Easy Sloppy Joe Recipe
I grew up in Wisconsin, and my Gram frequently cooked us delicious barbeques. Not hamburgers or any kind of grilled meat with barbeque sauce… they were delicious, messy, warm, flavorful sandwiches made with ground beef, simmered in sauce. Or simply, a barbeque as any Wisconsoner would call it.
Just a small sampling of Leah’s recipes, always on hand in my kitchen!
Fast forward to my undergrad years while studying to become a Registered Dietitian. My amazing roommate Leah (who was also working toward her RD) noticed I was lacking one pretty essential life skill: cooking … Like she had to teach me how to peel a carrot sort of lacking... So for my birthday, she gifted me a basket of simple, handwritten recipes that she had lovingly put together. I still use many of them today.
One of those recipes was for Barbecues with “sloppy joes” written in parentheses. I remember laughing; who the heck called them sloppy joes?! Only after moving to St. Louis, I told a client they could try making “Barbecues” then clarified as “Barbecue Sandwiches,” and they started talking about pulled pork and pulled chicken. WHAT??!!! That’s when “sloppy joes” suddenly became a useful translation!
And, though I am much more comfortable in the kitchen than 20-year-old Rebecca was, this recipe is still a go-to for nights I need something that comes together super quickly, and will please my entire family!
If you have only ever had “Sloppy Joe’s” from a can…I think you owe it to yourself to try Barbecues ;).
Leah’s Barbeques (Sloppy Joes)
20 Minutes | Serves 6
2 lbs ground beef
1 onion, chopped
1.5 c ketchup
1 can chicken gumbo soup
2 tsp mustard
1/4 c brown sugar
salt and pepper to taste
Brown the hamburger with the onion, and drain the grease. Add the rest of the ingredients and simmer for 10 minutes. Serve on hamburger buns.
Make it a meal: Serve with a garden salad and sweet potato fries.
