Sloppy Joe’s and Dirt Cups – Fun Food for Summer!

Summer time is nearly here! This means that it’s time to start thinking about all the fun, summer foods that you will be eating and enjoying very soon.  Today we’ll be sharing two great recipes with you – Sloppy Joe’s and Dirt Cups. Both recipes are not only full of flavor but are also easy to make, something every cook likes to hear.

Sloppy Joe Sandwich Recipe
I’m not exactly sure how Sloppy Joe’s came to be, but there is a lot of speculation. Sloppy Joe’s were thought to have originated in the 1930′s or 1940′s using recipes from the beginning of the century as inspiration. These recipes focused on using ground beef, as this was a time that people found that they needed to stretch their food dollar as far as possible, and accordingly recipes using ground beef as a staple were explored.

If you have never eaten a Sloppy Joe sandwich before, once you see and/or take a bite you will understand how the sandwich got its name, which isn’t named after a specific person but used as a general reference instead; ‘Sloppy’ for its messy features and ‘Joe’, which is used to describe a regular, everyday person.

The Best Sloppy Joe Recipe Ever!
Ground Beef, 1 1/2 lbs
Onion, 1/2 cup
Ketchup, 1/2 cup
Fresh Tomatoes, 1/2 cup
Barbecue Sauce, 2 tbsp
Worcestershire Sauce, 1 tsp
Brown Sugar, 1/4 cup
Garlic Powder, 1 tsp
Hamburger Buns, 4

Cook ground beef until almost done. Add rest of ingredients, stir and simmer for another 10-15 minutes. Serve on your favorite hamburger bun or bread. Enjoy!

The Original Sloppy Joe Recipe
1/2 lb ground beef
1 can (1 lb) beans and ground beef in barbecue sauce
1/4 cup catsup
3 hamburger buns, split and toasted

1. In medium skillet, sauté meat, stirring, until it loses its red color.
2. Add beans and catsup, mixing well. Simmer, uncovered, 5 minutes. Spoon mixture over buns.
—McCall’s Cook Book, 1963

Dirt Cups Desert Recipe

Who likes dessert? I know I do! Desserts are so much fun to eat, and since there’s a large variety of desserts out there, there is surely something for everyone. This Dirt Cup recipe is super fun to make and really delicious to eat, so when it comes time to making dessert, you can gather both kids and adults together so they can make their very own Dirt Cup!

How to Make a Dirt Cup
First, make sure you have all the ingredients out to make the Dirt Cup. The following is a list of the usual ingredients, but feel free to experiment!

-Chocolate Pudding
-Vanilla Pudding
-Oreo Cookies
-Gummy Worms
-Cool Whip
-Clear Cups, Clear Spoons
-Baggies (for crumbling cookies)

For Kids

Have the kids create their Dirt Cup by making layers of pudding, cool whip, and Oreo cookies. When done, crumble a little Oreo cookie on top to make it look like dirt and then add a couple worms and presto! A delicious and fun Dirt Cup to enjoy!

For Adults

Take this simple kids dessert to another whole level by making all the ingredients gourmet! Simply buy a fancy pudding or mousse and your favorite cookies (the ones that are usually considered a splurge) and you just may be surprised at how delicious this adult Dirt Cup will be!

Guest post by Laura Foor, who works full-time as a freelance writer and has a focus on living a healthy lifestyle, with an emphasis on the importance that food plays. She loves writing recipes and wants everyone to enjoy cooking and eating as much as she does.  She is also a regular contributor for rangehoodhq.com. A site with expert advice on range hoods, especially wall mount range hoods and under cabinet range hoods.