This post brought to you by Manwich. All opinions are 100% mine.
It’s that time of year when the kids are going back to school and the excitement and hustle and bustle of another school year kicks into high gear. For parents, it means school supply shopping, a little sadness for some of trading a more relaxed summertime schedule for settling into a good routine, and the challenge of planning for some quick and easy meals that everyone will eat on those days when the schedule is bursting with after-school activities, followed by homework and trying to get everyone fed and into bed on time!
Being asked to sample Manwich sloppy joe mixes recently took me back in time to my childhood when my mom was juggling all of these parenting responsibilities. Sloppy joes were a regular part of our supper menu. I always liked them, and so really, they are a bit of a comfort food for me!
Thought it would be fun to make some food art out of my sloppy joe shot!
We are not able to eat them regularly in our home because of our son’s food sensitivity to amines. Tomato paste is pretty high in amines and too much of them really aggravate his eczema. We discussed this topic of food sensitivity and allergy some in our weekly Blog Talk Radio program, Foodie Talk with Chef John and Anne, a few weeks ago. You can listen to that show, Are Healthy Foods Really Healhty for You, here.
So having an opportunity to eat sloppy joes again was a treat for me. The Chef also had sloppy joes regularly growing up, so he enjoyed it as well. We were asked to sample three different flavors: original, thick and chunky, and bold.
I had only used the original before but The Chef had also eaten sloppy joes with the bold flavor. My palate is not as experienced as his in isolating various flavor elements… he is really good at this. I honestly could not tell much difference between the original and the thick and chunky. His “verdict” was that the original is slightly sweeter.
We both agreed that you get a stronger flavor with the bold from the higher amount of vinegar in it. The Chef preferred this flavor over the others. I decided on the thick and chunky as my favorite. I also gave The Well-Fed Daughter a sandwich with the thick and chunky flavor, and she really liked it as well. The Well-Fed Son was able to taste a bite of it, and he loved it. He would eat tomatoes every day if he could!
So as you are getting back into the school-year routine, pick up a few cans of Manwich to have on hand for some sloppy joes, or you can find tons of other delicious Manwich Recipes at Manwich.com, on those days when you need something you can quickly throw together that your whole family will love!
Also check out the Manwich TV Ads for a cute video of a father using Manwich to encourage better communication with his son.
A few more quick and easy delicious school night meal ideas:
If you have a picky eater, check out our Kindle eBook, What to Cook for Dinner for Picky Eaters for many more ideas!
What about you? What’s your favorite Manwich flavor? Or your favorite quick and easy school night meal? Leave your answer in the comments and here’s to an amazing 2013-2014 school year!
About the Author
Adopted at age 2, grew up in the Charlotte, NC area. Obtained Bachelor of Arts degree in Psychology from Appalachian State University. Loves being a Mom of two and taste-testing Chef John's culinary creations and sharing them with readers.
We just picked some of this up today, my oldest starts back to school next week and chose this meal. The sloppier the better in my house of 3 boys. We live in NC now and I think it’s a great place for kids to grow up
Yes, I think so, too Tanya!
And you make a good point about boys and Sloppy Joes. Love that your son chose this meal… until I wrote this post I had not necessarily thought of it as a comfort food but I would definitely say it is. Thanks so much for sharing.