Hamburger Goo Sandwiches…Say WHAT?
When I found this handwritten recipe in Mom’s old recipe box I must say I wasn’t sure what to expect.
But since my mom was the best cook I’ve ever known I was willing to give it a try.
My mom lived through the Depression, and she absolutely knew how to stretch a dollar…and how to stretch a pound of hamburger. You’ll notice this recipe uses only one pound of hamburger, yet it makes six sandwiches! And the ingredients are so very simple. So simple, in fact, that I didn’t even have to head to the grocery store before I made the sandwiches!
I have NO IDEA where Mom got this recipe. And I have even less of an idea how the recipe got it’s bizarre name. But all of the ingredients were already in my refrigerator and pantry….so here goes!
Mom’s recipe only listed the ingredients and she didn’t list the method, so I made it up as I went along. I WILL make a change when I make this recipe again, since I will wait to add the flour until after I saute the onion and celery. This time I added it after the hamburger was browned, so the flour would cook out the floury taste, but next time I will wait until the veggies are cooked and then stir in the flour. (I wrote the recipe card below with this change in mind.) I also added 1/3 cup of water to the cooking process since the mixture was quite thick. (I’m guessing that ketchup (or catsup as Mom called it) is thicker these days than it was in the 1950’s…so a little more liquid was needed for my taste.
First I browned the hamburger, and I cooked it until all the juice evaporated. Then I stirred in the flour. (I will WAIT to add the flour until after I add and cook the veggies next time!)
Then I added the diced celery and diced onion. (Next time I’ll saute the veggies here and then add the flour and cook for several minutes before adding the rest of the ingredients.)
I added 1/3 cup of water…
I stirred in the brown sugar…
And I added the Apple Cider Vinegar…
I had a hard time justifying 3/4 CUP of ketchup…but I trusted Mom and I dumped it in…
I stirred everything together, and to make sure the celery and onions were super tender I stuck a lid on the pan for a few minutes to allow the mixture to steam. And when I removed the lid? That old Hamburger Goo was looking and smelling pretty darn good!
So, once again, Mom was right. This recipe is delicious.
And after Peepaw took his first bite, he looked at me and a wide grin broke out on his face.
“I remember these sandwiches! Your mom used to make them!”
And THAT, Dear Readers, is why Mom’s recipe box is becoming even more precious to me. And that Hamburger Goo was another warm HUG…straight from Heaven!
Hamburger "Goo" Sandwiches
Ingredients
- 1 lb. Ground Beef
- 1 C. Celery Diced
- 1/2 C. Onion Diced
- 2 Tbsp Apple Cider Vinegar
- 1 Tbsp Brown Sugar
- 3/4 C. Ketchup
- 1/3 C. Water
- 1/2 tsp Dry Mustard
- 2 Tbsp Flour
Instructions
-
Brown the ground beef and drain excess fat if needed. Then add celery and onion. Cook until vegetables are soft. Sprinkle the flour over the meat and vegetable mixture and stir well to combine. Stir in all other ingredients and mix well. Simmer (covered) for a few minutes. Add a small amount of additional water if mixture is too thick. Spoon onto buns...and wait for the compliments to roll in!
These are what my mom called “Sloppy Joes” and they were always a big hit and frankly still are!
Thanks for the comment Candy! The name Hamburger Goo just made me laugh when I saw it.? Most Sloppy Joe recipes I’ve seen don’t call for celery. Did your mom’s? Always something new to learn from past generations…!
I still make this every once in a while and refer to it as Sloppy Joe and I add chopped green pepper instead of celery but I think the next time I make it I will add the celery….
Thanks for your comment Vickie. It’s amazing how easy it is to hide healthy ingredients in the foods we serve our families. And once children learn to eat those hidden veggies it’s time to introduce them to the single ingredients. Bon Appetit!
xoxo
Meemaw
I had to hide veggies all the time when my kids were growing up. They never seemed to notice. 🙂
Barb
LOL! Our boys were very good at trying new things. I tried to never make a big deal out of new foods…I just served them to all of us and I ate them without much fanfare. Whatever works for YOU parents!!! (And thanks for your comment Barb!)
