Hey, turkey sloppy joes… Manwich has nothin’ on you!
I made these deliciously healthy sandwiches for my brother and his family, and everyone loved them. I’m pretty sure I heard my brother say, “These are way better than Manwich” (and I thought to myself, well… of course!). 
That’s what you get when you use fresh ingredients… more flavor, better for you, and more of a “yum factor” than something out of a can.
I should probably tell you the back story behind the name…
“Mrs. Macho Meat”.
Yes, this type of sandwich is normally called “sloppy joes”, but Bill and his friend, Tim (he’s the great guy who invented Volcano Dust
So, I figured I’d put a “Mrs.” in front of it for the turkey version. Hope they don’t mind me stealing their name!
One more thing… when “sloppy joes” has ever been mentioned in my 7+ years of knowing Bill, he of course has to sing the chorus to Adam Sandler’s Lunch Lady Song. I pretty much can’t stand it at all, but that certainly doesn’t stop him from singing it.
Here’s the link for the Lunch Lady Song on YouTube in case you have no idea what I’m talking about. If you only want to hear the chorus, skip ahead to 2:00 minutes.
Do you love it, or are you with ME on this one?
Rachael xoxo
Recipe adapted from Whole Foods
- 1 yellow onion, chopped
- 1 green bell pepper, chopped
- 3 tablespoons low-sodium tomato paste
- 1 cup carrots, grated
- 1 pound ground turkey breast
- 1 (15-ounce) can tomato sauce
- 4 pitted dates, chopped
- 4 teaspoons balsamic vinegar
- 5 teaspoons yellow mustard
- 6 whole grain hamburger buns
- Heat a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add onion and pepper and cook until starting to stick and lightly brown, stirring frequently, 4 to 5 minutes. Stir in tomato paste, carrots and 2 tablespoons water and cook 2 minutes longer or until carrots are tender, stirring occasionally and scraping any browned bits from the surface of the pan. Add turkey and cook 3 minutes or until turkey is no longer pink, stirring to break it up as it cooks. Stir in tomato sauce, dates, vinegar, mustard and ½ cup water and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to low, cover and simmer 15 minutes to blend flavors.
wow those look fabulous. Cant you taste the date in it?
Thanks, Betty! No, you can’t taste the dates at all. My brother and sister in law had no idea they were added.. and won’t know until they see this post. Lol.
Thanks. All of your dishes look so good. I did try the husband chicken last weekend and it was SO SO GOOD. I was wondering if you will do healthy deserts?
Yes, I was hoping to post a dessert recipe very soon. Since I only post the things we eat it’s usually just dinners, but I’m definitely trying to think of something good.
Let me know if you have any suggestions.
Probably something with fruit. Maybe grilled fruit toppegd with some type of frozen yogurt
For the record Macho Meat is hamburger, spaghetti sauce, onions, and peppers on wonder bread with a slice of cheese and mayo. As much as I love macho meat, I gotta say that Mrs. Macho Meat is better. The dates and balsamic add a nice sweetness without any added sugar. And if you are afraid of the dates don’t worry, you’d never even know they were in there.
Ok, your Macho Meat does sound pretty good… maybe I’ll let you make that for me some weekend… only if you use your homemade mayo and make homemade spaghetti sauce. You gotta step it up a little for me!
Glad you liked my Mrs. Macho meat! We’ll have to figure out when to make it again. Love you, sweetie!
You’re on. Love you too!
Yay! Can’t wait!
I made this tonight and it eas a hit!!!
I’m so glad to hear it, Liz! It IS super good!!
I just made Mrs. Macho Meat and it was awesome! Can’t taste the dates at all. Easy and yummy!!
Glad you tried it!
I made this last night and it was so good. I did not have dates but had celery so I used that. So good. Will make this again.
I’m so glad you liked it Betty… and I bet celery was a great addition!