Sloppy Janes

This is a hobo version of the classic. Yes, I wander off my own reservation with the call of a processed food from the chicken gumbo. In spite of that demerit, the recipe is fail-proof. I love the flexibility in the preparation. I add a pepper-jack and a shaved Parmesan cheese to my personal serving.

4 hamburger-sized buns (thawed and toasted)

• 2 Tbs Canola
• 2 cloves – garlic (minced)
• 1/2 onion (chopped)
• 1 lb ground beef (fat-meet ratio is your choice: I prefer 85/15&
• 5 oz ketchup (Heinz or your preference – eyeball it)
• 3 oz yellow mustard (eyeball it)
• 1 can Chicken gumbo-soup
• 1 Tbs dijon mustard (eyeball it)

Minced the garlic and the onion. Throw a 12″ skillet on the burner while prepping the rest of the ingredients. Oil the pan with the Canola and when fully heated, dash the chopped onion and the garlic into the hot skillet. Season the veg with course salt and black pepper, stirring until well-mixed.

When you’ve noticed veg has begun showing signs of breaking down, add the ground beef. Break it up and season lightly with salt and fresh ground pepper.

Add the gumbo-soup, the ketchup, yellow mustard and the dijon.

Simmer until…just that point when you can stop calling it a “Sloppy James” and begin start calling it “a Sloppy”. Grab your toasted hamburger bun and dive in.

Options include:

• Red pepper-flakes
• Parmesan shakes
• cheddar slice
• cottage cheese (1 spoonful as a topper)
• bleau cheese (1/2 spoonful as a topper)
• 1/2 Tbs Sriracha sauce
• lemon zest
• 1 Tbs sugar
• 1 6oz can tomato paste
• 1 10 oz can chicken stock
• crazy sauce (Tobasco or Sriracha)

It’s a hobo recipe, so serve it up with fun. Included options, I think: Onion rings, fries, apple pie, carrot “fingers” or Jell-O.

It’s delicious and you’ll love it.