T is for turkey. We’ve made this turkey “chili” recipe a few times before and quite enjoyed it. I always thought it tasted more like sloppy joes! So I tweaked it a little more on the sloppy joe end and also on the spicy chili end. You can always add more spice if you like a hotter chili, but it still keeps that sweet and subtle tang of childhood sloppy joe-ness.
Eldest doesn’t particularly like sweet potatoes unless they are crunchy chips, but by the time this is all cooked together, you’d never now they were there. It’s sloppy, it’s warming, it’s comfort food. Hubby enjoys the leftovers reheated with taco chips, like chili. I really like the English muffin base for lunches since it is a little smaller than burger buns but you can still pick it up and eat it. We have always done our sloppy joes open faced, but especially the second day or cooked down longer, the mixture will be thick enough to have it more burger style.
Turkey and Sweet Potato Spicy Sloppy Joes
serves 6
16 oz lean ground turkey
1 medium sweet potato, peeled and small diced (½-inch cubes)
8 oz can tomato sauce
¼ cup barbecue sauce
3 tbsp brown sugar (light brown muscovado sugar is supreme)
1 can of black beans
1 medium onion, chopped
½ tsp cumin
½ tsp chili powder
½ tsp paprika
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 bay leaf
1½ tsp Worcestershire sauce
1½ tsp red wine vinegar
1 tsp yellow mustard
3 shots of Tabasco or to taste
salt and fresh ground pepper to taste
¼ cup water or broth
shredded cheese for topping
In a large skillet, over medium heat, add a tbsp of avocado or olive oil. Add in the garlic, chopped onion, sweet potato, and bell pepper, and saute until onion is translucent, about 5 minutes. Transfer to a bowl and set aside.
Add another tbsp oil and add the turkey to the skillet, seasoning with salt and pepper. Break up the meat with a wooden spoon or spatula and add the cumin, chili powder, and paprika. Cook until lightly browned, stirring occasionally, 5 to 7 minutes.
Once turkey is cooked, add the onion and bell pepper mixture back in, along with the bay leaf. Then add in tomato sauce, barbecue sauce, sugar, Worcestershire sauce, vinegar, mustard, Tabasco to taste, and water or broth. Mix to combine and bring to a simmer, then reduce heat to low and cook for 10 minutes longer until the sauce thickens. Thin with a little water or cook longer as needed to reach desired consistency. (Remove bay leaf before serving.)
Serve on fresh burger buns or English muffins with a side of chips!
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| This day was lunch on English muffins, before adding cheese. |
As part of the 2026 Alphabet Challenge, organized by A Day in the Life on the Farm, we are sharing recipes that begin with T or include ingredients or methods that begin with T:
