One of my least favorite parts of sloppy joes is the soggy burger buns, but I love the filling. I added some chopped zucchini to beef up the veggie content of this recipe. Carrots or yellow squash would work as well. Adding them at the end, with the sauce, kept them from getting too mushy. The serving size is one 1/2 pepper, but as you can see, I went for two! Served with a side salad, instead of chips or fries, it is a healthier version of sloppy joes! You don't have to give up comfort food. Of course, you can serve this on a bun as well.
Yield: 6
Sloppy Joe Stuffed Peppers
Ingredients:
- 3 large bell peppers (any color)
- 1 1⁄2 T olive oil
- 1/2 cup chopped onion
- 1 rib celery chopped
- 2 cloves garlic minced
- 1 pound ground beef
- 3⁄4 cup chopped zucchini
- 6 oz can tomato sauce
- 3 T reduced-sugar ketchup
- 2 t Worcestershire sauce
- 2 t Dijon mustard
- 1 t chili powder ( or more to taste
- 1/2 t ground cumin
- 1/2 t sea salt
- chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley for garnish
Instructions:
- Preheat the oven to 375°F. Line a rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper or a silicone baking mat.
- Cut the peppers in half vertically and remove the ribs and seeds. Place the peppers on the prepared baking sheet and bake for 20 to 25 minutes, until they are tender.
- While the peppers are in the oven, make the sloppy Joe mixture: Heat the olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat. When the pan is hot, add the onion, celery, and garlic. Cook until the onion and celery are soft and the garlic is fragrant.
- Add the ground beef, breaking it up with a heatproof spatula, and cook until browned, about 8 minutes.
- Mix in the tomato sauce, ketchup, Worcestershire sauce, Dijon mustard, chili powder, cumin, and salt. Add chopped zucchini and stir. Simmer for 5 to 7 minutes, until the sauce has thickened.
- Stuff the Sloppy Joe mixture into the pepper halves and garnish with parsley