diced red or yellow onion
- 1/2 t minced garlic
- 1-1.3 lb ground turkey 93/7 (This was Shadybrook packaging.) beef could be substituted
Instructions
BBQ Sauce:
- Blend the sauce ingredients in a bowl until ready to use.
In the Pan:
- Saute the diced onion and garlic in melted butter until translucent-about 5 minutes.
- Add in ground meat and cook until no longer pink over MED heat.
- Stir in the sauce and simmer until thickened.
- Serve on toasted bun of your choice with maybe a quick salad on the side. Enjoy!
