Oh, wow! Back in college, when I thought that Sloppy Joes grew in cans, the dish didn’t seem fit for human consumption. Now, I’m thinking that canned versions simply can’t compete with the real thing, plus … well, why waste money at the market when this dish is quick, easy & inexpensive? I recently made it for the 5th time and loved seeing my husband & guests return for more. When salsa hasn’t been onhand, Pico De Gallo (for which there are several excellent recipes at this site) has worked great, and on one occasion I used Rotel tomatoes (the type with lime juice & cilantro)—also excellent. I guess there’s no way to ruin this recipe, for which I’m *very* grateful to LV & her mom-in-law. (Thanks, as well, to photographer Avon Lady, whose shot portrays the dish 100% accurately—thick, non-greasy & delightful on big fluffy buns which, like another reviewer, I serve lightly toasted.)

Reviewed On: Sep. 28, 2009

A perfect recipe, fulfilling every criteria of a 5-star rating--thanks, Ken from CA! The ingredient list is accurate & the instructions clear. If anything, this underpromises & overdelivers. (Three times, my normally-quiet husband said, “My God, this is good.”) Specifics: (1) PREPARATION. Easy! This is a restaurant-quality dish, which puzzled our dinner guests, who asked if my schedule had changed since it seemed I’d been cooking all afternoon. (2) RELIABILITY. Follow the instructions & there’s no way to mess this up. (I made a couple of mistakes—the phone rang while I brought the milk to a boil; no problem—just skim the overboil and add more milk. I also set my gas burner too high, allowing the milk to boil down too quickly; adding more milk was an instant fix.) (3) FLEXIBILITY. Don’t hesitate if you have a smaller loin, or maybe a larger one (as in our case). Substitute garlic salt for regular, if you wish. Etc. (4) PLATING. Carving‘s a pleasure because the pork’s just-right tender and manageable. (5) SERVICE. There are a variety of options. Since the finished pork and gravy looked scrumptious, I decided to carve at the table, thus set the whole loin on an oblong serving dish, surrounding it with sliced tomatoes and mixed lettuce leaves. (6) BONUS. The gravy makes itself! * DO* COOK DOWN THE MILK TILL IT’S THICK, CURDLED AND GOLDEN BROWN. THE SAVORY KERNELS WILL POP IN YOUR MOUTH.

Reviewed On: Sep. 12, 2009

What a delightful flavor combination, quick, easy & perfect for outdoor entertainment. (In fact, it’ll be great for potlucks.) Chicken & mandarin oranges seem made for each other, & the toasted pecans elevated the dish to the ‘’inspired” category. Following the recipe exactly, I got raves including words like “fresh” & “healthy.” What’s more, it’s easily adaptable—for one guest on a strict diabetic diet, I subbed nonfat mayonnaise in his portion. Wonderful summer meal, and elegant-looking. I served buffet-style, piling the salad onto leafy red lettuce in a glass bowl,with sides of sliced cantaloupe,deviled eggs & avocado halves filled with tuna & sliced scallions tossed in nonfat ranch dressing. Thanks mucho, Judy!

Reviewed On: Jun. 15, 2009