You GUYS! For your meatless Monday, I made you these short and straightforward Lentil Sloppy Joes!

I hope you like lentils like I like lentils because these Lentil Sloppy Joes are only as straightforward and are simply the vegetarian version of the familiar meaty sloppy joe.

As a kid {and still as an adult} I loved a messy sloppy joe. Soft squishy bun melting away from the saucy, meaty filling. To.Die.For.

Coming home after school and finding out we were having sloppy joes for dinner always made me happy. Still does. It’s speedy. It’s unfussy. And now thanks to lentils there’s a healthy meat-less option.

Now as a kid we didn’t top our sloppy joes with anything. Someone at the table likes to add a slice of cheese to his. But since these are healthy-joes, I top’em with a speedy cilantro cabbage slaw. The slaw jazzes them up with color, crunch and flavor.

For fun I used slider buns, but of course… regular buns work simply fine. A regular here using slider buns especially for kids whose little hands might not be able to grip a big-o-bun that has joe spilling out everywhere, know-what-i-mean?

Now how about I show you simply how unfussy it is to make these joes!

I took the base of my old-school childhood sloppy joe sauce and amped it up with bell peppers, cumin, chili powder and swapped out the sugar for real maple syrup. It might sound crazy, but it does add a touch of sweetness to balance out all the savory.

Start by rinsing a pound of dried lentil under the faucet until the water coming out from the lentils runs clear.

Throw them into a deep sauce pan and fill with 5 cups of cool water.

Cover and bring to a boil. Reduce the temperature and simmer for 15-20 minutes. Once cooked, drain and set off to the side.

For the “joe” sauce; finely dice up a red and green bell pepper {1/4 cup of each}, one medium yellow onion and 3 cloves of fresh garlic.

In a large measuring cup {or any bowl} measure and add in the cup and a half of ketchup. Have you made your own ketchup yet? It’s the bee’s knees you guys!

A tablespoon of chili powder.

A teaspoon of cumin.

And 1/8 teaspoon of paprika.

Measure and add in the 1/2 teaspoon of salt and 1/4 teaspoon black pepper.

Next add in the 1/2 tablespoon of both prepared mustard and vinegar and then 2 tablespoons of real maple syrup.

And lastly, pour in a quarter cup of water.

And then stir and that’s it. So straightforward!

Next, heat a Dutch oven over medium heat with a tablespoon of olive oil. Once the pot is hot {ha!} add in the peppers and onions.

Then sauté, stirring occasionally until the vegetables are soft and the onions are translucent.

Next, add in the garlic and cook for 1 to 2 minutes.

Then after the garlic has cooked for a couple minutes, pour in the joe sauce.

Next, stir, cover and simmer the sauce on low for 10 minutes.