What's up Wednesday--sloppy joes

Sloppy joes are a huge comfort food for me and bring back lots of memories.  I went to college at BYU which was a long, long way from my immediate family, but very close to my extended one--my grandparents, aunts, uncles and cousins.  During my freshman year I was extremely blessed that every week my DeeDee and Grum (my maternal grandparents) would make the hour long drive down to see me, take me to dinner and then leave me with some wonderful food that would feed me for about a week until they came down again.  After my freshman year and until I graduated, they still came down often to take me to dinner and bring me food, but usually not weekly.  Man, was I spoiled!!  and very lucky!  One of the dishes my DeeDee would bring me in her weekly rotation was her sloppy joes with a bag of buns and potato chips.  So, this food has been part of my life for a long time.  She made sloppy joes for us when I was growing up, and we would visit her too.  It was from her I learned potato chips are essential when you eat sloppy joes--they are even good on them (My 8 year old boy loves them this way), and sliced sweet pickles and cheese are also essential.  Potato chips are something we seldom eat at our house, but my kids know if sloppy joes are on the menu, then so are potato chips, and sweet pickles and cheese.  Certain things just naturally go together :)  So this is my DeeDee's sloppy joe recipe that helped sustain me and get me through college.  What a blessing!  Thank you DeeDee and Grum!  This is a perfect crock pot recipe and will freeze really well too.

DeeDee's Sloppy Joes

2 lbs hamburger

one onion, chopped fine

one green pepper, chopped fine

Brown the hamburger with the chopped onion and green pepper.  Drain.

Then either put in a crock pot or a big pot on the stove--depending on your time

Add  

3/4 cup ketchup

1 can chicken gumbo soup

1 Tab mustard

1 Tab Worcestershire sauce

1/4 cup brown sugar

Mix well and simmer an hour in the pot on the stove or cook on low for however long you need it to in a crock pot.  I have made it in the morning and left it on low all day.  I have made it in the afternoon and left it on low for just a few hours. It just needs to heat and let all the flavors blend. Serve with potato chips, sweet pickles, and cheese :)