'Grown-up' Turkey Sloppy Joes

This has to be the best meal I've made in a long time.

Sloppy Joes, how I have missed you. Growing up, we had sloppy joes pretty frequently, because they're cheap and easy to make, and oh-so delicious. Plus, messy food can be fun to eat - especially when you're a kid (or a kid stuck in a 25-year-old woman's body).

The traditional sloppy joe sandwich, at least in my house, consisted of scrambled hamburger and tomato sauce sandwiched between two hamburger buns. However, tonight I was in the mood for a healthier, "jacked up" sloppy joe sandwich - and the end result was pretty damn tasty.

Turkey Sloppy Joes

Yields: 2 servings

-1/2 package ground lean turkey (I freeze the other half for later in the week)

-1/2 green pepper, diced into chunks

-Tomato sauce (I used Classico's Fire Roasted Tomato & Garlic)

-1/4 white onion, diced

-3-4 jarred jalapenos, diced

-1/2 tsp. minced garlic, jarred

-Chili powder

-Salt and pepper

Directions: Heat onions in sauce pan with 1 tbsp. olive oil until translucent. Meanwhile, mix turkey, jalapenos, garlic, chili powder, salt and pepper in bowl. Add green peppers to pan with onions, and cook for about 1-2 minutes, until slightly soft. Add turkey, and mix well with onions and peppers. Add desired amount of tomato sauce (enough to cover turkey mixture). Cook on medium heat until turkey is cooked through.

I served my sloppy joes on toasted whole wheat bulkie rolls with slices of cheddar cheese. The cheese melted beautifully throughout the sandwich, and I had all I could do to not lick my plate clean - like I used to do when I was a kid, after eating mom's sloppy joes.

[Stay tuned next Wednesday to find out how I used the leftover ground turkey in a "Second Helping" recipe].

What was your favorite "messy" meal as a kid? 

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