My Ninety-Seventh -Sloppy Joe -100 Meals You Never Thought You Would Eat Pureed - Recipes for Head and Neck Cancer patients

My Ninety-Seventh -Sloppy Joe -100 Meals You Never Thought You Would Eat Pureed - Recipes for Head and Neck Cancer patients

One of the biggest issues with enjoying food while going through cancer treatment, is sitting at the table with the family and having a meal.  We just don't eat at the same pace as everyone else.  We might not be hungry at that time.  We have a ton of reasons why we can't.  And it is hard to share the same meal that the children enjoy

Sloppy Joes are a kid favorite, and easy enough to share at the same time as your kids meal time.  Extra Sloppy Joe can store easily in the refrigerator. Most important of all, it fills the air with the scent of family and nostalgia. 

I can remember playing a game out on the city street with my friends (Yes, I'm that old), and when mom called us in for dinner, that smell of Sloppy Joe was the smell of heaven. Now when I say "us" I mean myself and +/- four brothers.  Fierce badminton in the yard would include +/- three additional sisters.  Of course there could also be the additional neighborhood children.

I grew up with Sloppy Joes made with a packet of McCormick Sloppy Joe Seasoning. So it made it a dump-and-cook-in-one-pot recipe.  However, when I just looked up the McCormick recipe online, I discovered that it was missing two important ingredients from my mom's recipe - fresh onion and fresh bell pepper.

ground beef
chopped white onion
chopped bell pepper
McCormick seasoning
small can of tomato paste
water

RECIPE FOR TWO CUPS OF PUREE
1/2 cup Sloppy Joe
1/2 Hamburger bun
1 cup warm water

FULL BATCH
Yea, this recipe does not scale down from a full pound of ground meat very well.  You have to remember to make this when you are feeding an squad of children.  

GROUND MEAT
No, I have not tried a vegetarian version.  No, I have not tried a ground turkey version.  No, I have not tried a ground bison version (that would be like cheating on my chili).  But I can imagine having an issue with feeding an army of children with only one ground meat option. ::SIGH::

BELL PEPPER
OK, the fact that I just finished grilling orange and red peppers in February was the trigger that made me remember Sloppy Joes.  Although I hardly buy green bell peppers anymore, this recipe is fine for green ones, because there are so many red spices in this meal, that there is little worry in turning the puree camo green.

FRESH ONION
I always has an assortment of large onions in my pantry.  My mom traditionally bought large white onions in a large bag.   But remember back then you bought what was ever available at the supermarket or PX. Vidalia onions used to have a short season.

Go with the onion type that your family likes best.

TOMATO PASTE
I grew up on tomato paste.  Many people use tomato sauce instead, and reduce the amount of water in the recipe. Go with what your momma says to use . . .

I buy is by the case.
One of the few canned items I'm allowed to buy.

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