Tangy Turkey Sloppy Joe’s

Sloppy Joe’s are a classic, there’s nothing new here. For years it’s been a go-to easy-to-make dinner. Chop meat, the Manwich can are the main ingredients, serve on toasted buns with fries on the side. Pretty simple, totally delicious. But things these days are a little different, we are trying to be a little more health conscious, eat a little less out of a can or package, take a bit more control over what goes in. I wanted to make tangy turkey sloppy joe’s and couldn’t find the seasoning packet (too much salt in the can variety), so I decided to make my own. Read on to learn more

Turkey

As I seek alternatives to red meat, turkey has become a good choice, especially when it comes to chop meat. Ground turkey is flavorful, fewer calories, less fat, less saturated fat, but the same amount of protein, a good choice. I’m also looking at my sodium intake, it affects my blood pressure, and, as good as a can of Manwich is, it contains nearly 20% of my daily intake, that’s a lot. So, there are alternatives, low sodium products to make sloppy joe’s, but on this occasion I couldn’t find any. Looks like I’ll have to make my own.

This post is part of my cooking for one series, and, the measurements reflect that. Just double what I have listed to feed two or three people. Now I have that out of the way, let’s move on to the fun stuff. Now, I’m not going to claim to be good enough to put together sloppy joe’s from scratch without any guide. I obviously wandered the internet for some ideas, compare some of what I see, and, look to see what I have in my own closet for ingredients. One thing I do have though, with the little experience that I have, is the ability to understand flavors. This is what I came up with, and, it’s pretty good.

What’s in it?

I want this sloppy joe to have some depth of flavor. I’m going to use an aromatic mirepoix to accomplish that. Vegetables sautéed to create a base. As I had mentioned, these measurements are for one, double to feed 2-3. Start with 1/2 medium onion, 1/2 medium bell pepper and a few cloves of garlic. Dice them fine and set aside.

8oz of ground turkey. This usually comes in 16oz package, so when you return from the store, separate into two baggies and freeze. Read my cooking for one post for more ideas.

Now to move on to the flavor enhancers. 1/2 cup of ketchup, this will add tang to the dish, 1 teaspoon garlic powder. I’ve found adding garlic powder even though fresh garlic is in a dish adds to the flavor. 1 tablespoon of tomato paste, the thickness of the tomato paste gives the sloppy joe’s some body. Salt and pepper to taste, 1 tablespoon of Worcestershire sauce and a tablespoon of olive oil round out the ingredients.

How to

Now all the ingredients are ready, preheat a pan over medium heat, add the tablespoon of oil. When the oil is warm add the pepper, onion and garlic, cover and allow to cook till soft, stirring occasionally, do not allow to burn. Now add the ground turkey and salt and pepper. Break up the meat as it cooks, when it’s completely crumbled and mixed with the vegetables, add the rest of the ingredients, mix well, turn the heat to low, cover and let cook at least 15 mins, stirring occasionally. That’s it, homemade turkey sloppy joe’s from scratch. The classic serving would be on toasted buns with oven baked fries on the side. Enjoy and thanks for reading