Grilled Sloppy Pimento Joes

Sloppy Joes are an easy quick fix weekday meal. It's so tasty, so simple and so quintessentially American. We love our Sloppy Joes, I always have the ingredients on hand. Tonight, I wanted to do something a little different. I not only wanted a grilled sandwich but I wanted it to be a grilled cheese sandwich. Sharp Cheddar, Sharp White Cheddar, Blue Cheese all good choices. But I decided to go a more Southern route, Pimento Cheese.

At the moment I'm a little obsessed with pimento cheese. I can't believe how ridiculously good it taste! I know it's not the best for you, but everything in moderation. So for this deliciousness, I took my favorite bread, the undisputed King of Breads (at least in my house), Sourdough! Being a San Franciscan, sourdough is in my veins. I love it over any kind of bread. It's amazing!! I took these marvelous bread slices spread a generous amount of pimento cheese, add some sloppy joe, closed it up and grilled to buttery toasted nirvana! It is crazy good. You get the saltiness and ooey gooey of the cheese and the sweet/tangy/ messy part of the joe, and oh my goodness!!!! I was so happy!

I hope you do the happy dance after trying this grilled cheese!

Buen Provecho!


Grilled Sloppy Pimento Joes - 4 servings

Ingredients:

1lb ground beef
1/4 of a large onion, diced
1 garlic clove, grated
1 8oz can tomato sauce
1 cup beef broth
1/4 cup brown sugar, packed
1-2 Tbsp McCormick Steak Seasoning (or your favorite steak seasoning)
1-2 Tbsp Worcestershire Sauce
1-2 Tbsp Olive Oil
1/2 cup Pimento Cheese, use my recipe!
8 slices of Sourdough bread
1- 2 Tbsp melted butter for grilling
Salt n Pepper

Saute on medium heat onions and garlic until soft, 4-5 minutes

Crumble, add steak seasoning and salt. Cook until it looks like.....

....this, brown bits!

Add Worcestershire sauce and using a wooden spoon scrap the bottom of the pan to get the flavor bits.

Add 8oz can of tomato sauce and add salt, season to taste.

Use the tomato can to measure 8 oz of beef broth.

Add 1/4 cup packed brown sugar.

Stir until well blended. Lower heat and cover. Simmer for about 10 minutes until sauce thickens.

Meanwhile, butter all the bread, flip and slather pimento cheese on all the bread.

Add sloppy joe on one side and close with another piece.

Place on a preheated griddle and cook until golden brown.

Flip cook other side.

Let it stand for a minute then cut in half.

Ready to Eat!!!

Road Map:

1. Add oil to a medium heavy bottom pan on medium heat. Dice a quarter of an onion and place in hot pan, grate garlic, add salt & pepper and stir until onions are soft, 4-5 minutes.

2. Once onions are soft crumble in ground beef, add steak seasoning and salt. With a wooden spoon crumble beef and let it caramelize to beautiful brown bits. Add Worcestershire sauce and using a wooden spoon scrap the bottom of the pan to get the flavor bits.

3. Once beef is browned, add tomato sauce, beef broth & sugar. Stir until combined, lower heat and let it simmer for 5 minutes until mixture thickens. Check for seasoning. Add more salt or sugar if needed.

4. Place a griddle on medium heat. Brush melted butter to all 8 slices of bread. Turn over and slather pimento cheese on all 8 slices. Add about 1/4 cup or less of sloppy joe, close it with another bread, put on the grill.

5. Grill until golden, 2 - 4 minutes each side. Let it rest for about a minute & cut in half. Enjoy!!

Beignets

Beignets. What's better than a piece of fried dough doused in powered sugar? Nothing! I haven't have the pleasure to go visit the Big Easy, but I'm longing to go there. I want to visit the French Quarter, go to jazz clubs and do all the touristy things. But I especially want to eat, eat, eat and did I mention EAT! Until I get the chance to spend time in New Orleans I have to travel through its' food, hooray for Beignets.

Beignets are a yeast doughnut so time is essential. There are 2 proofing times so clear your morning.

