I do not know about you, but “Mom, what’s for dinner?” has to be the most dreaded question I hear on a daily basis…Do they really expect dinner every night? Apparently so.
Let me just preface this by saying that I am not a cook, nor do I really enjoy cooking, so I tend to stick to the basics like spaghetti, tacos, soup and grilled cheese, chicken, mac and cheese, etc. But, when I don’t feel well or just don’t feel like cooking, it is extremely tempting for me to call my husband and ask him to bring take-out dinner on his way home from work.
I am trying to stop making that call often because I don’t want to teach my children bad habits like eating out all the time, therefore I try to keep some kid-friendly and easy recipes on hand that do not take a lot of time and energy to make.
Enter: Ground Turkey Sloppy Joes
As a kid, Sloppy Joes were one of my favorite meals, so I have always kept this recipe on the back-burner when I need to get something on the table but don’t have a lot of time. My children like turkey more than beef, so this is a recipe I found that they love from Country Living.
Ingredients:
2 tbsp olive oil
1 medium yellow onion, chopped
1 red bell pepper, chopped
1 carrot, chopped
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
2 cloves garlic, pressed
1 lb. lean ground turkey or chicken
1 tbsp. chili powder
1/4 tsp. ground cinnamon
1 (8-ounce) can tomato sauce
1/4 c. sweet relish
2 tsp. Worcestershire sauce
2 tbsp. red wine vinegar, divided
3 Persian cucumbers, thinly sliced
1/2 c. thinly sliced red onion
6 thick slices toast or split burger buns
- Heat oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add yellow onion, bell pepper, and carrot. Season with salt and pepper. Cook, stirring occasionally, until tender, 6 to 8 minutes. Add garlic and cook, stirring occasionally, until fragrant, 30 seconds. Add turkey and cook, breaking it up with a spoon, until no longer pink, 4 to 6 minutes. Add chili powder and cinnamon. Cook, stirring occasionally, 1 minute. Add tomato sauce and relish. Simmer until beginning to thicken, 2 to 4 minutes. Stir in Worcestershire and 1 tablespoon vinegar.
- Toss together cucumbers, red onion, and remaining tablespoon vinegar in a bowl. Season with salt. Let sit, tossing occasionally, 4 to 6 minutes. Spoon meat mixture on top of toast and top with pickles.
