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Homemade Sloppy Joes with Fresh Tomato Sauce
Rachel Kim

Freezer Beef and Lentil Sloppy Joe Meat

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Prep Time 20 minutes
Cook Time 40 minutes
Total Time 1 hour
Servings: 6
Ingredients Method

Ingredients
  

  • 1 lb 90% lean ground beef
  • 1/2 cup dry brown lentils rinsed
  • 2 cups water for lentils
  • 1 small yellow onion finely diced
  • 1/2 cup finely diced green bell pepper
  • 1 cup tomato sauce
  • 1/3 cup ketchup
  • 1 tbsp packed brown sugar
  • 1 tbsp prepared yellow mustard
  • 1 tbsp apple cider vinegar
  • 1 tsp Worcestershire sauce
  • 3/4 tsp fine salt
  • 1/4 tsp black pepper
  • 6 hamburger buns
  • 1/4 cup water reserved for reheating

Method
 

  1. Boil lentils and 2 cups water in small saucepan. Reduce heat; simmer 25 to 30 minutes until tender. Drain excess water.
  2. Brown beef, onion, and bell pepper in skillet over medium-high 8 to 10 minutes, breaking up meat, to 160°F. Drain excess fat.
  3. Add cooked lentils, tomato sauce, ketchup, sugar, mustard, vinegar, Worcestershire, salt, and pepper. Simmer 10 minutes until filling softly mounds on spoon.
  4. Divide cooked filling among 6 shallow containers; refrigerate within 2 hours and chill fully. Seal, label, and freeze up to 2 months; keep buns separate.
  5. Thaw overnight in refrigerator. Reheat covered in skillet over medium-low 8 to 12 minutes to 165°F, adding reserved water as needed.
  6. Lightly toast buns in dry skillet; fill each with one portion hot filling.