Turkey Sloppy Joes

Step 1

PREP VEGGIES: Peel an onion and grate it on the large holes of a cheese grater. Mince the garlic, finely chop (or grate on the large holes) a carrot, finely chop the red pepper, and finely chop the mushrooms. ALTERNATIVELY, add a coarsely chopped carrot, coarsely chopped red pepper, and garlic to a food processor and pulse into diced pieces. Add the mushrooms separately and pulse into diced pieces.

Step 2

COOK VEGGIES: Add 1 tablespoon olive oil to a large cast iron skillet and place over medium high heat. Add in the onion, garlic, carrot, and bell pepper. Sauté for 5-7 minutes or until liquid from the veggies has evaporated. Add in the mushrooms and saute for another 2-3 minutes or until all veggies are mostly tender. Press veggies to the edges of the skillet and add 1 pound ground turkey in the center of the pan. Crumble the meat into small pieces and cook until no longer pink (but not cooked through all the way), about 5-8 minutes. As you crumble the meat, incorporate the veggies into the meat. Season with salt and pepper to taste.

Step 3

SAUCE: Whisk this sauce separately in a different bowl or just add it right into the skillet. Add the 1/2 cup ketchup, 1 (8 ounce) can tomato sauce, 1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce, 1 tablespoon red wine vinegar, 1 tablespoon brown sugar (Note 1), 1 teaspoon yellow mustard, 2 teaspoons beef bouillon powder, and 1/4 cup BBQ sauce. Stir well and then simmer the meat until fully cooked through and sauce has thickened, about another 3-5 minutes.

Step 4

FINISH: Remove the skillet from the heat. If desired, add some freshly grated cheese on top of the meat and let it stand (covered with a lid) for 2-3 minutes or until melted. Spoon the mixture on top of toasted buns (Note and enjoy immediately.