Teriyaki Joes

This may make me un-American, but I need to admit something. I hate Sloppy Joes. Now, I try not to use the term "hate" too often because it's a very strong word. However, I mean it.

I would eat it if my mama made it for dinner as a child because she didn't make alternative meals. If you didn't eat with the family, you didn't eat. I don't believe I've had a Sloppy Joe in over a decade.

When Phil and I were engaged, we had a wedding shower at Phil's home church. One of the gifts we received was a typed up book of family recipes from a sweet old lady. From the first recipe we tried, we have LOVED this book! We have yet to try a recipe that wasn't delicious. There was a special section for sandwiches that included a recipe for Teriyaki Joes. They are essentially Sloppy Joes, but with teriyaki sauce. I was willing to give it a try since Phil is a fan of Sloppy Joes.

It rocked my world folks! This recipe is now a staple in our house. We made it for dinner tonight so I thought I'd share this yummy, and easy dinner! Any changes to the original recipe are marked in italics.

Teriyaki Joes
Serves 6

Ingredients:
1 lb ground beef
1 can (14.5 oz) diced or stewed tomatoes
1 medium onion, chopped (we omit this if we don't have it on hand)
1/4 cup teriyaki sauce
1 Tbsp prepared mustard
1/8 tsp black pepper
1-1/2 to 2 Tbsp of all-purpose flour
6 hamburger buns
6 slices of American cheese

{My sweet, (and clearly happy), helper for the evening :)} 

{Brown meat, (and onion if you are using), in a skillet. Drain grease from pan} 

{I usually measure out the other ingredients ahead of time}

{The mustard and teriyaki sauce} 

{We usually use stewed tomatoes, but we had a can of diced in the pantry. Either will work just fine} 

 

{Add the tomatoes and stir in to beef (and onion)}

{Add the teriyaki sauce, mustard, and black pepper} 

{Bring to a boil, then lower the temperature to low}

{Simmer uncovered for 15 minutes, stirring occasionally}

{Because the mixture is a little runny for me, this is where I add the flour. Depending on how it looks, I will add 1-1/2 to 2 Tbsp of flour to the mixture until it looks like this...} 

 {That's better :)}

{Spoon mixture on a hamburger bun. We add a slice of American cheese} 

{We serve it with sweet potato fries! I can make my own, but for the nights I'm in a hurry, I'll use frozen which taste just as good}