I don’t want to grow up…

Sometimes there’s nothing better than a childhood favorite to satisfy your cravings. I remember eating sloppy joes a lot as a child, however now when I look back and think about the canned mystery meat I ate as a child it makes me cringe slightly at the notion. Nonetheless, I will not allow my adult self turn me away from something that once gave me so much pleasure. Nowadays I find myself trying to rediscover things that I loved as a kid, I tend to think that if they brought me happiness as a child they’ll bring me happiness as an adult…makes perfect sense to me. 🙂

When I decided I was going to make my own sloppy joes I immediately knew I was going to use ground turkey, I’m not a fan of ground beef or pork. To capture that quintessential sloppy joe flavor I knew needed to bring in some sweet tangy flavors into the tomato base sauce, BBQ sauce and carrots proved to be the perfect choices. Plus, I feel like adding carrots to the mix also makes it seem a little more sophisticated (if that’s possible for a sloppy joe) and carrots are packed with fiber, antioxidants, and minerals so you can feel a little healthier. YAY!

Turkey Sloppy Joes

Yields: 4-6 sandwiches

Prep Time: 10 minutes

Cook Time: 20 minutes

Ingredients

• 1 Tb Extra Virgin Olive Oil
• 1/2 lb. Ground Turkey
• 1/2 Chopped Sweet Yellow Onion
• 1 Clove of Garlic, Minced
• 8 oz. Tomato Sauce
• 1/8 Cup Light Brown Sugar
• 1/8 Cup of Your Favorite BBQ Sauce (My absolute favorite is Chris & Pitts)
• 1/2 Tb Worcestershire Sauce
• 1/2 Cup Shredded Carrots
• 4-6 Whole Wheat Hamburger Buns
• Salt & Pepper

Directions

1. Drizzle olive oil in a large sauté pan, then add ground turkey, onion, carrots, and garlic. Cook over medium high heat for 5 minutes. Separate and stir turkey with wooden spoon/spatula
2. Add tomato sauce, brown sugar, BBQ sauce, Worcestershire sauce to the mixture and cook for 15 minutes. Stir occasionally to ensure turkey is cooked through completely
3. While turkey mixture is cooking place buns in toaster oven and toast until slightly browned
4. Scoop a generous helping of the turkey mixture once done on each bun and enjoy!