BBQ Sloppy Joes

This is my oldest daughter, Christie, enjoying the sandwiches!

I make these when I have a big group for an informal gathering. I get requests for this recipe every time I serve it to someone new. This is the basic recipe, but depending on how many people you are serving, it can be halved, doubled, tripled or even quadrupled. They are great for feeding a crowd.

Ingredients

2 lbs ground beef

1 tablespoon butter or margarine

1 tablespoon lemon juice

2 tablespoons red wine vinegar

2 tablespoons brandy (optional; I never use it because I never have any)

1/4 cup water

1 1/3 cups ketchup

2 tablespoons brown sugar

1 1/2 teaspoons dry mustard

1 teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon Accent (optional; I use this in just about everything)

1 1/3 cups finely diced celery

1/4 cup finely chopped onion

Instructions

In a large heavy skillet, brown beef, stirring frequently to prevent lumping. Reduce heat and cover to keep warm.

In a medium-sized saucepan, melt butter over medium heat and add lemon juice, vinegar, brandy (if desired), water and ketchup. Stir in sugar until dissolved, then add mustard, salt and Accent (if desired). Add celery and onion to sauce and heat thoroughly but do not cook so long that vegetables soften.

Drain any fat from the browned beef. Add sauce and vegetables and mix well.

Serve on hamburger buns.

Note: This will serve at least 8. And I don't mind if the vegetables do soften. If you prefer a crunch to the vegetables, don't overcook the sauce, but if you want your celery and onions cooked through, go ahead and keep the mixture warm in a crock pot or cook for a while on your stove after mixing sauce with the meat.