Sloppy Joes and Kaiser Rolls

Some things are guaranteed in my little corner of the world. For example, every Sunday night I will cook part of a boneless turkey breast. Sunday through Thursday, a large chunk of meat (3 to 6 pounds, depending upon that day's population), a starch, two veggies (one of which must be green), bread and dessert will leave my kitchen and head for the table. Friday and Saturday night are supposed to be my nights off. Honestly, it was part of our marraige vows that I didn't have to cook on weekends. Now, that hasn't held true consistently since 1993, and not at all in this decade, but I still consider those my "nights off", and will only grudgingly cook pasta or stew or something similar.

So, Saturday night, in the midst of the snow irritating me, I decided I wanted Sloppy Joes. I have never cooked these since the day we were married. Ryan recognized them, having seen them in school lunches that other children ate before we took up homeschooling, but Patrick was dubious. Nonetheless, everyone declared these wonderful.

First, for the rolls...

KAISER ROLLS (Sort of?)

1-1/2 cups water
6 tsp yeast
4 cups flour
1-1/2 tsp sugar
2 tsp salt
4 tsp gluten
2 tbsp vegetable oil

Sprinkle the yeast on the water, and add the other ingredients according to my earlier posted directions, OR just mix it up in your bread machine and shut it off after the first kneading. Let the dough rise 15 minutes, then dump it on a liberally floured surface (but not a granite countertop - it's too cold for bread dough). Form into 8 circles, squished down pretty hard, on a greased baking tray. Let them rise until doubled in size, then bake at 375F for 18 to 20 minutes, until the desired degree of brown is reached on the outside surface. Dust the flour off the tops and they're ready for Sloppy Joes or any other magnificent sandwich
SLOPPY JOES

2 pounds ground beef
2 minced onions
1 tsp salt
2 tsp garlic powder
2 tsp chili powder
4 chopped tomatoes
2 tbsp tomato paste
1/4 cup quick cooking oats

Brown up the ground beef with the onions until cooked through, and drain. Add the spices and stir well, then stir in the tomatoes and paste. Let it simmer about 5 minutes, to let the tomatoes soften, then stir in the oats to thicken the sauce. Cook a couple of minutes longer, and serve on big, soft rolls with plenty of napkins.

Patrick explained that it's a good thing he had seen chili dogs while at college, and the first time he saw one, he asked the guy why someone had barfed on his hot dog. His reaction to this might have been the same had he not had these experiences. I guess the fact that he had never seen a chili dog prior to college also tells you something about my cooking style.

And, for the record, I ate my Sloppy Joe open faced, with a fork and knife, and saved half of my roll for Thor. He was grateful to eat something other than Bites & Bones.