Both my kids and my husband are huge fans of sloppy joes (okay, for the record, I’m not sure if it’s supposed to be joe or joes). As am I. But traditional sloppy joes are pretty loaded with sugar and fat. Especially if you use ground beef and ketchup, which is what most recipes call for…hello high fructose corn syrup!
I’ve made traditional sloppy joes before and managed to get it lighter, but wanted to try something a little different. I found a recipe in Real Simple that I decided to try – and lighten up – that had the basic sloppy joes components, with a twist. An Asian twist.
Say hello to Sweet & Sour Sloppy Joes! I modified the Real Simple Recipe by adding red bell pepper and hot pepper flakes, subbing honey for sugar and swapping ground beef for lean ground turkey. The result? A family pleasing, HEALTHY dinner. My kids, even my picky husband, gobbled it up.
You can serve this sandwich topped with some shredded cabbage or broccoli slaw for a little extra crunch and texture. I also added a side of raw sugar snap peas and it was a well rounded, super healthy meal.
And if this didn’t look good enough? It comes together in about twenty minutes. You’re welcome.
Gather
Step by Step
- Heat the olive oil in a large skillet over medium high heat.
- Add the scallions, bell pepper, pepper flakes and ginger to the pan. Cook, stirring often, till the peppers start to soften.
- Next, add the ground turkey. Break it up with a wooden spoon as it cooks.
- Continue cooking the turkey until it is browned.
- Mix the soy sauce, honey, tomato paste and water in a small bowl.
- Pour the liquid mixture over the turkey and stir well with a wooden spoon, making sure to scrape up all the yummy brown bits.
- Lower the heat and cook a few minutes longer until the mixture has thickened.
- Spoon the sloppy joes equally over the four buns - you can also top with shredded cabbage or broccoli slaw if so desired.
- Serve, with lots of napkins!
Nutrition
WW PP 9; Calories 361; Total Fat 9.9g; Saturated Fat 1.4g; Cholesterol 71mg; Sodium 737mg; Total Carbohydrates 38.8g; Dietary Fiber 4.4g; Sugars 19.3g; Protein 33.6g
Pingback: Menu Plan Your Butt Off {July 7, 2013} - Shrinking Kitchen()