Roberta's Sloppy Joes

Since I got to do homage to my Grandma Pete in the last post, I thought I'd honor someone else's mom in this one. No, it's not my grandmother-in-law, Roberta, although she's sent me some fabulous recipes. This recipe comes from my August-Mom friend Sue, straight from her mom's recipe cards. And every time I make it, someone asks for the recipe. Super easy, super yummy, super sloppy. :)

Roberta's Sloppy Joes

1 1/2 pound ground beef
3/4 cup ketchup
4 Tablespoons Worcestershire sauce
1/4 cup white vinegar
1/2 cup water
4 teaspoons sugar
2 teaspoons dry yellow mustard
1 bag frozen corn (that's my mom's addition...gotta have corn in sloppy joes)
Hamburger buns

Brown the beef and drain off any grease.
Add all other ingredients and bring to a simmer.
Simmer for 20 minutes and serve -- OR -- spoon the meat mixture into a crockpot and cook on low for 2-4 hours.
Serve on hamburger buns.

Crockpot Breakfast Casserole

For years, I have looked for a breakfast that I could put in the crock pot the night before. It had to be something the kids would eat but not too loaded with sugar. And, I didn't want bread pudding. After many failed attempts, I found this one. It's simple and tasty.

Breakfast Casserole

12 eggs, beaten
14 slices bread
2 1/4 cups milk
2 1/2 cups Cheddar or Monterey Jack cheese, shredded
1 pound sausage, cooked and drained
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon ground black pepper
2 teaspoons prepared yellow mustard

1. Grease the sides of the crock pot with butter.
2. Spread mustard on one side of the bread and cut bread into fourths.
3. Make layers in the crock pot of bread, followed by sausage, followed by cheese, ending with a cheese layer.
4. Beat eggs, milk, salt and pepper together. Pour over crock pot mixture.
5. Cover and cook on LOW heat setting for 8 to 12 hours.

Sloppy Joes, slow-cooker style

From my friend, Sue, who got it from her mom, Roberta, who got it from a co-worker back in 1962. A good recipe will spread faster and last longer than ANY gossip! And like gossip, it changes a bit as it passes from one person to another. I added corn to sneak in some vegetables, and Sue adjusted it for crockpot.

1 - 1 1/2 pounds ground beef
1/2 to 3/4 cup ketchup
4 Tablespoons Worchestershire sauce
1/2 cup water
1 can corn, drained
1/8 to 1/4 cup white vinegar
4 teaspoons sugar
2 teaspoons dry mustard
Chopped onion and green pepper, optional
salt and pepper, to taste

Brown meat and drain. Add all other ingredients and pour into crockpot. Cook on low for 4 hours, or until warm throughout. Serve on hamburger buns.