Sloppy Joes may give you flashbacks to an elementary school lunchroom, but they are a fun meal that everyone will enjoy. This is also a recipe that keeps well in the refrigerator, so go ahead and enjoy those leftovers!
This dish is not only delicious, but it’s also teeming with nutrition, as it’s high in antioxidants thanks to the canned tomatoes. Lycopene is a carotenoid that gives tomatoes their red color, and has been shown to reduce the risk of heart disease and certain cancers. It also has the ability to neutralize free radicals within the body to prevent oxidative stress, which helps prevent damage to our cells and our DNA. While lycopene is present in other fruits such as watermelon and pink grapefruit, tomatoes (which are the second most consumed vegetable second to potatoes in the U.S.), account for more than 85% of the lycopene in the American diet. Interestingly, cooked tomato products may hold particular significance, as the lycopene from cooked and processed tomatoes is more bioavailable than that of fresh tomatoes. Heating or processing breaks down the tomato cell matrix and promotes isomerization of lycopene from all-trans isomers to the more bioavailable form of cis-isomers. Research shows that single daily servings of processed tomato products produce significant increases of lycopene concentrations in blood and buccal mucosal cells in healthy adults.
So, go ahead and try out these Sloppy Joes; we promise you won’t be disappointed!
Sloppy Joes
Sloppy Joes may give you flashbacks to an elementary school lunchroom, but they are a fun meal that everyone will enjoy. This is also a recipe that keeps well in the refrigerator, so go ahead and enjoy those leftovers!
Prep Time5 minutes
Cook Time15 minutes
Total Time20 minutes
Ingredients
1 red bell pepper, deseeded cored, and roughly chopped
1 cup canned crushed tomatoes
8 oz. tomato sauce
3 Tbsp. ketchup
1 Tbsp. packed brown sugar
2 Tbsp. olive oil
¾ cup yellow onion, chopped
3 garlic cloves, minced
1 lb. ground beef
½ tsp. kosher salt
¼ tsp. ground black pepper
¾ tsp. Italian seasoning
4 burger buns
Instructions
Add the bell pepper, crushed tomatoes, tomato sauce, ketchup, and brown sugar into a blender or food processor. Blend until smooth.
Heat the oil in a pan over medium-high heat. Add in the onion and garlic. Sauté until the onion turns translucent.
Then add the ground beef into the pan. Cook and crumble the beef until it has browned and fully cooked. Mix in the salt, pepper, and Italian seasoning.
Pour the blended sauce into the pan and mix it together with the beef. When the mixture starts to bubble, reduce the heat and simmer for 3-4 minutes.
Remove the pan from heat and let it cool for 10 minutes. Serve the meat mixture with buns and enjoy!
For other delicious tomato-based recipes, check out some of our favorites:
Happy Earth month! This month, we are going to be highlighting sustainable eating tips and food items to help improve your carbon footprint and lessen your impact on the planet. While there are many ways you can practice sustainable living, a lot of it starts with what you put on your fork. You can do this by adding more canned tomatoes into your diet, as these are a more sustainable option than fresh. Also, when shopping, choose MADE IN THE USA, to decrease your global footprint, and to get the sustainable quality you can count on.
So, if you’re looking for some ways to spice it up in the kitchen and cook more eco-friendly meals, be sure to follow along on social media for lots of culinary inspiration!
If you’re craving pasta, then go ahead and whip up this delicious recipe for Nona’s Beef Ragu! This entire meal can be made in a slow cooker, which makes it perfect for any night of the week. Plus, it’s kid-friendly, which makes dinner time even easier!
Vintage BBC Footage of the Spaghetti Harvest
Originally aired on the BBC in 1957 this fascinating look behind where our spaghetti comes from shocked millions of viewers at the time of it’s release. For some reason, it always feels fitting to reflect on this time of year.
