The Best Turkey Sloppy Joes

These past few weeks have just flown by! They were full of wonderful moments, people and love. This gal turned another year older too! Hello to the new 21 plus some *wink wink*

There have been birthday celebrations, dining out, dinners made for me and basically no actual cooking by me for the past two weeks! The break was amazing but I did miss the kitchen.

I was spoiled beyond words with beautiful messages, time spent with my favorite people and the most amazing gifts (that were not necessary but completely appreciated!)

A burger bar seemed to be a hit at my sister’s and my birthday bash, I just wish I had some photos to show. Maybe next time!

Later in the week, my sister, momma and I went to Cure for a mother-daughter lunch and it did not disappoint!

The whole experience of the restaurant is rustic, beautiful and centered around farm-fresh ingredients. The menu offers a variety of delicious choices from amazing appetizers, their own varieties of smoked bacon, unique sandwiches and main dishes, to tasty desserts and cocktails.

We started with a birthday drink and this Sangria was amazing! It had just the right amount of rose wine and peach flavors. I should have these more!

Our waiter was the cutest boy there ever was!

We shared calamari as our appetizer, made with banana peppers, lemon and a wonderful sweet chili sauce.

I wasn’t feeling like being fancy for our birthday lunch so the burger with BBQ seasoned fries sounded tasty. It was a celebratory occasion so there was no guilt with the fries! They were worth it!

We ended our lunch with the best dessert ever- frozen yogurt! I will never say no to that. Ever.

I feel so blessed with how the past two weeks have gone and look forward to whatever this next year of life brings my way!

After living in a birthday bubble, it was time to get back into my normal role and I couldn’t think of a better meal to start with than my Turkey Sloppy Joes. This is an easy, flavorful dish that you can serve on your favorite roll, on top of zucchini noodles, pasta or enjoy with a side salad. I’ve eaten it in a bowl with a spoon before, it’s that delicious. Don’t judge.

Turkey Sloppy Joes

Serves 6-8

Ingredients

• 1 1/2 tbsp olive oil
• 1 1/2 cups of onions, diced
• 1 red bell pepper, diced
• 1-2 jalapeños, diced (ribs and seeds removed)
• 2 tsp minced garlic
• 2 lbs ground turkey
• 2 tbsp spicy montreal steak seasoning (or regular montreal steak seasoning for less spicy)
• 1 tbsp chili powder
• 2 tsp ground mustard
• 2 tsp garlic powder
• 1/2 cup brown sugar**
• 3 tbsp Worcestershire sauce
• 2 tbsp red wine vinegar
• 4 cups tomato sauce
• 4 tbsp tomato paste
• 1 tsp black pepper

** I will use truvia brown sugar blend to reduce my sugar intake. If using, only use 1/4 cup due to the increased sweetness.

Directions

In a large saute pan, heat olive oil over medium high heat. Add onion, red and jalapeño peppers to pan and sauté for about 5 minutes until slightly tender.

When vegetables tender, add ground turkey and season with montreal steak seasoning (spicy or regular). Sauce turkey until browned and cooked thoroughly.

Next, add all remaining seasonings to ground turkey including chili powder, ground mustard, garlic powder, and brown sugar. Mix well.

Then add worcestershire sauce and red wine vinegar.

Add tomato sauce, tomato paste and season with black pepper.

Bring mixture to a boil and then reduce heat to a low simmer. Allow to simmer for 15-20 minutes for flavors to combine and sauce to thicken.

Then serve whichever way you like! The mister can’t seem to live without his carbs. It may not be the prettiest meal, but you won’t deny how amazing this tastes!

Happy eating!