By Four hundredth post. Christmas week 2023. The household has Brayden two and a half, Harper eleven months, two parents who have been married for three years, an uncle who has been off parole for a year and a half, a grandmother dating a kind man named Roy, an aunt who drives down for Christmas. Mama and Cody and Dustin and Brayden and Harper and Roy and Aunt Tammy at the table for Christmas Eve dinner. The recipe was ground turkey Sloppy Joes — the dish Mama brought to me on a Wednesday in 2017 when Cody was inside the unit and I had not been able to cook all week, and that has stayed on the rotation ever since.
The recipe is below.
Ground Turkey Sloppy Joes
Prep Time: 10 minutes | Cook Time: 20 minutes | Total Time: 30 minutes | Servings: 6
Ingredients
- 1 1/2 lbs ground turkey (93% lean)
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 small yellow onion, finely diced
- 1 small green bell pepper, finely diced
- 3 cloves garlic, minced
- 3/4 cup ketchup
- 2 tablespoons tomato paste
- 1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
- 1 tablespoon brown sugar
- 1 teaspoon yellow mustard
- 1/2 teaspoon smoked paprika
- 1/4 teaspoon black pepper
- 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt, or to taste
- 1/4 cup water
- 6 hamburger buns, toasted
Instructions
- Sauté the vegetables. Heat olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the diced onion and green bell pepper and cook, stirring occasionally, for 4–5 minutes until softened. Add the minced garlic and cook 30 seconds more until fragrant.
- Brown the turkey. Add the ground turkey to the skillet, breaking it up with a wooden spoon. Cook over medium-high heat for 6–8 minutes, until no pink remains and the meat is cooked through. Drain any excess liquid if needed.
- Build the sauce. Reduce heat to medium-low. Stir in the ketchup, tomato paste, Worcestershire sauce, brown sugar, yellow mustard, smoked paprika, salt, and pepper until evenly combined.
- Simmer. Add the water and stir to loosen the mixture. Let the sloppy joe filling simmer uncovered for 8–10 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the sauce thickens and clings to the turkey.
- Taste and adjust. Taste the filling and adjust salt, pepper, or brown sugar to your preference. The sauce should be savory with a mild sweetness and a little tang.
- Serve. Spoon the filling generously onto toasted hamburger buns and serve immediately. Pairs well with coleslaw, pickles, or a simple green salad.
Nutrition (per serving)
Calories: 370 | Protein: 28g | Fat: 11g | Carbs: 38g | Fiber: 2g | Sodium: 680mg