I had a nice long 4-day weekend this weekend and I didn’t do much but read, relax and sleep. No, I wasn’t at the beach, or the lake, or the park, or the pool. I was home. I found myself going to Target two or three times just because I was bored and wanted someone to talk to. See, here in the Philadelphia area, people disappear in the summer. People either have a shore house or know someone who does. Or people go on their summer vacation, something I’ve been used to since growing up in Illinois (my birthday is in July and friends were always on vacation). Going into the weekend, I took a deep breath and resigned myself to the fact that I’d be riding solo all weekend. My only plans were to read and eat a turkey burger. Done and done. But once that was accomplished, I got bored again. So I started cooking these Sloppy Turkey and Chili Joes.

Ground turkey is cooked with onion and poblano pepper (one of my faves) until meat is browned and veggies are softened. Next, canned tomato sauce, a little brown sugar, Worcestershire sauce, chili powder, and garlic powder are added and brought to a simmer. This is such a quick and simple sloppy joe recipe that I honestly think this is my new go-to. It doesn’t require a slow-cooker or an electric skillet (what my mom used make her sloppy joes in) or a bunch of ingredients. The poblano pepper gives it a subtle bit of heat without it being too much (you can use green pepper here if you prefer) and the brown sugar gives it a mild sweetness that I like from my sloppy joes. These are messy, just the way you want them to be, so keep a lot of napkins on hand. I liked this so much that I might make another batch and eat it on some baby spinach or roasted veggies. It’s just as good when eaten with a fork.

If you like this, also check out Sweet Chili Rolls.

In a large nonstick skillet cook ground turkey, onion, and poblano pepper until turkey is no longer pink, stirring to break up turkey as it cooks.

Stir in tomato sauce, brown sugar, Worcestershire sauce, chili powder, and garlic powder. Bring to boiling; reduce heat. Cover and simmer for 15 minutes, stirring occasionally. Season to taste with salt and black pepper.

Place bun bottoms on serving plates; add cheese slices. Top each with turkey mixture. If desired, top with basil leaves. Add bun tops.

Additions:  None

Omissions:

• Monterey Jack cheese

Substitutions: None

Overall Rating: Love It

Source: Better Homes & Gardens magazine