DinnerCountSloppy Joes
This dinner takes one skillet. Ground beef and onion simmer in a sweet and tangy sauce of ketchup, barbecue sauce, Worcestershire sauce, brown sugar, and mustard until it is thick enough to sit on a bun. The buns toast for a minute under the broiler so they hold up to the sauce. It is supposed to be messy, so set out plenty of napkins.
Ingredients (serves 4)
- Ground beef1 lb
- Yellow onion½ each
- Ketchup½ cup
- BBQ sauce¼ cup
- Worcestershire1 tbsp
- Brown sugar1 tbsp
- Yellow mustard1 tsp
- Hamburger buns4 buns
How Much to Make for 2, 4, 6, or 8
For 2 people, you’ll need ½ lb ground beef and 2 hamburger buns.
For 4 people, you’ll need 1 lb ground beef and 4 hamburger buns.
For 6 people, you’ll need 1½ lb ground beef and 6 hamburger buns.
For 8 people, you’ll need 2 lb ground beef and 8 hamburger buns.
| Ingredient | For 2 | For 4 | For 6 | For 8 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ground beef | ½ lb | 1 lb | 1½ lb | 2 lb |
| Yellow onion | ¼ each | ½ each | ¾ each | 1 each |
| Ketchup | ¼ cup | ½ cup | ¾ cup | 1 cup |
| BBQ sauce | 2 tbsp | ¼ cup | 6 tbsp | ½ cup |
| Worcestershire | 1½ tsp | 1 tbsp | 1½ tbsp | 2 tbsp |
| Brown sugar | 1½ tsp | 1 tbsp | 1½ tbsp | 2 tbsp |
| Yellow mustard | ½ tsp | 1 tsp | 1½ tsp | 2 tsp |
| Hamburger buns | 2 buns | 4 buns | 6 buns | 8 buns |
The amounts are rounded to what you can measure at home. Pounds are rounded to the nearest quarter or third, cups to the marks on a measuring cup, and spoons to real measuring spoons. An egg stays whole. Because of the rounding, some amounts are the same at two sizes.
In DinnerCount, this recipe is sized to exactly who’s home tonight, whether that is a hungry teenager, a toddler, or a guest.
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Steps
- Chop the onion. Put the ground beef and the onion in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Cook for 6 to 8 minutes, breaking the meat into small pieces as it cooks. The beef is done when no pink remains and it reads 160°F on a thermometer. Spoon off the fat.
- Stir in the ketchup, the BBQ sauce, the Worcestershire sauce, the brown sugar, and the mustard. Turn the heat down to low and cook for 10 minutes, stirring every few minutes. The sauce is ready when it is thick enough to sit on a bun without running.
- Heat the broiler with an oven rack about 6 inches below it. Set the buns on a sheet pan with the cut sides up. Broil them for 30 seconds to 1 minute, and watch the whole time, because buns go from golden to burnt in seconds. The buns are done when they are golden. A toasted bun holds up to the sauce, and a soft one does not. Use oven mitts to take the pan out.
- Pile the beef onto the buns, and serve with plenty of napkins.
Good to Know
- Contains Wheat, Fish. This comes from the ingredient names, so it is not a complete list. The ingredient names do not show what is inside a jar, a mix, or a sauce, and formulas change. For an allergy or intolerance, read the package every time, and never decide from this line.
- 🌡 Sloppy joe: cook to 160°F at the thickest part, the USDA minimum for ground meat. A thermometer is the test, and color is not.
