Mom's Sloppy Joes
OK, it's Thursday, so it's the perfect day for a throw back to the good old days of childhood. By the way, who started this whole "throw back Thursday" deal? Has this been going on forever and I just noticed it in recent months? Or is it just a newish social media thing to torture us older siblings when our much younger and cuter siblings dig out awkward photos of us? These are the things that keep me up at night, people. So, this meal is one I've never had anywhere but in my mom's kitchen. This was one of my very favorite meals growing up, and it is our family's version of a sloppy joe. These were always served open-faced alongside some baked french fries (and usually some mixed vegetables). It is fast, easy, and comforting, and I could eat them almost every day I love them that much. My 5 year old thought they were awesome, albeit "a little bit spicy". She is a native Minnesotan, so consider that to her, spicy is simply not something that anyone else would think is spicy. The tang of the BBQ sauce tripped her up, I think. My 2 year old made faces as she ate a quarter of one without protest, so this is big progress for the picky pants princesses over here. Give 'em a try at your house someday soon.
Mom's Sloppy Joes
-1 lb hamburger
-1/2 diced onion
-1/2-3/4 c. BBQ sauce (may I suggest KC Masterpiece?)
-1/4 c. light sour cream
-1/4-1/2 t. garlic powder (this isn't measured, just a guess)
-1 tsp (or more) Worcestershire sauce (not measured, either. Shake away.)
-salt/pepper
-1 T. flour
-hamburger buns
-American cheese
Brown your hamburger and onion together until hamburger is done, then add the BBQ sauce, sour cream, salt/pepper, garlic powder, and Worcestershire. Add more or less of each ingredient to suit your liking (I probably add closer to 3/4 c. BBQ sauce because BBQ sauce is on my top 10 list of favorite flavors). Once you have the meat mixture tasting divine, stir in the flour and let it simmer a few minutes to thicken up.
Lay out your hamburger buns on a baking sheet. I can usually get 8-9 sandwiches out of a pound of meat, so you will need about 4 hamburger buns, split. Now, if you want to make them really good butter the buns. I did last night, for old time's sake, and then popped them under the broiler for just a minute to start the toasting process. Or, just lay out the buns and proceed as follows. Spoon meat mixture on top of buns and then top with a half a slice of American cheese. Feel free to use another kind of cheese if you like. When you have a delicious summertime tomato, you can also place a thin slice (seasoned with salt/pepper) under the cheese slice for an extra treat. Broil these babies until the cheese is melted and the bun is as toasty as you like.