Wednesday's Menu 10-5-11

Okay, so today I was going to give you the recipe for my country pork ribs, but time's gotten away from me yet again, and you don't have time to slow cook them. SO, I'm going to move on to Sloppy Joes. Don't buy that canned stuff. It's so easy to do yourself, and you probably have most of the ingredients on hand all the time, so try making it from scratch. Just like homemade taco seasoning instead of the packets, homemade sloppy joe sauce is so much better tasting.

Sloppy Joes

1 pound ground beef (I use 80/20 like most burger joints, but you can use lean)

1/4 C finely diced onion

1/4 C finely diced green bell pepper (or 1 can diced chili peppers)

1/2 tsp garlic powder

1/2 tsp onion powder (optional)

2 tsp prepared yellow mustard (or if you don't have it, vinegar)

3/4 cup ketchup

1 1/2 T brown sugar

1/4 tsp salt (or more to taste)

1/8 tsp ground black pepper (or more to taste)

Brown the ground beef with the onion and bell pepper. Drain. Add remaining ingredients, bring to a boil, then simmer for 15-20 minutes or until thickened. Serve over slices of bread or on hamburger buns. Makes 4-5 servings. Goes great with a side salad, corn or raw veggies. We sometimes have ours with fresh guacamole and chips.