BBQ Beef Sloppy Joe with Roasted Cajun Cauliflower

Ingredients

• 10 oz cauliflower florets
• 1 small bunch Italian parsley (Flat-leaf; leaves minced and stems discarded)
• 0.5 lb lean ground beef
• 4 whole grain buns or rolls
• barbecue sauce (Amount not specified in the source)
• black pepper (Amount not specified in the source)
• Cajun seasoning (Amount not specified in the source)
• extra virgin olive oil (For drizzling the cauliflower; amount not specified in the source)
• salt (Used for the cauliflower and beef; amount not specified in the source)

Steps

1. 1

   Preheat the oven to 450°F.

2. 2

   Place the cauliflower florets on a baking sheet pan. Drizzle with extra virgin olive oil, then sprinkle with Cajun seasoning and salt. Stir to coat the florets and spread them out in an even layer.

3. 3

   Place the baking sheet in the oven; it does not have to be fully heated. Roast the cauliflower, stirring halfway through, until golden and fork-tender, 20–25 minutes.

4. 4

   Meanwhile, preheat a large skillet over medium-high heat.

5. 5

   Once the skillet is hot, add the ground beef, salt, and black pepper. Cook, breaking the meat apart with a spoon, until browned and crumbly, 4–5 minutes.

6. 6

   Meanwhile, wash and dry the parsley. Shave the leaves off the stems, discard the stems, and mince the leaves. Set the minced parsley aside.

7. 7

   When the beef is done, add the barbecue sauce and stir to combine. Continue cooking until the sauce is heated through and slightly thickened, 1–2 minutes more.

8. 8

   Cover the skillet with a lid and remove it from the heat.

9. 9

   Toast the buns if desired.

10. 10

    When the cauliflower is done, remove it from the oven. Add the minced parsley and stir to combine.

11. 11

    Place the bottom half of each bun on a plate. Top with the barbecue beef, then close each sandwich with the top half of the bun. Serve the roasted cauliflower on the side.

Notes

The source does not specify the amount of barbecue sauce, oil, salt, pepper, or Cajun seasoning; add them according to taste and as needed for coating and seasoning. The oven may still be coming to temperature when the cauliflower goes in.

Nutrition per serving

• main
• American
• weeknight
• beef
• roasted
• sandwich
• whole grain
• high protein