Skinny Joes

One of my favorite places to get ideas or find a new recipe to try is Skinny Taste - a great blog of wonderful recipes, and lets be honest reinventing the wheel isn't always a great option, so tonight I am refining the wheel so to speak on one of Skinny Taste's recipes - Skinny Sloppy Joes. Mainly I am eliminating the mushrooms because I'm not a fan of them and decreasing the amount of beef (to what I have on hand!). I love this and for an extra punch I added some red pepper flakes which really helps to provide a zing to the sauce, but if you don't like heat you don't need it for a great meal. The veggies are a great addition because they really bulk up the meal and provide great flavor without being over powering. If you have picky kids they probably wouldn't even notice them!

Skinny Joes: Serves 4

1lb Ground Beef (I am using 93% Lean)
1TB Steak Seasoning or Seasoned Salt (I am using a 50/50 mix Montreal Steak & Crazy Jane Salt Mix)
1 Carrot - Shredded (approx 1/4C)
1 Onion - Minced (approx 1/2C)
2 Garlic Cloves - Minced
1/4C Bell Pepper - Minced
1TB Red Wine Vinegar
1TB Worcestershire Sauce
2C Tomato Sauce
2TB Tomato Paste
1/8-1/4tsp Red Pepper Flakes

In a large saute pan brown the beef with the seasoning mix, drain and return to the pan, add the vegetables with the red wine vinegar and Worcestershire sauce and let it cook for 5-6 minutes. Add the remaining ingredients and cook at a low simmer for an additional 5-6 minutes to let all the flavors combine together.

I decided to serve this over a nice slice of Italian bread, you can serve with your favorite roll, in a wrap, over a bed of greens, etc. Enjoy this childhood favorite with no guilt! Thanks Gina for a great recipe.

Freezing Tip: If you want to make this in bulk or you don't want left overs right away you can freeze this by letting it cool down in the fridge, then scoop it into a ziplock bag, lay the bag flat on a counter and push out all air and seal. This will help prevent freezer burn which often happens when you have air in your container. This tip also works well with soups!

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WW: 4 Points Plus / serving (not including bread)