
By Claire Tansey
Sloppy Joes are easy, inexpensive, fast and loved by almost everyone.
Ingredients:
- 1 Tbsp (15 mL) canola oil
- 1 onion, finely chopped
- 2 stalks celery, finely chopped
- 1/2 tsp (2 mL) salt
- 3 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 lb (500 g) lean ground beef
- 24 oz (680 mL) jar tomato passata
- 19 oz (540 mL) can lentils, rinsed and drained
- 1 1/2 cups (375 mL) beef broth
- 5 1/2 oz (156 mL) can tomato paste
- 2 Tbsp (30 mL) brown sugar
- 2 Tbsp (30 mL) Worcestershire sauce
- 4 large buns, toasted
Directions:
- Heat the oil in a large non-stick frying pan over medium. Add the onion, celery and salt and cook, stirring often, until the vegetables soften, about 5 minutes. Add the garlic and cook another minute. Add the beef, increase the heat to high and cook with out stirring for 3 to 5 minutes, or until the beef becomes golden on the bottom. Stir well, breaking up the beef into little bits, then add the passata, lentils, beef broth, tomato paste and brown sugar.
- Bring to a boil, then reduce and simmer, stirring often, for 10 minutes or until the mixture thickens a bit. Stir in the Worcestershire sauce. Serve on toasted buns.
Serves 4.
Make it Ahead: Make the beef and lentil mixture, then cool completely and pack into a large freezer bag. Flatten the bag to remove the air. Freeze up to 2 months. To use, thaw overnight in the fridge, then simmer until piping hot.

Reprinted by permission.