The temperature is rising, people are beginning to get the pools ready and lawn mowing season is in full swing. You know what that means? Summer is just around the corner.
I myself have always enjoyed summer. Yes, it gets unbearably hot and the mosquitos are horrible. However, there is an upside. It was the time, for more than a decade, where I got two months of uninterrupted time off from school. I spent time with my family, played outside all day and also celebrated my birthday.
While those days have come and gone, I still hold summer in high regard. It is a season that just feels different for some reason.
One activity that fits summer very well is picnics.
We had an old wooden picnic table in our backyard when I was young, and we would have family picnics on it from time to time.
I know going into your backyard isn’t everybody’s idea of a good picnic, and many would rather go to a park or somewhere, but to us kids, it was the grandest thing. We were eating outside, it didn’t matter where.
The usual suspects were ham and cheese sandwiches and chips, and if we were good, we might even get to cut a watermelon.
However, as I’ve grown older, I’ve looked for ways to spice that experience up while still maintaining the overall feel. Then we found it, Sloppy Joes.
Sloppy Joe, or Uncouth Joseph if you are fancy and familiar with internet jokes, is basically a ground beef sandwich with tomato sauce.
I remember thinking, the first time my school served the sandwiches for lunch, that it must taste like a barbecue sandwich. I was wrong.
However, it is perfect for picnics. Let me explain.
The filling of the sandwich is made using ground beef and tomato sauce, and it can be made rather easily and carry well.
You can make a pot of the mixture, grab a pack of buns, maybe make some fries, and hit the road.
It offers a nice departure from the standard ham and cheese sandwich while still being relatively easy to make.
It is also a nice sandwich for summertime picnics because it isn’t too dense.
So, if you are looking for a fun way to bring everyone together for a family picnic, look no further than this messy sandwich.
SLOPPY JOE
1 pound ground beef
2 tablespoons vegetable oil
½ cup diced onions
2 cloves minced garlic
1 tablespoon tomato paste
½ cup ketchup
1 tablespoon mustard
2 tablespoons brown sugar
1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
½ tablespoon paprika
½ teaspoon salt
½ teaspoon black pepper
½ cup water
■ Cook the ground beef in the vegetable oil for 7 to 8 minutes or until browned.
■ Remove the beef from the heat, drain and set aside.
■ In the same skillet, add the onions and cook for 2 to 3 minutes or until tender.
■ Add the minced garlic, stir well, and cook for an additional minute.
■ Add the tomato paste to the garlic and onions and stir well.
■ Add the beef back to the skillet.
■ Add the ketchup.
■ Mix the brown sugar, mustard, paprika, Worcestershire sauce, salt and black pepper and stir well.
■ Mix in the water and cook for another 3 to 4 minutes.
■ Serve on your choice of bun and with cheese if desired.
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You can help your community
Quality, in-depth journalism is essential to a healthy community. The Dispatch brings you the most complete reporting and insightful commentary in the Golden Triangle, but we need your help to continue our efforts. In the past week, our reporters have posted 46 articles to cdispatch.com. Please consider subscribing to our website for only $2.30 per week to help support local journalism and our community.
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