Beer Food

Sometimes The Husband and I feel like eating beer food so we head off to some local dive bar in town in search of the kind of food that goes well with a cold draft beer. You know what I mean. Onion rings, nachos, greasy hamburgers, 1000 island dressing drippy Reubens....all consumed in a dark, use to be smokey(thank you Oregonians for passing the no smoking in bars law effective 1/1/09) establishment where the voices of the patrons are a bit too loud and the decor well worn. None of the food offered has any nutritional value to speak of but it so hits the spot at times.

Today I decided to create my own beer food for dinner and opted for an all time favorite, potato skins along with Sloppy Joes. Let it be known that I have never consumed a sloppy joe in a bar but it just seems to me to be the type of food that should be served in such places. Below are my renditions.Sloppy Joes

1 medium onion finely chopped

1 clove of minced garlic

3/4 pounds of lean ground beef

1 10 oz. can of tomato puree

1/4 cup of catsup

2 Tbsp chili sauce (optional)

1/2 tsp mustard powder

1 Tbsp cider vinegar

Salt and pepper to taste

Toasted hamburger bunsBrown ground beef in a saute pan until cooked through. Drain any excess fat from pan. Add onions and garlic and cook with beef for 5-7 minutes. Add tomato puree, catsup, chili sauce, mustard powder, vinegar, salt and pepper and let simmer for 8-10 minutes. Serve over toasted buns. (Makes 4)

Potato Skins

4 medium Idaho baking potatoes

vegetable oil

salt and pepper

cheddar cheese, shredded

4 strips of cooked bacon, diced

2 green onions, chopped

sour cream

Wash potatoes thoroughly and dry. Give them a light massage with oil to coat the skins then sprinkle with Kosher salt and ground pepper. Bake in a 450 degree oven until soft, approximately 1 hour. Let cool.

Cut cooled potatoes in half and scrape out insides leaving a 1/4 inch rim of potato inside the skins. Fill each jacket with cheddar cheese and put on cookie sheet and place under a broiler until cheese is melted. Add the rest of the toppings to the potato, pour yourself a cold brew and enjoy.