Sloppy Joe's

I made these sloppy Joe's last night and they were quite tasty. Next time I'll omit the honey and molasses because they were a bit sweet for me. These are definitely grown-up sloppy Joe's because it has some heat and spice to it. I served mine over toasted artisanal whole wheat bread because I wanted to be fancy, but it will taste just as good over hamburger buns or regular sandwich bread.

INGREDIENTS (serves 4)

• 1 lb. ground chuck
• 2 teaspoons canola oil
• 1/2 cup onion, finely diced
• 2 celery stalks, finely diced
• 1 tablespoon ground chipotle powder
• 1 teaspoon ground cumin
• salt and pepper
• 1 roasted poblano pepper, peeled, seeded and finely diced
• 1 large roasted red bell pepper, peeled, seeded and finely diced
• 2 garlic cloves, finely chopped
• 1 cup ketchup
• 1/2 cup your favorite BBQ sauce
• 1/4 cup water
• 1 tablespoon mustard
• 1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
• 1 tablespoon brown sugar
• 1 tablespoon honey (omit if you don't want your Joe's to be too sweet)
• 1 tablespoon molasses (omit if you don't want your Joe's to be too sweet)
• 1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar

DIRECTIONS

Heat oil in a large skillet and brown the chuck, making sure you break it down into pieces with a metal or wooden spatula. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Remove the meat with a slotted spoon and set aside. Drain all but 1 tablespoon of the oil.

To the same pan add the onion and celery and cook for 2 minutes. Then add the ground chipotle and the ground cumin powder and cook for 30 seconds. Add the peppers and garlic and cook 2 more minutes. Add the cooked ground chuck back into pan and add remainder of ingredients: ketchup, BBQ sauce, water, mustard, Worcestershire sauce, honey, and brown sugar and molasses (if using) and apple cider vinegar. Bring to a simmer until sauce thickens to your liking, then lower heat to medium-low and cook for 15 more minutes. Season with salt and pepper, if needed. Serve over your favorite toasted bread or in hamburger buns.

Diva's Seasoning Mix

This is my version of the McCormick Montreal Seasoning you find at the store. Although the store-bought version is pretty good, too.

INGREDIENTS

• 4 tablespoons kosher or sea salt
• 1 tablespoon freshly ground black pepper
• 1 tablespoon dehydrated onion or onion powder (w/o salt)
• 1/2 tablespoon dried garlic or garlic powder (not garlic salt!)
• 1/2 tablespoon crushed red pepper flakes
• 1/2 tablespoon dried thyme
• 1/2 tablespoon dried rosemary
• 1/2 tablespoon dried fennel

DIRECTIONS

In a food process or blender, add the dried thyme, dried rosemary, and dried fennel and pulse 3 or 4 times, until herbs are somewhat crushed, but not too powdery. Place the herbs in a small air-tight container and add remaining ingredients. Mix well to combine by shaking the container.