So I’m curious as to why you will wait to add the flour next time. Seems like you added it at the right time this time.
Thanks Monica! Yes…I added the flour to the browned meat since I wanted the flour to cook. But NEXT time I will brown the meat, then add and cook the veggies and THEN sprinkle in the flour and cook for a minute before adding all the other ingredients. Stay tuned…I’ll let you know which way works best. ☺ But either way this sandwich is worth making!
I would call this sloppy joe and yes my original version called for diced celery. I got the first recipe for sloppy joes from my home ec class in the early sixties. I have modified it since then with a bit more zip from chili powder , garlic, etc. I also make a version that was originally from Campbell Soup company and it uses chicken gumbo soup. It remains a favorite in my family and in thiis area.
Thanks for your comment Nana! And guess what? Our Iowa farm family ate Sloppy Joes made with Chicken Gumbo Soup too! It’s amazing how food can tie us together…no matter WHERE or WHEN we live! 🙂
xoxo
Meemaw
My mom always said, the more vegetables the better, and they help to stretch that pound of hamburger! In fact, I would increase the onion to a full cup, too. I think we’re having these tonight!
Thank you for the comment Dorothy! And please let me know how you like them! (My mom would be SO PROUD to know her “GOO” lives on!) 🙂
My mom always said, the more vegetables the better, and they help to stretch the hamburger, too. We like onion so I’d increase it to a full cup. Delicious!
Absolutely Dorothy! In fact I sometimes add shredded carrots and finely diced celery to my meatballs. Carrots always add a touch of sweetness to pasta sauce. And the more layers of flavor the better in MY book! Thanks for your comment…and Happy Cooking!
Had to hide veggies all the time when my sons were growing up!
That is so funny Barb! Our kids even loved LIVER AND ONIONS…until some kid at school told them it was gross! 🙂
Peer pressure is a tough nut to crack!!! LOL!
XOXO
Meemaw
My Great Grandmother, Grandmother, and Mother have passed this recipe on to one another and to myself. It has fed most family and friends at one time or another. It has been used as a fundraiser item many times over the years.
I even used this when i worked as a cook in a local restaurant and no matter how much i made we always sold out.
It’s an amazing humble little recipe and it’s always aquainted with fond memories.
Thanks so much for sharing your comments Denny. Isn’t it heartwarming to know how a simple recipe can bring back generations of memories!? It makes me happy to share that recipe with yet another generation…and I’m sure you have too! 🙂
XOXO
Meemaw
Hamburger Goo was a recipe in the Successful Farmer magazine years ago my mother made i love it thank you for bringing it back
Aww…Thank you SO MUCH for your kind comment Charles! I LOVE it when a food memory pops up for someone when they try one of my old family recipes! I’m so sorry it has taken me SO LONG to reply but if you check out my Meemaw Eats Facebook page I think you’ll see why! We are in the midst of a BIG adventure in the Outer Banks of North Carolina and I haven’t even touched my laptop for weeks! 🙂 I promise I’ll eventually get back to sharing family recipes. But in the meantime…enjoy that Hamburger Goo!!! 🙂
XOXO
Meemaw
We like Hamburger Goo much better than Sloppy Joe recipes that I have tried. I got a similar recipe from my aunt in a recipe box when we were married 50 years ago.
Thanks for your comment, Linda! And since we’ve been married more than half a century…I bet my mom and your aunt got the recipe at about the same time back then!
Happy Cooking!
XOXO
Meemaw
Meemaw, This was a family favorite of ours too. We found it in the Farm Journal in the 60’s. Beyond the strange name everyone we introduce it too loves it! Our friend Sharifa had to point out that our embellishment of buttered and toasted buns wasn’t in the original, our small tasty addition.Thanks for the wonderful blog post!
Aww…Thank you for your kind comment Tom! And Happy Cooking!
XOXO
Meemaw