SLOPPY JOES




Please check out my latest Sloppy Joe recipe for comparison.  I think my recipe has actually improved!



SLOPPY JOES

A timeless meal – great on my hamburger buns. My recent SANDWICH THINS would be my preference for this recipe. I discovered that if you like you can leave the grated cheese out of the recipe for HAMBURGER BUNS (you can also use the bake mix with gelatin - the bake mixes are interchangeable) lower calories. You can also fill bell peppers with this mixture and bake in a moderate oven 25 minutes and then finally top with some cheese and bake to melt the cheese. 

I made a version of my Artisan Hamburger Buns (Improved) in volume 2 of Low-Carbing Among Friends, in which I used spreadable cream cheese and left the shredded Monterey Jack cheese right out of the batter.  This makes for a less calorific bun (rises slightly less high and is less robust), a very tender texture, and, basically a much less expensive bun!  So, although I love the original recipe, this one hit the spot  perfectly and made me feel better about the calories too - It was good!  This meal is moderate in carbs (on account of the tomatoes and the bun) and doesn’t make our usual less than 10 grams of net carbs per serving.  However, many of us would be able to enjoy this recipe.


1 lb lean ground beef (0.45 kg)
Bacon fat (optional)
1/2 red or green pepper, chopped (optional)
1 tsp crushed garlic (5 mL)
1 tsp Montreal steak spice (5 mL)
14.5 oz can diced tomatoes (411 g)
2 tbsp tomato paste (30 mL)
Sugar substitute to equal 4 tsp sugar (20 mL)
1/2 tsp liquid smoke (2 mL)
1/4 tsp black pepper (1 mL)

In large frying pan brown ground beef over medium heat (in bacon fat, if necessary).  Add red or green pepper, crushed garlic and Montreal steak spice.  Stir fry 2 minutes.  Add tomatoes, tomato paste, sugar substitute, liquid smoke and black pepper.  Simmer over medium low heat about 10 minutes, or until sauce is reduced to your liking.

Yield:   6 servings (5.2 grams without bun)
1 serving with 1 bun
386.6 calories
22.4 g protein
26.0 g fat
0.0 g fiber
11.5 g net carbs (with Sandwich Thins - 8.7 grams carbs)


SOME USEFUL INFORMATION:

LOW-CARB SWAPS FOR HIGH-CARB FOODS AND DRINKS

 

Apple Swaps:

Chayote squash (also known as mirliton squash and by several other names, is an edible plant belonging to the gourd family, Cucurbitaceae).

Zucchini

 

Helpful Hint: These squash alternatives require adding ingredients like lemon juice, sweetener, vanilla extract and cinnamon to mimic apple flavor.

 

Baking Swaps:

Search on Pinterest or your favorite low-carb blogs for the recipe you require.

 

Bread Swaps:

Commercial Low-carb bread

Eggplant bruschetta

Eggplant slices used to sandwich various fillings

Famous flourless almond butter or peanut butter breads

Homemade low-carb bread, hamburger buns and sandwich thins

Homemade Miracle Dough® or Fathead Dough® for garlic bread, buns,

  pull-apart buns, bagels, flatbread, pretzels, etc.

Jiffy microwave breads and buns

Lettuce wraps for a burger patty and toppings

 

Helpful Hints: For maintenance levels: buy wholegrain bread that is lower in carbs and toast a slice of bread.  Slice it in half horizontally with a sharp, serrated knife.  Now you can make a sandwich with half the carbs of using 2 regular slices of bread, or use the 2 slices of very thin toast for breakfast with your omelet or scrambled eggs.  You won’t miss having the extra bread/toast and you will not feel deprived.  Try it!  We do this all the time in maintenance, and my husband even loses weight doing this.

 

Breadcrumb Swaps:

Parmesan cheese and almond flour mix

Pork rind crumbs