buffalo chicken sloppy joes, slop, sloppy joes

When my sister moved to Atlanta after graduating college (Ram! Ram!), she introduced me to many wonderful things, such as brownie mix, 90210, Melrose Place, and Party of Five, but perhaps her most notable contribution was Billy Madison and therefore, Adam Sandler.  Yes, at the tender age of 9, I was already doing impressions of sweet Billy boy and clearly knew all of the words to "Back to School, Back to School."  Then there were the Adam Sandler songs that inevitably found their way to me via Amy, including the smash-hit, "Lunch Lady Land." (The lunch lady even makes a cameo appearance in Billy Madison with her good friend, Sloppy Joe)

*warning: you may want to watch this video AFTER you eat

And so, through the lyrical genius of Mr. Sandler,  my love for sloppy joes' was born.

Then I found this recipe on allrecipes.com and had to try it because buffalo chicken and sloppy joes are two of my favorite things.  So, I decided to alter it a bit to create a healthier option by cutting the fat by a little less than half.  Although it isn't as low fat as I would like it to be, it still helps cut those cravings for the really bad stuff (i.e. buffalo chicken wings - a personal problem I have).  Anyway, on to the recipe...

Buffalo Chicken Sloppy Joes

Ingredients

2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
2 pounds ground chicken
1 onion, chopped
1 tablespoon minced garlic, or to taste
salt and ground black pepper to taste
3/4 cup chicken stock (unsalted or low sodium)
1/4 cup hot buffalo wing sauce (such as Frank's® REDHOT Buffalo Wing Sauce), or to taste
2 tablespoons red wine vinegar
2 tablespoons light brown sugar
1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
6 ounces Philadelphia 1/3 Less Fat Cream Cheese, softened
8 ounces shredded Cheddar cheese, or more to taste
8 hamburger buns, split

Directions

Heat the olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat and stir in the ground chicken. Cook and stir until the chicken is crumbly, evenly browned, and no longer pink. Stir in the onion, garlic, salt and black pepper; cook until the onion has softened, about 7 to 8 minutes.
Combine chicken stock, Buffalo wing sauce (I used a lot more of the Frank's Red Hot Sauce because I like my Buffalo Chicken SPICY), red wine vinegar, brown sugar, and Worcestershire sauce in a bowl. Pour into the skillet with the chicken and add the Cream Cheese and Cheddar cheese.  If you notice, I used the Philadelphia 1/3 Less Fat Cream Cheese because, in my opinion, the fat free version tastes unnatural and gross.  But, if you enjoy the grossness of fat free cream cheese, be my guest.  Simmer and stir until the cheeses have melted and everything is well combined. Serve on buns like Oroweat 100% Whole Wheat Buns or, for a lower carb option, Sara Lee Delightful buns, but be careful, these buns have high fructose corn syrup and enriched flour.  That is why I prefer the Oroweat buns.

*Note:  I usually make a lot of food so that we have leftovers for a few days for quick, take to work meals.  Feel free to cut this recipe in half if you don't need the leftovers. 

Be sure to eat them quick so you don't get a case of the soggy buns (tee hee)....enjoy :)

Nutrition

396 calories, 16.6g fat, 636mg sodium, 32g carbs, 5.1g dietary fiber, 30.2g protein

(vs. Original Recipe 526 calories, 26.3g fat, 1022mg sodium, 30.2g carbs, 1.4g dietary fiber, 40.6g protein)