Make Ahead Cheesy Joes Food

CHEESY SLOPPY JOES

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 400F for toasting the buns.
• Dump the cheddar cheese soup, ketchup, Worcestershire sauce, brown sugar, onion powder and garlic powder into a medium mixing bowl.
• Whisk until all of the ingredients are fully combined and then set aside.
• Dump the ground beef into a large saute pan over medium-high heat along with a dab of margarine or butter.
• Add the diced onions to the pan with the ground beef while it's cooking.
• Crumble the ground beef well.
• When the ground beef is fully cooked, drain the excess grease from the pan.
• Pour the sauce mixture into the pan with the ground beef.
• Stir until all of the meat is coated in sauce and then reduce the heat to low.
• Place the buns in a single layer on a baking sheet.
• Place the baking sheet in the oven and toast the buns for 4-5 minutes.
• Once the buns are toasted, remove the pan with the ground beef mixture from the heat and dump in the shredded cheese.
• Stir until the cheese is melted.
• Spoon the cheesy ground beef mixture onto the toasted buns.
• Serve and enjoy!

JOE'S "SAY CHEESE" CHEESECAKE WITH FRESH STRAWBERRY SAUCE

Steps:

• For the crust: Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F. Spray the bottom of a 10-inch springform pan with cooking spray; line the bottom with a round of parchment paper; and spray the paper with cooking spray. Place the pan on a sheet of heavy-duty aluminum foil and bring the foil up around the sides to enclose the seam between the bottom and the sides of the pan (this will prevent water from leaking in).
• Stir together the graham cracker crumbs and sugar in a mixing bowl. Add the melted butter and mix until the crumbs are coated. Press the mixture firmly into the bottom of the pan and up the sides. Set aside.
• For the filling: In a stand mixer, beat the cream cheese together with the sour cream. Add the eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition. Add the sugar, cornstarch and vanilla, and beat until smooth.
• Pour the filling into the prepared crust. Set the foil-wrapped pan inside a larger pan, and carefully pour 1/2 inch of warm water into the larger pan to create a water bath. Bake for 1 hour. Turn off the oven, open the oven door and let the cheesecake stand in the opened oven for 1 hour. Refrigerate the cheesecake for 2 hours or overnight before removing it from the pan.
• For the sauce: Process the strawberries, sugar and lime zest in a food processor or blender until smooth. Chill for at least 1 hour before serving. (The sauce is best served cold from the refrigerator.)

SLOPPY JOE AND MACARONI CASSEROLE

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F.
• Combine the brown sugar, vinegar, Worcestershire sauce and tomato sauce in a small bowl. Heat the EVOO in a large skillet or Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Add the beef and cook until well browned. Season with salt and lots of pepper. Add the garlic, bell peppers and onions and cook, stirring, for 5 minutes. Pour the tomato mixture over the beef, add the beef broth and stir until well combined. Simmer until thickened, 5 to 10 minutes.
• Meanwhile, cook the macaroni in a large pot of salted boiling water until not quite tender, about 5 minutes. Drain and add to the sauce. Pour the mixture into a casserole dish and top with the cheese.
• Bake until the casserole is bubbling and the top is browned. Top with the pickles and serve from the dish.

MAKE-AHEAD CHEESY JOE'S

Steps:

• Heat a large skillet over medium-high heat and stir in the ground beef and onion. Cook and stir until the beef is crumbly, evenly browned, and no longer pink. Drain and discard any excess grease. Stir in the relish.
• Spread processed cheese sauce on each bun half, place a scoop of the meat mixture between the halves. Wrap each sandwich in foil and refrigerate or freeze until needed. Bake in an oven preheated to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C) until hot, 5 to 10 minutes if refrigerated, 20 minutes if frozen.