Mama's Sloppy Joes

In every family, there is a mom-signature dish...the dish that is famous among all your friends.  For example, my best friend Lauren's mom made the BEST hamburgers and the BEST sweet tea.  My mom?  Well, it was her Sloppy Joes.  No one could come close to her sloppy joes. My dear friend Clint once challenged her to a Sloppy Joe cook-off, but he became daunted during the task, and somehow ended up serving up chili to us "judges" without even realizing it. 

Now that I have a family to feed of my own, I obviously begged my mother for the recipe.  I am happy to report that this Sloppy Joe recipe became the first meal that I served to my entire family of four--6 month old baby included--that we all ate and loved.  This is just one of those meals that you eat with a smile!  Thanks, Mama!

Mama's Sloppy Joe's

Serves 4

INGREDIENTS

1 lb Ground Beef

1 Cup Ketchup

1/4 Cup Water

2 Tbsp Brown Sugar (add more if you like it a bit sweeter)

1 Tbsp Worcestershire Sauce

1 Tbsp Apple Cider (or White) Vinegar

1/2 tsp Onion Powder

1/2 tsp Garlic Powder

1/2 tsp Salt

4 Hamburger Buns, split

DIRECTIONS

1.  Heat a large pan over medium-high heat.  Cook the ground beef until no longer pink.  Drain the grease.

2.  Add in the rest of the ingredients (except the buns of course), stir, and reduce heat to medium-low.  Simmer, covered, for 25-30 minutes, stirring occasionally.  Add in a little bit of water if it needs more cooking liquid--the sloppy joes aren't finished until it reaches a deep brown color.

3.  Serve heaping on buns.  It needs to be messy!