Andrew's Joe

My son Andrew LOVES sloppy joes.  We learned that he couldn't get enough of them while on vacation. My dad thought it would be a great meal through the week for lunch; no one anticipated Andrew eating so much.  My dad used canned sloppy joe products to make them.

I wanted to take advantage of Andrew's love of a food, but make it healthier for our family.  You may or may not choose to add the beans to your sloppy joes; we are trying to increase fiber and protein in our diets so this is an easy way for me to do so.

While the kids will eat the meal on whole grain buns each night, John and I prefer to switch it up. Last night, we ate our leftovers over baked zucchini.  You could enjoy it over quinoa, pasta, or on lettuce leaves. 

INGREDIENTS:

Imagine black beans and tomato sauce

• Onion, chopped
• Bell pepper, chopped (I used red so it blended in more)
• 2 cloves garlic, chopped
• 1 pound ground turkey
• 1 can black beans, rinsed (optional)
• 1 T olive oil or cooking spray
• salt
• tomato sauce
• 1 tsp Worcestershire sauce
• 2 t hot pepper sauce
• 2 t maple syrup 

DIRECTIONS:

1. Heat oil in large skillet.  Add onion and bell pepper. Cook 4 minutes. Add garlic. Stir and cook an additional minute.  Set aside mixture in bowl.
2. Brown turkey in the same skillet.  Season with salt and pepper to taste.
3. Add mixture back to skillet, tomato sauce, Worcestershire sauce, pepper sauce, and syrup. Mix well. Reduce heat. Allow to thicken over medium-low heat for 15 minutes.

DIFFICULTY: Easy

TIME: 25 minutes

SOURCE: Adapted from Fixate