Joanne Sluke's Homemade BBQ Recipe

Grandma Jo made the best BBQs, here is her original recipe for the best BBQs.

Some people call this meal Sloppy Joes, but in our family (and most of the upper midwest) we call them BBQs.

For the longest time I thought that my mom always made the best BBQs, but it turns out she was using my Grandma Jo's recipe!

I personally have never made the full portion of the original recipe, we usually just do 1/3rd of the original recipe which feeds about 2 or 3 people.

Grandma Jo's Original Recipe For BBQs

Bar-B-Q - Joanne Sluke

• Brown 3 lb. ground beef + onion (drain)
• Add:
  • 1 cup Ketchup
  • 2 T. Brown Sugar
  • 2 T. Vinegar
  • 2 T. Mustard
  • 1 t. salt
  • 1 15oz. canned tomato sauce
• Simmer for 1/2 hour - better if let stand longer

Smaller Portion Recipe: 1/3rd of the Original Recipe

The original recipe makes a hefty portion of BBQs - Grandma had 5 boys to feed!

When my wife and I make these we typically do 1/3rd of the original recipe and only use 1 LB of ground beef.

This can feed around 3 people (or just us 2 with a BBQ or 2 for leftovers).

For the smaller portion, we just take 1/3rd of all of the ingredients (e.g. 2 Tablespoons turns into 2 Teaspoons)

Smaller Portion Recipe

• Brown 1 lb. ground beef + onion (drain)
• Add:
  • 1/3 cup Ketchup
  • 2 t. Brown Sugar
  • 2 t. Vinegar
  • 2 t. Mustard
  • 1/4 t. salt
  • 1 8oz. canned tomato sauce
  • Note: A true 1/3rd of the original recipe would be 5 oz. of tomato sauce but most cans I see come in 8 oz. so I just go with that.
• Simmer for 1/2 hour - better if let stand longer

❤️ In Loving Memory of Joanne Sluke

I posted this recipe in loving memory of my wonderful Grandma Jo.

She was an amazing woman that loved unconditionally.

Our family has many beautiful memories of Grandma Jo.

From hosting all of the uncles and cousins during hunting season to hosting the entire Sluke family during Christmas at the Sluke farm in Fordville, North Dakota.

She is missed dearly and will be forever in our hearts ❤️