PROCESSED TOMATOES, A SUSTAINABLE CHOICE, by Sharon Palmer, MSFS, RDN
Every time you open a can or jar of tomatoes, you release the essence of that warm, summer day in which those perfectly ripe tomatoes were harvested. These tomatoes are picked at their top flavor and nutrition peak on the field before they are quickly whisked away to the processing plant to be canned, sealing in all of that good flavor and nutrition within just a few hours of harvest.
Beyond good taste and nutrition, you also make a more sustainable choice by choosing those preserved tomatoes. Why is it a more sustainable choice than fresh? The fresh tomato crop is typically picked about two weeks before maturity to withstand transportation, during which it requires more energy to refrigerate and transport. In addition, many fresh tomatoes are grown in Mexico, requiring longer transportation distances, or in heated, energy-intensive greenhouses before reaching your supermarket shelf.
This classic Italian dish will leave your kitchen smelling amazing and your belly satisfied. One Pan Chicken Cacciatore is easy to make and will please the entire family, but one of the best parts about this recipe is how simple it is to assemble. Everything goes in one pan which means fewer dishes for you and more time to spend with family!
This all in one meal is loaded with important nutrients thanks to the canned tomates, as they contain vitamins A and C as well as fiber and lycopene. Vitamin A supports eye health and is important for white blood cell production; vtamin C is helps control infections and boosts immunity; and fiber has been shown to reduce the risk of developing heart disease and diabetes. While all of these are important, canned tomatoes get their superpowers from lycopene, which is an antioxidant with anti-cancer and anti-inflammatory properties. The lycopene content found in canned tomatoes allows this ingredient to be one of the most useful, healthy additions to just about any meal. Since canned tomatoes have even MORE nutritional value than fresh tomatoes, they provide a powerful impact on human health.
So, if you are looking for an easy weeknight dinner, this One Pan Chicken Cacciatore is definitely one to put on your regular rotation! Simple to make, easy clean up, and flavorful, it checks all of the boxes of a favorite recipe.
One Pan Chicken Cacciatore
This classic Italian dish will leave your kitchen smelling amazing and your belly satisfied. One Pan Chicken Cacciatore is easy to make and will please the entire family, but one of the best parts about this recipe is how simple it is to assemble. Everything goes in one pan which means fewer dishes for you and more time to spend with family!
Prep Time10 minutes
Cook Time40 minutes
Total Time50 minutes
Ingredients
6 bone-in skin-on chicken thighs
salt and pepper, to taste
1-2 Tbsp. olive oil
1 small onion, diced
4 garlic cloves, minced
2 carrots, peeled and diced
8 oz. white mushrooms, sliced
1 red bell pepper, diced
⅓ cup chicken broth
28 oz. can crushed tomatoes with basil
2 Tbsp. tomato paste
1 tsp. dried oregano
1 tsp. dried thyme
⅓ cup pitted kalamata olives
chopped parsley, for garnish
Instructions
Preheat oven to 375 degrees.
Season both sides of the chicken with salt and pepper.
Heat a cast iron pan over medium high heat and add in the olive oil.
Increase the heat to medium and add in the chicken thighs. Fry until the outside of the chicken is cooked. Add the chicken to the pan, skin side down, and sear until golden brown. Flip the chicken over and sear on the other side. Remove the chicken from the pan.
Lower the heat to medium then add in the onion. Saute until translucent then add in the garlic. Cook until fragrant, about 30 seconds.
Add the bell pepper, carrots, and mushrooms to the pan. Cook for 5 minutes until the vegetables are tender.
Nestle the chicken into the pan then add in the crushed tomatoes, tomato paste, and chicken broth. Season with salt, pepper, oregano, and thyme. Mix until the ingredients are well combined.
Allow the sauce to start bubbling and cook uncovered for 5 minutes. Transfer to the oven and bake for 45 minutes, until the sauce has reduced and the chicken is tender.
Stir in the olives and garnish with parsley. Enjoy!
For other dinner dishes, check out some of our favorites:
Recent Comments