What do you make for a lot of people coming over for a party?

In Fairbanks, this is a frequent question. Maybe it’s because our town is so small, but folks get together often, and a common type of party is the potluck, when people bring a dish to share. When you host one, you like to make one main dish that isn’t too complicated. Some of our favorites scale up well; others don’t. This one does.

It didn’t have a name until we first served it at a potluck. We have very pale carpets, and purposely serving messy food to a large group of people would seem to invite a lot of post-party carpet cleaning. But Rose had a brilliant idea. These are like sloppy joes in consistency, but with a better name we’d bring out the best in everyone. So she named them “Tidy Josés,” and a lot more people have been able to enjoy them.

1 lb. ground caribou
1 onion, chopped
3 cloves of garlic, minced
~3 tsp. chilpotle pepper flakes
~2 tsp. chilpotle seasoning
~1 tsp. salt
½ jar of spaghetti sauce

Saute the onion, chilpotles, and garlic for a few minutes, then saute the burger with it and add the salt and chilpotle seasoning. When the burger is cooked, add the spaghetti sauce and simmer until bubbly. Serve on a bun as you would a sloppy joe. Jazz it up with mustard or salsa if desired.

The Tidy Jose, ready to serve (add salsa or mustard and lettuce — whatever you like)