Creative Household Co.

Never content with just making things the ordinary way, I like to add a Tex-Mex spin on the classic Sloppy Joe.

We're going to put these on homemade sesame seed hamburger buns (recipe here).

To start, you'll want to brown chopped onions in a large pot with some olive oil. Once that's going, add sliced garlic followed by one pound of ground beef. 

Once the meat is cooked, drain the fat and add a large can of drained diced tomoatoes and a small jar of salsa- the heat intensity is up to you but I generally go medium here.

Next, add in your spices:

1.5-tbsp chili powder
1/2-tsp garlic powder
1/2-tsp onion powder
1/2-tsp smoked paprika
1/4-tsp dried oregano
1.5-tsp ground cumin
1-tsp salt
1-tsp black pepper
Pinch of cayenne pepper

Followed by a few generous shakes of Worcestershire sauce and a splash of red wine.

Mix it up well and simmer on a gentle boil for 10 minutes. You want the sauce to reduce and thicken.

Cut your buns in half and stick under a 500-degree broiler until browned nicely.

Put slices of cheddar cheese on both sides of the bun, then put some coleslaw on the crown (the bun top).

For coleslaw, you can use a bag of premade stuff or you can grate some cabbage and add a splash of coleslaw dressing.

Next, pile the Sloppy Jose meat sauce on the heel (the bun bottom), close the sandwich, and scoop some of the meat sauce all over the bun.

Serve beside restaurant-style refried beans. All you need is one can of spicy refried beans, 1/2-cup of sour cream, and 3-tsp of hot sauce. Trust me- it needs to be spicy refried beans. The hot sauce stands out in the plain variety but complements the heat perfectly in the spicy mix. 

You can add some shredded cheddar cheese to the refried beans or a sprinkle of parsley. They'll never look sexy but at least they're delicious.

Yum! Enjoy!