Crescent Sloppy Joes - with a LOT of liberty taken!!

Okay, WHO doesn't like Sloppy Joes?! They're AWESOME!  They get all gross and fall apart in your hands and they are scrumdidlyumptious! 

Cafeteria lady had the right idea! But as we become adults, the idea of all that meat slopping down our arms is a little less appealing.  HOWEVER, we should NOT deprive the next generation of the sloppiness!  So here's a grown-up version of a classic (which I had to modify due to the lack of the exact main ingredient!).

Original Blog Source: Ask Chefs

 Ingredients
1/2 pound lean (at least 80%) ground beef (I ended up using strips of pork ribs mixed with slices of pot roast - don't judge! It's what I had on hand!)
1/4 cup barbeque sauce (Sweet Baby Ray's for me)
1/4 cup shredded Cheddar cheese (I had a spicy taco cheddar blend that took it up a notch)
1 (8 ounce) can Pillsbury® refrigerated crescent dinner rolls or Pillsbury® Crescent Recipe Creations® refrigerated seamless dough sheet
1 egg, beaten
1 teaspoon sesame seeds

Directions
Heat oven to 375 degrees F. In 10-inch skillet, cook beef over medium heat, stirring frequently, until thoroughly cooked; drain. Stir in barbecue sauce; cook 1 to 2 minutes, stirring occasionally, until hot. Stir in cheese.
If using crescent rolls: Unroll dough; separate into 4 rectangles. Press each into 8x4-inch rectangle, firmly pressing perforations to seal. If using dough sheet: Unroll dough; cut into 4 rectangles. Press each into 8x4-inch rectangle. Cut each in half crosswise, making 8 squares.
Place about 2 rounded tablespoons beef mixture on center of each square. Fold dough over filling, forming triangles; press edges with fork to seal. With knife, cut small slits in tops for steam to escape. Place on ungreased cookie sheet. Brush with egg; sprinkle with sesame seed.
Bake 11 to 18 minutes or until golden brown. Immediately remove from cookie sheet. Serve warm.

  Okay, here are my notes:

- Andy said they would taste just as good with ground beef and to cut the strips thinner.

- Be sure to pull out the crescent rolls only when you're ready to actually assemble everything. The longer they sit out, the doughier the bottoms will be! They're still good, but not on crispy on the bottom.

- It would pair very well with a Caesar salad!

This was an immediate positive response from the hubby, so it'll be a repeat!

AMENDMENT: Andy said they were even better for breakfast an recommended trying chorizo and egg as the filler. OH MY! I think I've created a monster!

Recipes! Yum!

I have decided to start including my recipe exploits in my blog!

Andy and I love food (as is evidenced in both our waistlines!) and we frequently experiment with recipes from Pintrest, other friends, and our imaginations!  So I will be posting the recipes from the original sites and then adding my modifications or additions (in red) as I deem necessary based on our tastes. So here's #1!

TWO TIMIN’ PASTA BAKE
 Blog Source: Pearls, Handcuffs and Happy Hour

1 box penne pasta

1 (15 oz.) jar Alfredo sauce (any alfredo will do!)

1 (24oz.) jar Marinara sauce (I used one with a spinach base...yum!)

2 cups shredded mozzarella cheese

1 cup shredded Parmesan cheese (Pecorrino Romano for us1)

Cook pasta according to directions and drain.  Mix the sauces together in a large bowl.

Add the mozzarella and stir to combine.  Then toss in the penne and toss to coat.

Pour pasta into 9x13 baking dish (I added 3/4 of a Hillshire Farms Kielbasa link, sliced, on top) and cook on 350 for 20-25 minutes or until bubbly.  Remove from oven and sprinkle with shredded parmesan cheese and bake for another 5 minutes. 

SO yum!!!   If you’re looking for an easy weeknight dinner that’s full of flavor, then this is it!!!!

Andy LOVED this recipe and it reheated with a better flavor the next day! This really was a simple recipe and took very little effort to prep.  It will be a staple when we have kids of our own! 

Happy cooking!