The Classic Sloppy Joe – Traybake Style

This rich Bolognese filling, baked in bread rolls with melted cheese, is a fun meal to serve to friends or family. Serve with fries and salad.

Calories per serving: 410

500g (1lb 2oz) lean minced beef (less than 5 per cent fat)

1 onion, finely chopped

low-calorie cooking spray

200g (7oz) tomato passata

2 tablespoons tomato pur e

1 teaspoon garlic granules

1 teaspoon paprika

1 teaspoon chilli flakes

1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce

2 teaspoons dried oregano

6 wholemeal bread rolls, sliced in half

125g (4 oz) Cheddar cheese, grated

100g (3 oz) mozzarella, torn

salt and pepper

1. Preheat the oven to 220 C/200 C fan (425 F), Gas Mark 7.

2. To make the Bolognese sauce, fry the minced beef and onion in low-calorie cooking spray in a large saucepan over a high heat for about 7 minutes until the beef has

browned all over.

3. Add the passata, tomato pur e, garlic granules, paprika, chilli flakes, Worcestershire sauce and half the oregano, stir, then leave to simmer for 20 minutes. This should end up being quite a dry sauce, to avoid soggy rolls. If it’s still a bit wet, increase the heat to high and give it a really good bubble to allow some of the liquid to evaporate.

4. When the meat sauce is nearly ready, layer the bottom half of the sliced bread rolls into the bottom of a casserole dish so they are all lying flat but neatly packed together, and put into the oven for 5 minutes to lightly toast them.

5. Remove the dish from the oven, sprinkle one-third of the Cheddar evenly over the toasted rolls, then spread the Bolognese sauce evenly over the top.

6. Sprinkle the rest of the Cheddar over the top of the Bolognese, then distribute the mozzarella evenly on top.

7. Add the top halves of the bread rolls and squash them down gently onto the cheese. Spray the tops of the rolls with cooking spray and sprinkle over the remaining oregano.

8. Bake on the middle shelf of the oven for 12 minutes until the cheese has melted and the tops of the rolls are toasted. 9. Use a spatula to separate each sloppy joe, then serve.

NOTE If you have Bolognese sauce already in the freezer, you can use it to make this meal even speedier.

This recipe is from The Slimming Foodie by Pip Payne