Italian-style Sloppy Joes—get it? Hah! I kill me! Funny! Well, I thought so, anyway . . .

　　

Ingredients

4 servings

　　2 tablespoons EVOO (extra-virgin olive oil), twice around the pan

　　1/2 teaspoon red pepper flakes

　　1 pound ground sirloin, 90 percent lean

　　1 green bell pepper, cored, seeded, and chopped

　　1 small onion, chopped

　　5 large garlic cloves, chopped

　　1/4 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg (eyeball it)

　　Coarse salt and black pepper

　　1 medium portobello mushroom cap, finely chopped

　　1/2 cup red wine, a couple of glugs

　　3/4 cup beef stock

　　1 14-ounce can crushed tomatoes

　　1/4 cup fresh flat-leaf parsley, a generous handful, chopped

　　6 tablespoons (3/4 stick) unsalted butter, super soft

　　1 cup fresh basil, about 10 leaves, chopped

　　4 individual ciabatta rolls or hoagie rolls

　　1/ 2 cup grated Parmigiano-Reggiano or Pecorino Romano cheese, a few handfuls

　　1 ball fresh mozzarella cheese, cut into 8 slices

　　

Step 1

Preheat the broiler to high.

　　

Step 2

To make the meat sauce, heat a deep skillet or a heavy-bottomed pot over medium-high heat. Add the EVOO, red pepper flakes, and ground beef, and break up the meat. Add the green pepper, onions, three fourths of the garlic, the nutmeg, and a little salt and pepper to the beef and cook together, using the back of a wooden spoon to break the meat into tiny bits as it browns. Add the mushrooms and cook for 5 minutes more. Add the wine and cook for 1 minute, then add the beef stock and tomatoes. Bring the mixture up to a bubble, reduce the heat to medium low, and gently simmer for 10 minutes. Finish it by stirring in the chopped parsley.

　　

Step 3

While the meat is simmering, combine the remaining garlic with the soft butter, chopped basil, and a little salt and pepper. Split the rolls in half lengthwise without separating the halves. Press open the rolls, flattening them out a little bit. Slather the insides with the garlic butter and toast until golden brown under the broiler.

　　

Step 4

Top one side of the garlicky, toasted rolls with a heap of meat, sprinkle each pile of meat sauce with some grated cheese, and top that with 2 slices of the mozzarella. Transfer them to the broiler to melt the cheese. Remove them from the broiler and prepare to get sloppy with Messy Giuseppe!

　　Rachael Ray Express Lane Meals