Ingredients

• 1 pound ground turkey, tofu, or plant-based crumbles

• salt and freshly ground black pepper

• 1/2 cup yellow onion, chopped

• 2 cloves garlic, minced

• 8 ounces tomato sauce

• 1/3 cup ketchup, or more, to taste

• 1/4 cup barbecue sauce

• 1 Tablespoon Worcestershire sauce

• 1 teaspoon prepared yellow mustard

• 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder

• 5 whole wheat hamburger buns

Instructions

1. Add turkey to a large oiled (extra virgin olive oil) pan over medium heat. Season with salt and pepper. Cook, crumbling and stirring until browned. Remove grease.

2. Add onion and garlic and cook for a few minutes. Stir in the remaining ingredients.

3. Simmer for 20 minutes, stirring occasionally.

4. Serve warm, inside a toasted hamburger bun.

notes

• Make-Ahead Instructions: The sloppy joe meat filling can be made up to 2 days ahead of time, depending on the freshness of the beef. Store in the refrigerator and reheat and serve on toasted buns when ready to eat.

• Freezing Instructions: Allow the mixture to cool completely and store it in an air-tight, freezer-safe container for up to 3 months. Thaw in the fridge overnight and reheat on the stove.

• Variations:

  • Add Veggies: Diced bell peppers, zucchini, spinach, or shredded carrot, can easily be added to this recipe and your kids won’t even notice a difference.

  • Hawaiian Sloppy Joes: Substitute more BBQ sauce for the ketchup and add 8 oz., drained crushed pineapple.

  • Asian Sloppy Joes: Add 1 tablespoon ground ginger and substitute 1 tablespoon hoisin sauce for the Worcestershire sauce. If desired, mix in thinly sliced cucumber slices, chopped water chestnuts, or shredded carrot.

  • Low Carb Sloppy Joes: Serve in a lettuce leaf, or serve open-face on a low-carb bun, with a piece of cheese placed on top, and broiled in the oven for 2 minutes.

• Serve with:

  • Green Salad, Cucumber Onion Salad, or Fresh Corn Salad

  • Cold Cut Veggies and dip, Roasted Vegetables, or Corn on the Cob

  • Baked Beans or Potato Salad

  • Mac and Cheese or Macaroni Salad

  • French Fries, Potato Wedges, or Sweet Potato Fries

  • Potato Chips

nutrition

• Calories: 345kcal

• Carbohydrates: 37g

• Protein: 24g

• Fat: 11g

• Saturated Fat: 4g

• Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g

• Monounsaturated Fat: 4g

• Trans Fat: 1g

• Cholesterol: 59mg

• Sodium: 850mg

• Potassium: 640mg

• Fiber: 2g

• Sugar: 14g

• Vitamin A: 315IU

• Vitamin C: 6mg

• Calcium: 109mg

• Iron: 4mg