SLOPPY 'CHAD' SANDWICHES

SLOPPY 'CHAD' SANDWICHES

Want something easy to make, that the kids will love?  Don't we all!  

I'm the head chef here at Casa di Bertone, and can't tell you how many times my children complain about the food I set in front of them.  If my parenting was graded solely on their happiness at the dinner table, I would score a "You-Suck+"

So when it comes to dinner, I have to become somewhat inventive with the dishes I make.  I try my best to disguise the healthier foods so they can't just pick their way around them.  But beyond putting a mask on the veggies, we have to find a way to make them taste good to a child, because according to every TV show marketed towards children, veggies are GROSS.

So here's a recipe I came up with, on the fly, the other night, that scored big on my children's scale of Yummy.  It's got meat and veggies, wrapped up together into a great tasting, SLOPPY, sandwich.

INGREDIENTS:

• 1 lb Ground Chuck

  1 Small Red Onion

  1 Celery Stalk

  2 Carrots

  1/2 tsp. Diced Garlic (Approx. 1 Clove)

  1/2 Can Sweet Peas (Drained)

  6 tbsp. Dried Gravy Mix

  2 Cups Warm Water

  1 tbsp. Olive Oil

  1 tbsp. Unsalted Butter (optional)

  Salt & Pepper To Taste

  Fresh Rolls

  
  

  DIRECTIONS

  
  

  1.        Start by cutting up your vegetables

  
  

  a.       Dice up your small red onion

  
  

  b.      Dice up you celery stalk

  
  

  c.       I use already diced garlic in a jar, but you can dice your own

  
  

  d.      Shred / grate your carrot sticks.

  
  

                                                                 i.      Shredded carrots soften easier, as well as blend in better.

  
  

  2.        Heat up your skillet over medium heat, and add your olive oil.

  
  

  3.       Once the olive oil is hot, and coats the skillet, and your onion, celery and carrots.

  
  

  4.       Cook for about 2 to 3 minutes.

  
  

  5.       When the vegetables have started to soften, add the garlic.  Garlic burns easy, so I always wait until the other vegetables have started to soften before adding it.

  
  

  6.       Cook for another minute or two, stirring all the while.

  
  

  7.       Next, add in your pound of ground beef. 

  
  

  8.       Use your spatula to chop up the beef as it cooks to make sure you get a good mixture of meat and vegetables.

  
  

  9.       Once your beef is browned, and cooked all the way through, drain the fat from the pan.  I use a lid, leaving a very small gap at one edge, and tip the pan into my sink.

  
  

  10.   Return the pan to the stove, and add the 6 tbsp. Of gravy mix.  I purchase the stuff at a wholesaler like Sam’s Club, in large containers.  The directions usually call for 3 tbsp per cup of warm water.  You can also find the little pouches in the seasoning aisle at your grocery store.

  
  

  11.   Stir the powdered mix into your meat and veggies, making sure there are no large chunks, as well as making sure it’s evenly dispersed within your pan.

  
  

  12.   Slowly add the 2 cups of warm water, and stir.

  
  

  13.   Bring the mixture to an even simmer, and continue stirring.  The liquid will reduce to a thick gravy. 

  
  

  14.   Now add your ½ can of sweet peas, and season it all with some salt and fresh cracked black pepper.

  
  

  15.   Once it’s all settled and thickened to my liking, I like to stir in a tbsp. Of unsalted butter, just for the added creamy goodness that butter has.  This is optional.

  
  

  16.   Lastly, cut open your fresh rolls, ladle in a healthy portion, and dive in.