If you’re looking for a 30-minute meal to prep for this week, let me introduce you to one of my new favorites: Philly Joes. They get their name because they taste like a Philly cheesesteak sandwich, but are made into sloppy Joe form. It was totally a hit with my family, and I loved that it wasn’t too shabby on the macros!

The Inspiration

Every summer, my in-laws plant vegetables in their yard. My kids absolutely love to help them pick all the goodies that grow on their vines. This past year, they decided to grow bell peppers, and my kids were just as enthused about picking those.

However, I was totally shocked when I saw my kids eating raw bell peppers (my mother-in-law had washed them, no worries). They kept saying, “Mom! Bell peppers are so good!” I thought that it might be the novelty of eating them fresh from the garden, but, as it turns out, my kids will eat bell peppers anytime they are presented to them. Why? I’m not sure! But I decided to roll with it and incorporate them into as many dishes as I can before they change their minds!

The Recipe

One of the best parts of this recipe is that it really only takes 3 main ingredients and some spices to get it on the table. It begins with lean ground beef (I used 91/9, but see the macros section for info on how to make this recipe even lighter) and frozen bell peppers and onions. I found mine at Wal-Mart, but I’m sure most stores carry something comparable. The best part about these frozen veggies means there isn’t anything to chop!

After the beef and the veggies are cooked through and tender, you’ll add to it the creamy portion. I used light laughing cow cheese wedges to help make it creamy and cheesy. If you can’t find the laughing cow cheese wedges or don’t want to spend that much on them (they can be pricey!), you can also use 1/3 less cream cheese in this mixture. It’ll still add the creamy element, although it will slightly change the macros. For 4 laughing cow wedges, it is 120 calories, 6F/4C/12P, while the light cream cheese is 140 calories, 12F/4C/4P.

Along with the laughing cow cheese, you’ll also need to add in some seasonings that you’re likely to already have on hand in your home. Stir it all together, serve it on some buns with melty cheese, and dinner is served! Seriously, it takes less than 30 minutes!

To Serve

There are a few different options of how you could serve this to your family.

1. On Buns: This is always my family’s preference! I simply toasted some hamburger buns under the broiler and then topped them with slices of ultra-thin provolone. Although, whatever cheese or bun your family prefers will work great! If you want to enjoy a bun, but save some more carbs, remember you can always hollow out your bun!
2. On a Salad: This is actually the way I ate mine last time. I opted to save some carbs and I ate my portion of meat over a big green salad. I drizzled it with Italian dressing, and it was so yummy and filling!
3. In a Crunchwrap: You could also take the meat and stuff it into a lavash wrap to make a super yummy crunch wrap. Bonus if you add some cheese in there, too!

The Macros

Macros for 1/4 of this recipe are rounded to 12F/5C/27P and 232 calories. Remember, this is just for the meat portion. I opted not to add in the buns or the cheese, so you can choose whatever buns or cheese your family prefers! If you’re looking to save even more fat, you could also choose a leaner cut of ground beef to prepare this meal with.

To find out the number of grams per serving, remember to first weigh the pan that you’re planning on preparing your meal with (mine was 1070g). Once your meal is prepared, weigh your pan with the cooked ingredients inside (mine weighed 1832 g). Then subtract the weight of the pan from the cooked ingredients (1832-1070) to find the weight of just the cooked ingredients (762 g). Then divide the total ingredients by 4 (762/4= 190.5 g) to find your serving size (mine was ~ 190 g). If you’d like a ballpark range, a serving size should be around 190 g.