Sloppy Hearts

I decided to make Sloppy Joe's on Valentine's Day. Yes, I used to celebrate Valentine's Day with my husband over a filet mignon (just the two of us). However, things have changed and while my oldest son is a pretty good eater and not too picky, I do try to create dinners he will love as well. Although I must say, he would have been just as ecstatic over a great cut of beef. My son is 5 and a carnivore just like us:).


Instead of making burger buns for this event, I decided to make it more like a casserole and add biscuits on top - heart shaped ones, of course! I only wish I had taken a picture of the dish as it came out of the oven so you could see the hearts. Of course, you can use a regular biscuit cutter or any shape you like. We didn't eat it all the first night and I was skeptical about how well it would fare overnight. I almost took the biscuits off the top so they wouldn't get soggy. But, being the lazy-bones that I am at times, I decided to put the lid back on the casserole dish and put in the fridge. To my delight, the biscuits didn't get soggy and it reheated great. In fact, I think it was one of those dinners that tasted better the second night.

Below is a basic recipe for making a Sloppy Joe mix and Carol Fenster's Buttermilk Biscuit Recipe. If you never make Sloppy Joe's with the biscuits, at least try her recipe for them. I used to think a good biscuit recipe was a bit like the Holy Grail. These are hands down the best I've ever eaten (GF, that is!).


By the way, I would have taken a picture of the entire casserole when it came out of the oven, but we had already carved our way through half of it when it occurred to me, "Hey, this would make a good post!" So, I scooped one heart out of the pan and took this shot.

Happy Eating!
Debbie


Sloppy Joe Mix
Dice 1 onion and cook with 2 pounds of ground beef
Add 1 clove garlic and cook a few minutes more
Mix the following and then add to the above:
1 1/2 cups ketchup and 1/2 cup barbecue sauce (or just 2 cups ketchup)
1 Tablespoon brown sugar
2 Tablespoons cider or red vinegar
2 tablespoons prepared mustard
1 teaspoon Italian seasoning
1 teaspoon onion powder
1/2 teaspoon pepper

Cook until warmed through.
Spoon mixture in the bottom of a 2 quart casserole dish and top with a generous amount of cheese. I think I used about 2 cups of a colby/jack mixture.

Here is Carol Fenster's Buttermilk Biscuit Recipe:
White rice flour for dusting and rolling
3/4 cup Carol's Sorghum Blend (1 1/2 cups sorghum, 1 1/2 cups potato or cornstarch, 1 cup tapioca starch)
3/4 cup potato starch
4 teaspoons sugar
1 Tablespoon baking powder
1 teaspoon xanthan gum
1 teaspoon guar gum (You don't need both of these gums but she claims it works better like this)
1/2 teaspooon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 cup shortning
1 cup buttermilk
2 tablespoons milk (for brushing tops if making just the biscuits to eat without the sloppy joe mix)

Mix dry ingredients, cut in shortening and then add buttermilk. Dough is very soft. Use plenty of rice flour to dust counter top or block. Turn dough out and pat down into 1 inch thick. Cut with cookie cutters or biscuit cutters. I used a heart shaped cutter (about 2 1/2 inches wide).

After cutting out the biscuits into heart shapes, I laid them on top of the cheese, distributing them across the top of the dish. I baked them at 350 degrees for about 15 minutes. (After the first few minutes, I brushed the tops with melted butter.) The sloppy joe mix was bubbling up from underneath after 15 minutes, and I was concerned that the biscuits would get soggy before they cooked all the way. I turned up the heat to 400 degrees and baked them for another 5 minutes. That did the trick! Scoop out of the pan with a heart biscuit on top and enjoy

If you are just making the biscuits then follow these directions after cutting out your biscuits:

Place the cut out biscuits on a nonstick baking sheet and placed in a 375 degree preheated oven for about 15 minutes. Brush the tops with milk before placing in oven.