Weeknight Eats - Cornbread Sloppy Joes

I know I've taken more than a couple of cheap shots at Rachael Ray, Sandra Lee and the new generation of convenience chefs at the Food Network. Usually my angst comes in waves, and I get all hussy about the state of cooking in the world. That's why I always try to recall culinary motto #1:

I don't ever want to get so good at cooking that I don't enjoy hot dogs anymore.

I've been dangerously close to violating this rule recently, what with my fancy-pants gnocchi and oh-so Emerilized red beans and rice. Truth is that if it weren't for the "easy meals" shown on TV, most people would never cook or eat a home made dinner with their families. And that's just sad.

So I'd like to present a staple meal in the Conway household - cornbread sloppy joes. The idea comes from Jenny's college roommate. Simply put, it's a batch of sloppy joes baked with a layer of cornbread on top. This meal is a perfect wintertime comfort food - tangy meat and sweet southern-style cornbread. I ask Jenny to make it for me all the time.

Jenny has the magic touch with sloppy joes. Her secret to is to undercook the meat before seasoning. If the ground beef is overcooked, it'll turn rubbery by the time it's done and nobody wants that.

This is perfect. The ground beef is just shy of done, with little bits of pink throughout.

Now would be the time to add the ketchup, mustard, salt and pepper. If you really want to get fancy, here's the opportunity to add some cumin, tabasco, chipotles, lobster, etc. (although Jenny never does and I've never complained). Jenny also never measures the ketchup and mustard. Like I said, she's got the magic touch.

Now you could whip up some awesome cornbread from scratch, but why bother? You just got home from work, the kids are screaming and you're hungry. Also, Jiffy makes darn good cornbread and it's cheap.

This recipe isn't glamorous, but it's fast and uber-tasty. And when served with some nuked frozen vegetables and a salad, it's a great meal with plenty of leftovers for tomorrow's lunch.

Lani's Cornbread Sloppy Joes

1 1/2 lb. Extra Lean Ground Beef (93/7)
1/2 med. Onion, diced
1/2 cup + 2 tablespoons Ketchup
2 tablespoons Mustard
1 box Jiffy Cornbread batter, prepared
Salt and Pepper, to taste

Preheat oven to 400°.

In a non-stick skillet sprayed with cooking spray, sauté the onion until softened. Add the ground beef and cook until mostly not pink (see picture, above). Add ketchup and mustard and stir until combined. Taste, and add ketchup and mustard as necessary. Season with salt and pepper. Cook for an additional 3-5 minutes and remove from heat. Transfer to a 8" square baking pan.

Prepare cornbread mix per package directions and spread evenly over top of sloppy joes. Bake in an oven until the cornbread passes the toothpick test.

Makes 6 servings, 8 points per serving.