Tonight's Dinner: Beef and mushroom sloppy joes

Sloppy joes are always a family favorite. From the rich tomato sauce to the delicious ground beef, young and old alike can't seem to get enough. So since the sloppy dinner choice is such a big hit, why not throw in a vegetable that isn't a typical kid fave. That vegetable (or rather fungi) is mushrooms. While I love almost every kind of mushroom there is, kids don't seem quite as willing to pop the little button tops in their mouths. In fact most children, either because of the texture or flavor, seem to turn away at the sight of the delicious morsel. But mushrooms are very high in potassium and should be included in the child's (and adult's) diet.

This recipe from Cooking Light finds the perfect way to include the mushroom: Simply mince an eight-ounce package and stir them into the beef mixture. Since they'll be minced, sauteed and smothered in tomato paste, the kids won't even know the mushrooms are there and will happily gobble up those sloppy joes faster than you can say "eat your veggies." The fact that these joes only take about 30 minutes to cook makes them an ideal choice on those evenings when you're running behind.

Beef and mushroom sloppy joes

Ingredients:

• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 1 pound ground beef
• 1 (8 ounce) package of presliced mushrooms
• 3 shallots, chopped
• 3 garlic cloves, minced
• 1 (6 ounce) can tomato paste
• 1 tablespoon oregano
• 2 tablespoons red wine vinegar
• 2 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce
• 2 tablespoons molasses
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1 teaspoon ground black pepper
• 4 hamburger buns, toasted

Directions:

1. Heat the oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the beef and cook until no longer pink, about four minutes.
2. While the beef cooks, place the mushrooms in a food processor and pulse until finely chopped. Add the mushrooms, shallots and garlic to the pan and cook for three minutes or until shallots are tender.
3. Stir in the tomato paste, oregano, vinegar, Worcestershire sauce, molasses, salt and pepper and cook for five minutes or until the mushrooms are tender. Spoon about one cup of the beef mixture on the bottom half of each bun and top with the top halves of the buns and serve.

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