Everyone loved Sloppy Joe day at school. I fondly remember the frenzy of the Sloppy Joe as a kid, how they dripped down your hands and made a huge mess – what could be more fun than that?

Hubs has never had an actual Sloppy Joe (it’s an American thing, fun fact: originally from Sioux City, Iowa), so I made him the next best thing: a vegan Sloppy Joe made with lentils and the real-deal Manwich sauce. Hunt’s canned Manwich sauce is accidentally vegan! Yay!

We topped the ‘Joes with some bread + butter pickles and crispy fried onions, because why shouldn’t we enjoy ourselves in this life?…And anyway the sauce has tomatoes so it’s basically a vegetable.

We paired the ‘Joes with cole slaw, made from store bought cole slaw mix and a quick and easy dressing. This meal is heavy on the store bought and light on the effort. If you can simmer some lentils, you can make this dinner. I highly recommend it for whenever you’re feeling overwhelmed with adult problems, and need a quick dinner with a sense of fun and a bit of messiness. #becauselifeismessy

Ingredients
2 cups cooked green lentils (about 1 cup dry)
1 can Manwich Original Sloppy Joe Sauce
1 bag rainbow slaw
1/2 cup vegannaise
1 Tbsp vinegar
1 1/2 Tbsp lemon juice
2 Tbsp sugar
1/4 tsp salt
pinch black pepper
buns, pickles, crispy fried onions to serve

Instructions
In a large saucepan, add Manwich sauce to cooked lentils and stir over low heat until warmed through. Meanwhile, whisk together vegannaise, vinegar, lemon juice, sugar, and salt and pepper, and pour over slaw mix in a large bowl. Toss together and set aside. Once Sloppy Joe “meat” is warm, serve on buns with pickles and topped with crispy fried onions. Serve with cole slaw.

Serves 4