"Sloppy Jan's" ~ Real Homemade Sloppy Joe's

 

Growing-up I used to think that my mother made Sloppy Joe's from a can...oh, I was so very wrong.  I bought a can and it was  NOTHING like my Momma's version and definitely as good as her Sloppy Joe's.

 

So, since my Momma's name is Jan, we're making "Sloppy Jan's". Only 9 ingredients, and 6 hamburger buns. A very simple one to do...and I guarantee you won't want to go back to canned Joe's ever again. (You can't pay me to)

 

One of the added benefits of this recipe is that you are ready to eat in less than 30 minutes! Perfect for busy moms & dads who are just too worn-out to think about dinner...or singles who like to cook once and eat leftovers for 2-3 days.

 

 

Here we go! I start by preheating my skillet (a deep skillet) over medium high heat. Add my 1 1/2-2 pounds of lean ground beef. (the sauce can be adjusted for thickness if you are in the 1 1/2 to 2 pound range, simply by adding water to thin it, or cooking a little longer to reduce it)

 

 

After allowing my meat to brown and render off some fat, I add my garlic salt and ground black pepper. Then it just simmers for about 5 more minutes. I always check to see that there isn't any pink in the meat before spooning off the rendered fat.

 

 

Grabbing my trusty tablespoon and a spare tea cup, I remove the rendered fat leaving approximately 2 tablespoons worth in the skillet. Let's face it, a Sloppy Jan needs a little fat.
 

I then add in a couple of cups of ketchup. Sometimes I just dump in the full 24-oz. bottle. (Tip: when you see ketchup on sale, grab 4 or 5 24-oz. bottles for future use) 

Now I add my favorite onion soup mix...Lipton Onion Soup Mix! I love this stuff! It's good for so many things other than just soup, but we'll get into that at a later date. Give it a little stir to make sure that the soup mix is well distributed in the skillet. 

Allowing my soup mix to combine with the ketchup, I go grab the next several ingredients out of the pantry. First I add the rice vinegar. Apple cider vinegar can be used too, the amount of it and the total sugar added would just have to be tweaked, but I've gotten the best results from plain old rice vinegar.

Then I add the light brown sugar. I like this better than dark brown sugar, because it just seems to be easier to make tasting adjustments if necessary.   
 

 

Now for the kicker...Worcestershire sauce! You may not be able to say it, but this sauce is an amazing addition to so many recipes. And necessary to get just the right flavoring in this one. Without it, there is a huge void. Let everything simmer for just a bit longer...then grab your plate, hamburger bun and start serving it up!

 

I am forever teased by Charming for the fact that I eat "sloppy" food with a fork...I just would rather avoid orange stained fingers and face.

**Also great alone in a big bowl with Fritos**   


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"Sloppy Jan's" ~ Real Homemade Sloppy Joe's
Prep Time: 5 minutes 
Cook Time: 20-25 minutes S
Servings: 6 

Ingredients: 

1.5-2 Pounds Lean Ground Beef 
1 Teaspoon Garlic Salt 
1/4 Teaspoon Black Pepper, ground 
2 Cups Ketchup 
1/2 Packet of Lipton Onion Soup Mix, dry 
1 1/2 Tablespoons Rice Vinegar 
1 Tablespoon Light Brown Sugar 
1 Tablespoon Worcestershire Sauce 
6 Hamburger Buns, preferably whole wheat 

Instructions: 

In a large skillet, brown hamburger meat over medium-high heat. When meat has rendered fat and is no longer pink, add garlic salt & pepper. 

 

Allow to cook 5 minutes more before spooning off some of the rendered fat.  Allow approximately 2 tablespoons of fat to remain. Add ketchup and allow to simmer 1-2 minutes. 

 

Add Lipton Onion Soup Mix, rice vinegar, brown sugar and Worcestershire sauce. Stir. 

 

Simmer for 5-10 minutes. If sauce is too tart for your taste, adjust by adding brown sugar 1/2 teaspoon at a time. If sauce is too sweet for your taste, adjust by adding rice vinegar 1/2 teaspoon at a time. 

 

Serve on whole wheat hamburger buns & enjoy!