Jack-o’-Lantern Sloppy Joe Pie

Justin quit football Tuesday. He called me after he told the coaches. "Mom. It's done." I said, "Okay, baby." He said, "I don't know about school either." I said, "Take it one thing at a time."

Drove Thursday, short.

Gayle had a bad Friday. Oxygen low for two hours. I stayed home with her. She recovered. Scare. Scare. Always a scare now.

Dave's surgery in three weeks. Prep is in motion.

Sunday: fried chicken.

I had planned fried chicken that Sunday, but by the time afternoon came around I needed something I could put in the oven and walk away from for a little while — something that didn’t need me hovering over it the way everything else did that week. This Jack-o’-Lantern Sloppy Joe Pie was exactly that. It’s warm and filling and a little bit festive, and when it came out of the oven the kids actually smiled, which felt like a miracle after everything. Sometimes you just need a recipe that does the work for you.

Prep Time: 20 min | Cook Time: 30 min | Total Time: 50 min | Servings: 6

Ingredients

1 lb ground beef
1/2 cup onion, finely diced
1/2 cup green bell pepper, diced
1 can (15 oz) sloppy joe sauce (such as Manwich)
1/4 cup ketchup
1 tablespoon brown sugar
1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
Salt and pepper to taste
1 package (8 oz) refrigerated crescent roll dough
1 cup shredded cheddar cheese
1 egg, beaten (for egg wash)

Instructions

Preheat oven. Heat oven to 375°F. Lightly grease a 9-inch pie dish or cast iron skillet and set aside.
Cook the meat. In a large skillet over medium-high heat, brown the ground beef with the onion and bell pepper, breaking the meat up as it cooks, about 8–10 minutes. Drain excess fat.
Make the filling. Stir in the sloppy joe sauce, ketchup, brown sugar, and Worcestershire sauce. Season with salt and pepper. Simmer on low for 5 minutes until slightly thickened. Remove from heat.
Line the dish. Unroll the crescent dough and press it into the bottom and up the sides of the prepared dish, sealing any seams. Reserve a small piece of dough for the jack-o’-lantern face cutouts.
Fill and top. Spoon the sloppy joe filling evenly into the dough-lined dish. Sprinkle shredded cheddar cheese over the top.
Make the face. Use the reserved dough to cut out simple triangle eyes, a nose, and a jagged mouth in the style of a jack-o’-lantern. Lay the cutouts on top of the cheese layer. Brush the exposed dough with the beaten egg.
Bake. Bake for 25–30 minutes, until the crust is golden brown and the cheese is bubbling. Let rest 5 minutes before slicing and serving.

Nutrition (per serving)

Jack-o’-Lantern Sloppy Joe Pie — Some Sundays You Feed the People Still Standing