Sloppy Joes With Salad.

Oh, my dear Sloppy Joe. It has been far too long since you have graced my table!

Sloppy Joes are a great go-to meal when I want something hearty, yet easy to make. Soy ground "beef" mixed with sauce, mushrooms, and onions, ladled over a nice potato roll -- it's a winner every time! Paired with a fresh green salad with crisp butter lettuce and splurge-worthy grape tomatoes (they really were worth the $5.99 per carton -- you can't be a bare-bones recessionista ALL the time!), it makes a meal that can't be beat.

Also, since we were just discussing the Crock-Pot yesterday, I'll add that sometimes I will put my Sloppy Joe mix in the slow cooker for the day, returning home to a fragrant house that instantly sets my tummy to rumbling. But though tonight was not one of those nights, I don't think either of us minded the quick-cook nature of this meal. It turned out great -- and LeeLee has leftovers ready for tomorrow!

The stats:

Ground “beef”: $4.69 ($2.35/person)
Pizza sauce: $1.85 ($0.93/person)
Onion: $0.25 ($0.13/person)
Mushrooms: $1.75 ($0.88/person)
Hamburger buns: $1.89/eight buns ($0.24/person)
Lettuce: $3.49 ($1.75/person)
Cherry tomatoes: $5.99/carton ($1.50/person)

GRAND TOTAL: $19.91 … or $7.78 per person.

BUT WAIT! There was enough Joe left over for one additional serving, so the per-person price goes down even more.

:)