Sloppy joes, slop, sloppy joes.

Billy Madison is one of the best movies of all time. I could probably quote the entire movie, so if you haven’t seen it, I’ll give you the cliffs notes version via quotes.

My favorite though is when the lunch lady comes around and says “Have some more sloppy joes. I made ’em extra sloppy for yous. I know how yous kids like ’em sloppy.” and Billy’s response is “lady, you’re scaring us.”

Every time I have seen anything that remotely resembles a sloppy joe, I immediately think of that crazy lunch lady. She’s amazing. That entire movie is amazing.

So in true lunch lady fashion, I made some sloppy joes. I love sloppy joes without shame or apology. They are messy and meaty and include ketchup as a key ingredient. I wouldn’t change a thing.

Except maybe I would call them sloppy lizzie’s… thoughts?

Have some more sloppy joes, won’t you?

Ingredients, makes 4-6 joes

1 pound ground beef

1 teaspoon olive oil

1 medium onion, chopped

2 celery stalks, chopped

1 carrot, peeled and chopped

2 cloves garlic, minced

8-ounce can tomato sauce

1/4 cup ketchup

1-2 tablespoons cider vinegar

1/2 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce

Salt and pepper

8 hamburger buns, I like the King’s Hawaiian brand

In a large skillet or saucepan over medium-high heat, brown the beef. Break it up into small bits as you cook. Once browned, transfer the beef and any juices to a clean bowl and set aside.

In the same pan over medium-high heat, warm a teaspoon of olive oil. Add the onions, celery, and carrots, and cook until the onions are translucent and the carrots look softened, about five minutes. Add the garlic and stir until fragrant, about thirty seconds.

Return the ground beef to the pan. Stir in the tomato sauce, ketchup, 1 tablespoon cider vinegar, Worcestershire sauce, salt, and black pepper. Cover and simmer for 15 minutes.

Serve on hamburger buns. Don’t forget a napkin.