Sloppy Joe's

• Recipe FOUND HERE
• 
  
• 1-1/4 pounds 90% lean ground beef
• 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
• 2 Tablespoons butter
• 1 medium yellow onion, finely diced
• 1 red bell pepper, finely diced
• 3 cloves garlic, roughly chopped
• 3/4 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
• 1-1/2 teaspoons smoked paprika
• 3/4 teaspoon ground cumin
• 1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
• 3/4 teaspoon dry mustard
• 1 (14-oz) can tomato sauce
• 2 Tablespoons tomato paste (or 1 small can)
• 1 Tablespoon Worcestershire Sauce
• 1/2 teaspoon Tabasco 
• 1-3 teaspoons brown sugar (optional, if you like a sweet sauce)
• Hamburger buns
• butter

In a medium bowl, using your hands, combine the beef with baking soda. Let it sit on the counter for 20-25 min to tenderize. 

Preheat the oven to 350°F and set a rack in the middle position.

1. Heat the butter in a large skillet over medium heat until bubbling. Add the onion, bell pepper, and garlic and cook, stirring frequently, until softened, 4 to 6 minutes.
2. Add the beef, salt, pepper, smoked paprika, cumin, oregano, and dry mustard and cook, breaking up meat with wooden spoon, until mostly brown, about 3 minutes. Add the tomato sauce, tomato paste, Worcestershire sauce, and hot sauce. Reduce the heat and simmer, uncovered, until the sauce is thickened, about 10 minutes.
3. Meanwhile, butter the inside of the buns and place on a baking sheet, butter side up. Toast in the oven until warmed through and lightly crispy, about 5 minutes.
4. Spoon the mixture onto the toasted hamburger buns and serve.

Oma's Spaghetti Sauce

(Oma J.)

2 Tablespoons olive oil
Onion, 2-3 rings chopped
3 garlic cloves, sliced
2 cans whole peeled tomatoes, 28 ounces each
3 cans tomato paste, 6 ounces each
½ teaspoon basil
½ teaspoon oregano
Garlic salt (or garlic powder)
Pepper
3 teaspoons sugar

Add oil in pan on medium low. Add onion and garlic into the pot and cook about 5 minutes. Blend whole tomatoes in blender and add to pot along with the paste.

Add basil, oregano, garlic salt, and a little salt and pepper. Stir with spoon until very smooth. Add sugar (sometimes tomatoes are not very sweet) taste sauce to see if it is bitter. If so, then add more sugar, about 2 teaspoons and stir. Let sauce simmer with a lid cracked about an hour and half, stirring occasionally.

Meatballs: Sprinkle the meat with a little salt and pepper, then put into frying pan on medium low. Cook about 20 minutes with cover on, check often. After they are through cooking add them to the sauce. When you add the meatballs cook sauce another 30 minutes.