WFMW - Entertaining with Sloppy Joes

I am here to announce that I have found my signature "having people over" recipe. You know, the go-to recipe. The one that everyone likes and is easy to make. The one that I can practically recite from memory.

Drum roll please... It is this sloppy joe recipe from Rachael Ray.

(Thank you Sara for being the one to introduce me.)

You might be thinking, "Um... Sloppy Joes? Really? This is your go-to recipe?"

Yep.

I have made this recipe several times now and the three times I've made it for company it got rave reviews. In fact, I heard from a reliable source that a certain red-headed brother-in-law of mine had four sloppy joes the time I made it for my family.

What makes this recipe so special?

I'm glad you asked! First, it's delicious. It's a grown-up version of sloppy joes and is so much better than using a canned sauce.

Second, I can make it ahead of time and then reheat it just before serving it.

Third, it is very unpretentious and is a kid-friendly dish. Almost everyone can appreciate a good sloppy joe*. And for the stage of life that we're in, we have many years in our future where we'll need to have kid-friendly meals if we're going to have people over.

(*Side note: the recipe calls for a red bell pepper and an onion, which some people might not appreciate. I'm sure you can leave these out and it will still taste yummy. The last time I made them I left the onion out but kept the pepper in, and one of our guests, who isn't incredibly fond of peppers, asked what kind of tomatoes they were. :-) He was surprised to learn that he was eating peppers.)

Fourth, it's easy to find simple sides to go with it. French fries, chips, potato salad, and veggies with dip are all things that go great with this.

I also have to mention that these fruit bars from The Pioneer Woman make a great dessert to finish off the sloppy joe meal.

And another thing I have to mention is that if you struggle with having people over because you feel like everything has to be perfect, you must read this post by The Queen B. I've been trying to work on this and her post was a great encouragement.

Head over to Rocks in my Dryer for more Works for Me Wednesday ideas!