Let's talk toppings! Traditional topping for beignets is powdered sugar, but I went a little Voodoo Doughnut in the toppings. Voodoo Doughnut is a bakery in Portland, Oregon known for unique toppings, like captain crunch cereal and bacon. I went the bacon route. I made a trio of beignets. One traditional, one with maple icing & bacon and one with Nutella. Beignets are wonderful blank canvas that allow the imagination to soar! Maybe next I'll make jelly beignets!!

Buen Provecho!!

 

Warm water (100-110F), packet of yeast & sugar

Let it active, about 5 minutes.

Once activated add lemon zest

.......grated nutmeg

..... a 3/4 tsp of salt

and 1 egg.

Pour yeast mixture into a bigger bowl, add milk and  half the flour.

Mix well.

Add softened butter.

Smash on the side of the bowl to help incorporate into the mixture.

Add  rest of the flour, mix until dough ball forms.

Start kneading.

knead with heel of hand.

Fold

push forward.

In about 5 minutes you get this!

Place in an oiled bowl and cover with plastic wrap. Put in a warm spot for 1 hr.

An hour later it's doubled in size.

This part is fun! Give it 1 good punch.

This redistributes the yeast.

Time to roll out!

Nice and long

about 1/2 inch thick

Cut off edges to get a nice rectangle.

I'm a nerd. I measured out 2 inches long...

And 2 inches wide.

Traditional beignet shape!

Place on a baking sheet lined with parchment for a 2nd rise. Rise for 30 minutes.

Ready to fry!

As they fry they puff up.

Nice and golden brown

Powdered Sugar

Nutella

Maple Bacon

Ready to eat!

Beignet - yields 20-25, depending on size

Ingredients:

1 1/4-ounce envelope active dry yeast
3/4 cup warm water, about 100-110ºF
1/4 cup granulated sugar
3/4 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon finely grated lemon zest
1/2 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg
1 large egg
1/2 cup whole milk
3 1/2 cups all-purpose flour, divided
2 tablespoons unsalted butter, softened
Oil fro frying

Toppings:

Powdered Sugar
Nutella
Bacon
Maple Icing- 1 cup powdered sugar, 1-2 drops maple extract & 1-2 tbsp milk. 

 Note: If you don't have a thermometer to test the oil, you can place a wooden spoon or chopstick into the oil. If bubbles rapidly form around the wooden spoon, your oil is ready.


Roadmap:

1.Mix the yeast, water, and sugar into a  bowl.  Let stand until foamy, about 5 minutes. Add the salt, lemon zest, nutmeg and egg, mix.

2.  Pour yeast mixture into a large bowl. Add milk and half the flour. Mix.

3. Add softened butter. Smash against side of bowl to help incorporate into mixture.

4. Add the remaining flour. Mix until dough forms.

5.  Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured surface. Knead by hand until dough is smooth, about 5 minutes.

6. Place dough in lightly oiled bowl, cover with plastic wrap, and let stand in a warm, draft-free spot until doubled in size, about 1 hour.

7. Once doubled, punch down dough. Remove dough from bowl on a lightly floured surface and rolled out to 1/2 inch thick. Cut out squares or desired shape. Place on a parchment lined baking sheet, spritz with Pam to prevent sticking and cover loosely with plastic wrap, for 30 minutes, allow them to rise a 2nd time.

8. . Heat oil to 350F. Fry the beignets in batches, rolling with a slotted spoon, until golden brown.  Remove with the slotted spoon and place on a plate lined with paper towels. Top as desired. Enjoy!

Freezer: These beignet can be frozen and thawed out later to fry. After you cut them into shapes, before the 2nd rise,  place them on a parchment lined baking sheet, spritz some Pam to prevent sticking, cover with plastic wrap. Place in freezer for about 1-2 hours or until completely frozen. Once frozen,  place in a labeled & dated freezer bag and store. To cook, thaw the beignets on a parchment lined baking sheet covered with plastic wrap for 1 hour, for the 2nd rise. Then fry as normal.