Messy Giuseppes

I got this recipe off the Rachael Ray Show a couple years ago and it is by far one of my favorites and I have made it several times. Regular old sloppy joes will never be the same after you have tried this recipe. So yummy!

Messy Giuseppes
Sloppy Joe's Italian Cousin!

Ingredients
2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil (EVOO)
1 pound ground, 90 percent lean sirloin
1 green bell pepper, seeded and chopped
1 small onion, chopped
5 large garlic cloves, chopped
1 medium portobello mushroom cap, finely chopped
1/8 teaspoon (eyeball it) allspice
1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
Coarse salt and black pepper
1/2 cup (a couple of glugs) red wine
3/4 cup beef stock
1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
1 14-ounce can crushed tomatoes
1/4 cup (a generous handful) flat-leaf parsley, chopped
4 tablespoons (1/2 stick) unsalted butter, softened
5-8 fresh basil leaves, about 1/4 cup, chopped
1/4 cup (a small handful) grated Parmigiano Reggiano or Romano cheese
4 individual ciabatta rolls or any kind of crusty hoagie rolls
1 ball fresh mozzarella cheese, cut into 8 slices

Yields: 4 servings

Preparation
Preheat the broiler to high.
For the meat sauce, heat a deep skillet or a heavy-bottomed pot over medium-high heat with 2 tablespoons of EVOO, twice around the pan. Add the ground beef and cook until lightly browned, breaking up the meat with the back of a wooden spoon. Add green pepper, onion, 3/4 of the garlic, mushrooms, allspice, red pepper flakes and a little salt and pepper to the beef and cook for about 5-8 minutes.

Add the wine and cook another minute then add the beef stock, Worcestershie and tomatoes. Bring the mixture up to a bubble, reduce the heat to medium-low and gently simmer for 10 minutes. Finish it by stirring in a handful of chopped parsley.

While the meat is simmering, combine the remaining garlic with the soft butter, basil, parmesan cheese and a little salt and pepper in a mixing bowl. Split the rolls in half lengthwise without cutting all the way through and separating the halves. Press open the rolls by flattening them out a little bit. Slather the insides with the butter and place 2 slices of the mozzarella on each roll. Toast until golden brown under the broiler, about 2-3 minutes.

Top one side of the cheesy garlic rolls with a heap of meat and get prepared to get sloppy with Messy Giuseppe!