Dutch Oven Sloppy Joes

The next recipe in the Dutch oven cookbook was simple Sloppy Joes. Normally I make sloppy joes just by adding some ketchup to cooked hamburger. It's a quick, easy, kid-friendly dinner. However, this version called for bacon and barbecue sauce, and Wayne pronounced it the "Best Ever" Sloppy Joes. What do you think?

Dutch Oven Sloppy Joes

• 1/4 pound bacon, diced
• 1 medium onion, diced
• 1 pound lean ground beef
• 1 cup hickory-smoked barbecue sauce
• 1 teaspoon all-purpose seasoning

Cook bacon to desired doneness, then add onion and saute until soft. Add ground beef and cook until browned. Drain off grease, then stir in barbecue sauce and seasoning. Simmer for 10 minutes. Serve hot on hamburger buns, topped with a slice of cheese if desired.

This showed up on the menu for Halloween and was a delicious prelude to our Covid-friendly trick-or-treating preparations. We didn't have very many visitors, which was sad, but we still had a nice holiday celebration.

While the Sloppy Joes are made with ground beef, the next recipe in the book is exactly the same, just with chopped, cooked meat. Dutch Oven Barbecued Sandwiches are delicious also!