Recipes

DIY: Homemade Sloppy Joe Seasoning Mix

April 19, 2012 By Sylvia 5 Comments

Sloppy Joes ….. I always think of the old TV program, Family Affair, where the butler Mr. French, decried the use of the word sloppy and the abbreviated name Joe. So he renamed the children’s favorite dinner and christened it, Messy Samuels.

I remember telling that story to my two oldest sons when they were small. Now the story always has a little mileage here because we have a fourth child name Samuel. And yes, he has his share of messy moments.

Sloppy Joes ( Or Messy Samuels, take your pick).

2 tablespoons dried onion OR use 2 T Onion powder
2 T Paprika
1 tsp Garlic powder
1 tsp Chili powder (chipotle chili powder is good in this)
1 tsp dried Marjoram
1 tsp dry mustard
1 tsp salt
1/2 tsp Black pepper
1/4 tsp celery seed

Combine all of the ingredients in a small glass or plastic jar with a tight fitting lid. Label and store in your pantry shelf until needed.

This makes one recipe of sloppy joes using 1 pound of ground meat, so increase the amount you make, double, triple or even more, to store and use. If you make a ton of it, you’ll need to use 1/3 cup of mix per pound of ground meat.

Here’s how to use it:

1 pound regular ground beef, cooked,drained and rinsed in hot water.
1/3 cup or one recipe Sloppy Joe Seasoning Mix
1 cup tomato ketchup (some people use tomato sauce but trust me ketchup is better. If you do use tomato sauce, you’ll need to use some cornstarch to thicken the end product)
1/2 cup water
1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce

Messy Samuel

Cook the ground beef in a skillet. Use a wooden spoon to break it up into small bits as it cooks.

When it’s done with no pink showing at all, drain off the fat. Next, pour the drained ground meat in to a colander and rinse it in the sink with very hot water. Drain off all the water.

Rinse out your skillet and return it to the stove, add the rinsed, drained meat to the skillet.

Add 1/3 cup of the seasoning mix to the meat along with the ketchup. Cook and stir until thickened. Allow the meat and seasonings to simmer for about 10 minutes. If you think its too thick you can think it carefully with a little water.

Serve hot over buns or mashed potatoes.

Filed Under: Cooking School, Recipes

DIY Taco Seasoning

April 5, 2012 By Sylvia 4 Comments

Hello everyone, I hope you’re doing well and having a good day. I’m sort of having a vacation week since the children are having Spring Break. I’m busy though working on a few projects including baking for our Easter missions orders. My youngest son Sam is earning money for his missions trip this year. I took orders for lots of pies, cakes and rolls. We’re in the planning stage today but tomorrow I’ll start making pie crusts.

I thought I’d share my recipe for taco seasoning. I learned it many, many years ago from a Christian women’s magazine called Gentle Spirit.

Making your own seasonings can be a great way to save money, but mostly, its a way to make sure of what the ingredients are in your food and keep your food chemical free.

Taco seasoning is one of those things that most people pick up at the store and never think to do otherwise. Its so crazy easy to make it at home. AND… if you add cornstarch to your mix, you can use it exactly like the store-bought variety that you add to a pound of ground beef and water.

1/4 cup chili powder

1 1/2 tsp onion powder

1 1/2 tsp garlic powder

1 1/2 tsp cumin

1 1/2 oregano

1/2 tsp paprika

1 tsp salt

1 tsp pepper

1 tsp cornstarch (optional, but it will make your sauce thicker)

Mix all the ingredients above in a small bowl. Keep fresh in an air tight container for up to 6 months.

Double or triple recipe as needed.

To use: substitute 2 rounded Tablespoons for 1 packet of taco seasoning.