This recipe was an homage. When Pennsylvania finally declared Biden their choice for president, the world went crazy. He had enough votes to be declared our new president-elect. Even Kevin Bacon was pleased, confessing he was originally from Pennsylvania. He was going out to get himself a hoagie  .That sounded like a good idea to me!

My brain kicked in; Philadelphia cheesesteaks were one of my favorites! I had ground beef thawed to make pita pocket filling and I could modify it to include peppers. I’d salute Pennsylvania in my own modified-sloppy-joe kind of way for dinner!

In my stovetop capable slow cooker I added a drizzle of oil and a good 1/2 cup onion. I let it cook until it was turning translucent. You could use any kind of small pot, I just like my slow cooker for simmering purposes.

The diced peppers went in next. I’d cut up about 1 1/2 orange sweet bell peppers. I prefer them over green peppers but it’s actually all I had on hand. Choose you peppers to suit yourself.

When the peppers had sautéed for 3-4 minutes I added the ground beef. I used my star tool to break it into smaller and smaller chunks as it cooked. Do you have one? Man it’s handy!

I drained the grease off of the browned meat mixture and added a generous amount of salt and pepper. I also added garlic powder. I stirred and let it melt with the beef for several more minutes.

I added a cup of beef broth to the slow cooker and let it come to a bubble. I turned the heat down to low and put the lid on. It could simmer on the lowest heat setting for an hour or so.

Layer I turned the heat to medium high and let it bubble away again. I used my new fave way to thicken things, which I don’t have a name for. Melt a few tablespoons of butter and mix until smooth in an equal amount of flour in a small bowl. Stir into the bubbling mixture until it thickens. So easy!

I let the meat mixture cook for several minutes then taste tested. I added more salt and called it done,

My bread man/ hubby brings home pita pockets occasionally. I love to stuff them with imitation crab salad, chicken salad with grapes, etc. they’re good for whatever you have on hand for sandwiches. Sloppy joes were a good idea: less sloppy, Joe! Ok I’ll quit.

So I had round slices of provolone and they worked well when I cut them in half and slid two halves into each pita first. Then I ladled my Philly philling into the pitas. (Look at me still trying to be all phunny).

We gobbled these suckers. Oh my word were they delicious! So much like Philly cheesesteak but better. And not as sloppy as usual. Served with some cheesy smooshed potatoes (a separate post) we had a dream of a meal. We added a nicely chilled moscato to top off the celebration and were pleased. Skol to the next president and Vice President!

Note: after dinner my P.S. asked “hey, where was the Bacon?” Silly man, I swear he listens to half of what I say. (See first paragraph if you didn’t listen either!)

• Servings: 4-6
• Difficulty: easy
• Print

Sloppy Joes with Philly cheesesteak flavors!

• 2# ground beef
• 1/2 cup onion; chopped
• 1 cup sweet bell pepper; diced
• 1 teaspoon garlic powder
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
• 1 cup beef broth
• 3 tablespoons butter; melted
• 3 tablespoons flour
• Slices of provolone; halved
• Pita pockets; halved

Sauté the chopped onion in a drizzle of oil over medium high heat l it turns translucent. Add chopped peppers and sauté another 3-4 minutes.

Break up ground beef and add to pot or skillet. Break it up into smaller pieces as it browns. A star tool works great for this.

Drain off grease and add salt, pepper and garlic powder. Sauté for a couple of minutes more.

Add beef broth and bring to a bubble. Reduce heat to lowest and cover. Simmer for 30-60 minutes.

Melt the butter in a small bowl and stir in the flour l smooth.. Stir into meat mixture until thickened. Let cook for several minutes.

Taste test and add more salt as desired.

Serve hot in pitas or on buns with sliced provolone.