Since we are still getting to know each other, there are a couple of things you should know about me: I really am the world’s most impatient person and I L.O.V.E. good food. Sometimes, these traits are not well-balanced and my impatience outweighs the “good” part of good food and I end up choosing to “drive thru” places for dinner instead of just waiting a few extra minutes and making something really great at home.
With that in mind, I have been slowly developing an arsenal of super-fast, super-delicious dinners that I can have on the table in less time than it takes to say: would you like fries with that? Not only that, but most of these meals are way cheaper than any extra value meal and a bazillion times healthier.
The very best part? These meals are so good and so delicious that my kids actually prefer them to that “other” place. Honestly! In fact, last week, after a series of events that has us eating out for 72 hours straight, my darling baby girls said, “Mommy, I don’t want to go out for dinner tonight. I just want to eat YOUR food.” So, after a marathon weekend that left me wanting to pick up nothing more than a takeout menu, I instead picked up a can of lentils, a package of ground turkey, and remembered that a really good dinner really isn’t that big of a deal.
Honestly, all you need for this recipe is in the photo above. It really is that easy and inexpensive.
- Brown 1kg of extra lean ground beef until just a bit pink.
- Stir in one can of Campbell’s condensed tomato soup, ½ can lentils (rinsed and drained really well), 1/2 cup ketchup, 2 tbsp apple cider vinegar, 2 tbsp brown sugar, 1 tbsp yellow mustard, and 1 tsp cumin.
- Mix well & let simmer around 10 min on low, or until sauce and thickens.
- Serve on a hamburger bun topped with the world’s easiest coleslaw.
World’s easiest coleslaw
- In a small bowl, mix ½ cup mayo, 2 tbsp apple cider vinegar, 1 tsp sugar,
- Mix into 1 bag of coleslaw salad mix*, adding in 1 tbsp at a time. It gets really juicy the longer it sits, so add a little less than you think is enough.
- Add salt to taste, cover, and keep in the fridge until its time to serve.
How fantastic is that?
*as much as I hate pre-cut, pre-bagged salads, in this case it just way faster and cheaper to buy this mix without sacrificing taste…especially during winter when that “fresh” head of cabbages was shipped halfway around the world. Not as fresh as you’d think, huh?
Nathalie says
Hi Cayla,
Thanks for the recipe, I haven’t had sloppy Joes since when I was a teenager and that was a LONG time ago. Will definitely have to give this a try. If you are on the market for great tasting easy and cost effective ways to cook, you can check out Epicure Selections, it is a Canadian company and they have different things to help you save time and money in the kitchen.
Bon Appétit! (the last t is not pronounced)
Leslie says
This is my kind of meal and my kids will love it!
Carol says
Super simple recipe. Must give it a try!
Sara says
YUMMMMMMMMMMMMM. Totally trying this!
Tracey says
Fast meals are excellent – and so necessary for busy mums… yay!!