Sloppy Joe

There was one time when hubby picked a can of Sloppy Joe, for one of those items to be added to the pantry for a quick fix supper (we had been doing more of this time-saving measure since I started working at home). I have tasted the canned one, and looked at (and tried to bury in my memory) the ingredients. I thought I probably could make my own (the control freak that I am strikes again!). This is my version of Sloppy Joe.

Ingredients:
1 pound ground beef
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 medium onion, chopped
1 red bell pepper, chopped
1 small can tomato sauce + 1 can water
1/4 cup ketchup (approximate)
3 tbsp sugar (or to taste)
Shredded cheese (for topping; optional; hubby likes it so)

Procedure:
Brown the beef. When it renders oil, remove extra oil and leave about 1 tbsp. Saute the garlic followed by the onion. Give it a dash of salt and pepper, then add the rest of the ingredients. Stir well, and let simmer for at least 10 minutes, then add salt and pepper to taste. You may try to adjust the sugar and ketchup as well. Serve on burger buns and top with shredded cheese as desired.