Winter sports are in full swing and that means hungry kids, hungry parents, and lots of rushing around! It’s hard to keep up with it all, and there are many days when I wish a magical fairy would come flying in and dinner would just appear on our table. It’s a big responsibility keeping your family fed, and when you add high school sports into your family’s schedule let me just say, it can be intense. Fortunately, our elementary and junior high aged sons are done with their winter sports seasons already. Boy, was that fun to juggle during the holiday season with a 3-year-old in tow! It took a lot of planning out meals in advance on the nights we bounced from one match to another practice and then back to another school for pick up.
With some of that behind us for the time being, it’s nice to have just one sports schedule to manage. Even so, it is a very demanding schedule for our oldest son and many days, it requires that I pack him lunch and dinner before school while making sure he gets enough breakfast. It takes a lot of work to feed he and his brothers, and yes-there are days when I don’t feel like I have any energy left to make a meal and the last thing I want is to start the prepping, cooking, and dishes process!
This post is sponsored by the Washington State Beef Commission.
Despite sometimes lacking the motivation and energy, as a mother, I love being able to provide meals for my family. Not only do they need nutritious and filling foods, but parents do, too! How else are we going to keep up with everything we’re trying to manage? If we aren’t sustaining ourselves with nourishing foods, how can we find the energy to nourish our kids? Especially those kids competing in school sports! They operate at a pretty extreme level and it’s a huge commitment, so when I know I have a hearty and satisfying meal to keep myself and my boys going, it’s a massive relief and worth every bit of time.
These Sloppy Joes 5 Ways are a great one to add to your sports-filled, schedule-packed nights! I love classic sloppy joes, but all the different options in this recipe are nice so you aren’t stuck with the same options every week. It keeps things interesting and thanks to the lean ground beef, gives you a very protein rich meal to satisfy hunger for longer. I also love that there is 60% of your daily value of zinc in this recipe which supports a healthy immune system. With Southwest, Asian, Hawaiian, and Moroccan variations, you’re sure to find your family’s next favorite recipe!
Sloppy Joes 5 Ways
(This recipe serves 4 but I double it for our family of 6)
Ingredients:
Traditional recipe:
- 1 pound Ground Beef (93% lean or leaner)
- 1 cup finely chopped yellow onion
- 1 cup finely chopped green, red or yellow bell pepper
- 1 can (15 ounces) no salt added tomato sauce
- 2 tablespoons brown sugar
- 2 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce
- 4 hamburger buns, split, warmed
Toppings (optional):
Dill pickle slices, coleslaw, cheddar or pepper jack cheese slices
Directions:
1. Heat large nonstick skillet over medium heat until hot. Add Ground Beef, onion and bell pepper; cook 8 to 10 minutes, breaking beef into small crumbles and stirring occasionally. Pour off drippings, as necessary.
- Cook’s Tip: Cooking times are for fresh or thoroughly thawed ground beef. Ground beef should be cooked to an internal temperature of 160°F. Color is not a reliable indicator of ground beef doneness.
2. Stir in tomato sauce, brown sugar and Worcestershire sauce. Bring to a boil and cook 5 to 7 minutes or until sauce is thickened, stirring occasionally. Season with salt, as desired.
- Cook’s Tip: Two cans (8 ounces each) tomato sauce may be substituted for 1 can (15 ounces) no salt added tomato sauce.
3. Divide beef mixture evenly onto rolls. Garnish with toppings, if desired.
Southwest Variation:
Prepare recipe as directed above, substituting 2 cups salsa for tomato sauce and omitting Worcestershire sauce and brown sugar. Add 1/2 cup drained canned black beans and 1/2 cup frozen corn with ingredients in step 2. Serve in warmed taco shells. Garnish with shredded lettuce, chopped tomato, shredded pepper-Jack cheese, chopped avocado, pickled or fresh jalapeño slices and chopped cilantro, if desired.
Hawaiian Variation:
Prepare recipe as directed above, substituting 1/2 cup sweet barbecue sauce for tomato sauce and omitting Worcestershire sauce. Add 1 undrained can (8 ounces) crushed pineapple in juice with ingredients in step 2. Serve in small sweet Hawaiian honey wheat dinners rolls. Garnish with dill or sweet pickle slices or pickled jalapeño slices, if desired.
Moroccan Variation:
Prepare recipe as directed above, omitting Worcestershire sauce. Add 1/2 cup raisins, 2 teaspoons pumpkin pie spice and 1 teaspoon ground cumin with ingredients in step 2. Remove from heat and stir in 1 tablespoon nonfat Greek yogurt. Serve in naan or pita pocket breads. Garnish with cucumber slices, nonfat Greek yogurt and chopped pistachios, if desired.
Asian Variation:
Prepare recipe as directed above, adding 1 tablespoon ground ginger with ingredients in step 1. Substitute 2 tablespoons hoisin for Worcestershire sauce. Serve in warm crusty rolls. Garnish with cucumber slices, shredded carrot and chopped cilantro or chopped green onion, if desired.
Whether you’re eating dinner at 4 pm to get everyone where they need to be, or your teenager isn’t getting home from a match until 10:30 pm on a weeknight in desperate need of supper, these hefty sandwiches will be just the savory and comforting meal you’re looking for! Moms, you are super-heroes. Yes, these are just meals, but pouring your time, love, and effort into these kids is no small thing.
It’s exhausting and our efforts sometimes go unnoticed, but I promise you – it matters. Try to remember that next time you’re wishing that magical fairy would come flying in to make dinner appear. Here’s to the long evenings sitting in bleachers, the smelly uniforms, the late-night carpools, and to the toddlers you’re trying to keep happy while you cheer on your big kids!
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Read more of Maria’s contributions to AllMomDoes here.
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