Throughout The Betty Crocker Project, we’ve visited some pretty hardcore Americana recipes but one that will always stand out to me as the moment we just closed our eyes and jumped is The Cheeseburger Pie. This chef-d’œu·vre of The Betty Crocker Test Kitchen was our first time dabbling with Bisquick and the recipes in the book that seems too weird to be good but then turned out to be awesome. Later came the Macaroni & Cheez Pie which was a bit more challenging and introduced us to a new obstacle to the Betty dinner pies*: There are a ton of different and vegan Bisquick mixes and surprisingly** they aren’t all the same (see the comment section of this post). So I turned my back on the dinner pies almost without knowing it. I was dreading all the (sometimes really mean) emails about how Gluten-Free Bisquick was different than Regular Bisquick and how if I wanted to claim to be an expert in Bisquick*** I should have researched all the different ones… etc. So going into this one I want to make it clear we used the regular old Bisquick – which is vegan.

Living in fear is no way to live.



So I tried again with The Mini Greek Burger Pies. But all Betty roads lead back to The USA and here we are with a Vegan Sloppy Joe Pie – A Betty Crocker invention (as far as I can tell) that is the least sloppy way to enjoy a joe****.

I’ve been on a tempeh kick lately if you haven’t noticed. It’s kinda my new favorite song on the radio. I get strangely excited when it pops in my head. This time is came in the form of Sloppy Joes or as we call them – Sloppy Joels – after our good old friend Joel Bartlett. Yes, the same Joel from our Moroccan Carrot Summer Soup post. Joel is neither sloppy (too much) or made of tempeh (too much) but over drinks last time he was in NYC, we figured out that February will be my 10 year friend-aversary with Joel. Dan and Joel have been friends since college and like typical men guess-tamated that they’ve known each other “a long time.” So to reward his many years of loyal camaraderie and board game rivalry – we have have christened all Sloppy Joe related recipes Joels. So let it be written. So let it be done!

Let’s make a pie! P.S. It’s nice to be back.

 Vegan Sloppy Joel Pie

1 package Tempeh, crumbled

1 Tablespoon Vegan Worcestershire Sauce (There are actually a few brands out there we really like Wizard’s but Annie’s is pretty great too)

3 Tablespoons Bragg’s Liquid Amino Acids

Dash of Tabasco (optional)

Dash of Liquid Smoke

3/4 teaspoon Onion Powder

Pinch of Celery Seed

1 Red Onion, diced

1 Green Bell Pepper, diced

1-2 Tablespoons Olive Oil

3 Campri or 6 Cherry Tomatoes, quartered

1 Tablespoon Fresh Parsley, diced

1/2 cup Bisquick (original – please remember to read labels though incase there has been an ingredients change since this post went up)

1 cup Soymilk

1 Tablespoon Ground Flaxseed

1/2 teaspoon Ener-G Egg Replacer

1 Tablespoon Applesauce

Olive Oil Cooking Spray

Catsup or A-1 Steak Sauce for topping

In a large bowl, crumble your Tempeh. In a small bowl, whisk together Vegan Worcestershire Sauce, Braggs, Tabasco, Liquid Smoke, 1/2 teaspoon Onion Powder and Celery Seed. Then pour your sauce over your tempeh and mix with a large spoon until your Tempeh is coated. Cover and let sit for 10 minutes. Go back every once in awhile and toss your Tempeh again to make sure it gets evenly marinated.

Heat oven to 400. Spray a heavy coating of Olive Oil Cooking Spray over your pie dish.

In your favorite cast iron skillet, heat your Olive Oil over a medium heat until warm, then toss in your marinated Tempeh and cook for 3 minutes and then toss in your Onion, Bell Pepper and any leftover marinade from the Tempeh. Cook for another 5 minutes or until your vegetables are tender. Then toss in your Tomatoes and Parsley. Cook for another 3-5 minutes or until your Onions are translucent.



While your Tempeh and Vegetables are cooking, whisk together your Bisquick, 1/4 teaspoon Onion Powder, Flaxseed and Egg Replacer. Then add Soymilk and Applesauce and blend with a hand held mixer until your batter is smooth. It should look a little runny or wet for a batter. If your Bisquick brand is thicker – you might need to add more Soymilk 1 teaspoon at a time until it’s thin.

Once your Tempeh and Vegetables are cooked, pour them into your pie dish and spread them out to make an even layer. Then pour your Bisquick batter over the top.

Put in the oven to bake for 30-35 minutes or until you can stick a bamboo skewer in the center and remove it cleanly.

Serve warm with either Catsup or A-1 Steak Sauce over the top.

* I feel like I should warn you – if you haven’t had one of these yet – they’re more like quiches or breads than actual pies per say.

** OK – I admit this is to be read with a dash of sarcasm. Sorry – mean emails can make a person grumpy.

*** I am not a Bisquick expert – more of an enthusiast.

**** That made me laugh so I’m leaving in the post.