Saturday, October 13, 2018

Whole30 Sloppy Joe Bowls

Those fun sandwiches you grew up eating suddenly have taken an adult approach, without losing their coolness. Because I really can’t afford to lose any more cool on my coolness chart. At first it was turning 30, then having two kids, then rarely doing my hair and makeup, THEN driving a mommy mobile (it’s not a minivan…but still).

I’m not knocking minivans – I have friends that swear they are the greatest thing since electricity. But I just can’t do it. I’ll stick with my SUV, unless they make a mini van with flames down the sides and pink tinted windows.

 The again, that’s kind of creepy, pedophile material. See? Even when I dream about being cool it fails miserably. But when I dreamed up a bowl of sloppy joe goodness, that is whole30 compliant and hearty enough for the biggest of appetites, I said to myself, “I may not be cool, but I can cook – and that’s good enough for my husband to never leave me and for my kids to survive.” Especially when I serve these Whole30 sloppy joe bowls.

A delicious and kid-friendly recipe on a classic – these Whole30 Sloppy Joe Bowls are the perfect healthy comfort food. Easy to make, easy to devour.
Ingredients
  • 1 lb ground beef
  • 1/2 cup chopped onion
  • 3/4 cup chopped green pepper
  • 1 8oz can tomato sauce
  • 1 tablespoon tomato paste
  • 1 1/2 tablespoons apple cider vinegar
  • 1 tablespoon dijon mustard
  • 1/2 teaspoon minced garlic
  • 1/2 teaspoon dried parsley
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt
  • 5 medjool dates, pitted
  • 2/3 cup water (reserved)
  • russet potatoes (one per person)

Instructions
  1. Brown the ground beef in a large pan over medium-high heat and add the onion. Drain any excess grease
  2. Reduce the heat to medium and add the green pepper, apple cider vinegar, dijon mustard, garlic, dried parsley, and salt. Mix well
  3. Meanwhile, in a separate small pot, bring 2/3 cup of water to a boil and add the dates. Boil 30-60 seconds, just long enough to soften the dates. Remove the dates from the pot (reserving the water for later)
  4. Place the dates into a food processor or blender, then add tomato sauce and tomato paste. Blend well then add to the ground beef
  5. Add 2 tablespoons of the reserved date water to the pan of beef
  6. Wash and dry a russet potato. Poke the potato with a fork or knife a few times, then microwave for 5-7 minutes, until potato is soft inside
  7. Serve sloppy joe mixture on top of baked russet potato and garnish with green onions