Supreme Sloppy Joes

There is nothing like chowing down on a delicious sloppy joe sandwich, licking your fingers clean and scooping up every last piece of meat that managed to escape your bun. This recipe is packed with flavor but quick and easy to put together. It is a great meal for a week night when you are tired or working late and cooking just about anything seems too difficult. Try this recipe and you will not be disappointed, nor will the people you are feeding!

Disclaimer: All photos in this post are courtesy of Carmine DeVito.

Recipe yields 8-10 sandwiches

Ingredients
2.5 lbs lean chopped meat (I used beef)
1 large yellow onion
1 red bell pepper
1/2 cup brown sugar
3 tbsp beef seasoning (I used McCormick's but you can easily make your own)
1/4 cup red wine vinegar
1/4 cup Worcester sauce
29 oz can of tomato sauce (By now you all know I love Tuttorosso)
6 oz can tomato paste
2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
Sandwich Rolls

Add olive oil to a deep skillet and heat on medium-high heat. Add chopped meat. Mix in brown sugar and seasoning until it is well incorporated with the meat. 

While meat is cooking, chop the onion and bell pepper.

When meat begins to brown, add onions, peppers, red wine vinegar and Worcester sauce to skillet. Mix well. Lower heat to medium.

Cook until vegetables become tender. The onions should become translucent. At this stage, add half the can of tomato sauce and combine with meat mixture. Then add the can of tomato paste and mix into sauce until sauce begins to thicken up. Slowly add the second half of tomato sauce until you reach your desired thickness. (Reminder: As the sauce cooks and then settles, it will become thicker; so at this stage you are still looking for your sauce to be a little on the thinner side.)

Reduce heat to medium-low and let simmer for 10 minutes. The sauce should become significantly thicker. Remove from heat and place in a serving dish. Let the mixture stand for 5 minutes prior to serving to allow the sauce to settle. Take advantage of these 5 minutes to lightly toast the buns for your sandwiches. Spoon the mixture onto each bun, serve and enjoy!