For some reason my wife said she wanted sloppy joes for supper tonight, it Mother’s Day weekend so I wasn’t about to say no. Truth be told I actually like them so it was an easy ok. The next thing she said was a bit of a surprise. She wanted me to make them from scratch, no Manwich canned sauce. I know she has been thinking about when our kids were little so I think that’s why she wanted sloppy joes. It was a favourite of our kids, but it was always made with a can of Manwich sauce.
I have made them before from scratch and admit they are much better. It is a lot quicker using the Manwich sauce but as she put it ” what else do you have to do today”. Whether using the can or making them from scratch they are just good and fun to eat. Because they are fun is why most kids think they’re great. Adults say they just make them because the kids like them but that’s a little fib, they like them too.
People, I think, use the Manwich sauce because they think making them from scratch is difficult but it is really a simple thing to make. It was kind of funny, my wife thought the last time I made them was about two years ago, it has been four years at least. She was sure I had put them on my blog but the last time was before I had a blog. I know I will get a look from her when I butter my bun but for my taste a sloppy joe needs a toasted buttered bun. Usually I put cheese on my bun but since I made mac and cheese a couple of days ago I decided no cheese. Cheese is again a personal thing when it comes to a sloppy joe. Even without the cheese it was a great idea my wife had and it was fun thinking about how much our kids liked them. Was a perfect supper for us on Mother’s Day weekend.
1 pound lean ground beef browned and drained
1 medium onion finely diced
1/2 red pepper finely diced ( a green pepper works also )
2 cloves garlic minced
1 tablespoon sharp mustard
1 tablespoon brown sugar
2 tablespoons ketchup
1 can tomato puree
1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
1 tablespoon hotdog relish
1 and 1/2 teaspoons salt
1/2 teaspoon pepper
1/2 teaspoon hot sauce
1 tablespoon butter
2 teaspoons flour
4 toasted kaiser buns
Preheat a frying pan on medium heat with the butter. Saute the onions, garlic, and red pepper for 4 minutes. Add the flour and stir for about 30 seconds. Add everything else to the pan and simmer for 20 minutes. You can serve it with different toppings or just plain, pickles and cheese are a perfect match.
How I Cook — by Graham Stewart 
You’ve nailed the sloppy Joe recipe. Very similar to what I usually do except I like to add a little crushed, dried onion flake, along with the fresh onion. For me, the Worcestershire sauce is key. I don’t think I’ve ever used Manwich, which is a huge surprise, since I was a child of the 60’s and 70’s. Surely, my mother must have used it, but I was oblivious to all things domestic, way back then. Keep the sloppy Joes flowing, Graham!
Would bet money on the fact your mother used Manwich, my mother did and everybody I know grew up eating sloppy joes made with it. Like the idea of the dried onion flakes, will use them next time.
I loved my mom dearly but she was not the greatest of cooks. She visited me several years ago and saw the rosemary bush in my backyard and said, “I love your miniature Christmas tree!”
LOL! Remember the first winter we visited my brother and sister-in-law in Phoenix, were in the grocery store and I noticed she had a little package of fresh rosemary in the cart. Told her why are you buying rosemary you have 3 plants in the back yard. She thought they were a shrub because of the size.
Yep. There’s one in every family.