Not Your Average "Sloppy" Joes

While I would love to always preplan for dinner and grocery shop for specific recipes, this is how I typically figure out what to make for dinner:  What do I have in the freezer/fridge/pantry? What can I make with it?  Several weeks ago, I thought 80 oz. of ground turkey from Sam's seemed like a great idea.  And actually, I've gone through most of it making burritos, nachos, and meat sauce.  But, I still have a bunch frozen and wanted to make something different with it.  So, I went to epicurious.com (a food site) and typed in "ground turkey."  And voila, a new recipe for my boring turkey and I had most of the ingredients.  Of course, I've noted the changes I made.  It's not too different from a regular sloppy joe, but it was really good.  Topping a biscuit instead of a bun was genius!  Overall a very tasty variation and not so sloppy when eaten with a fork!  Speaking of, I'm going to go heat up leftovers for lunch! 

Turkey Sloppy Joes on Cheddar Buttermilk Biscuits


yield: Makes 8 servings
active time: 40 min
total time: 1 3/4 hr (includes making biscuits)

Sloppy Joe Ingredients:

•3 tablespoons olive oil

•1 large onion, chopped

•2 celery ribs, chopped

•1 red bell pepper, chopped (only had green pepper, but I bet the red would've been good and sweet!)

•4 garlic cloves, finely chopped

•2 1/2 lb ground turkey (not labeled "all breast meat")

•1 teaspoon salt

•1/2 teaspoon black pepper

•1 (28- to 32-oz) can whole tomatoes in juice  (used diced)

•1/2 cup ketchup

•2 tablespoons molasses (not blackstrap)  (used up all my molasses on gingerbread men this x-mas! Used brown sugar)

•2 tablespoons cider vinegar

•1 1/2 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce

•1 1/4 teaspoons Tabasco, or to taste

Preparation:
Heat oil in a wide 8-quart heavy pot over moderately high heat until hot but not smoking, then sauté onion, celery, bell pepper, and garlic, stirring occasionally, until golden, 10 to 12 minutes. Add turkey and sauté, stirring occasionally and breaking up large lumps with a wooden spoon, until meat is no longer pink, about 5 minutes. Stir in salt and pepper.
Purée tomatoes with juice, ketchup, molasses, vinegar, Worcestershire sauce, and Tabasco in a blender until smooth. Add to turkey and simmer, uncovered, stirring occasionally, until sauce is thickened, 25 to 30 minutes.

Serve turkey sloppy joes on split Cheddar buttermilk biscuits.


Cheddar Buttermilk Biscuits

Yield: Makes 8 biscuits

Ingredients:
•1 3/4 cups all-purpose flour

•3/4 cup cornmeal (preferably stone-ground; not coarse)

•4 teaspoons baking powder

•1 teaspoon baking soda

•1 teaspoon salt

•1/2 stick (1/4 cup) cold unsalted butter, cut into 1/2-inch cubes

•6 oz extra-sharp Cheddar, coarsely grated (2 cups) (didn't even have the main ingredient! Used italian 6-cheese blend)

•3 tablespoons finely grated Parmigiano-Reggiano

•3 scallions, finely chopped

•1 1/3 cups well-shaken buttermilk (make your own buttermilk: 1 tbs. vinegar or lemon juice to 1 cup milk...that's what Martha Stewart does!)

Preparation:
Put oven rack in middle position and preheat oven to 450°F. Butter 1 large baking sheet.

Whisk together flour, cornmeal, baking powder, baking soda, and salt in a bowl, then blend in butter with your fingertips or a pastry blender until mixture resembles coarse meal. Stir in cheeses and scallions with a wooden spoon, then add buttermilk and stir until just combined.
Drop dough in 8 equal mounds about 2 inches apart on baking sheet. Bake until golden, about 15 minutes. Transfer to a rack and cool to warm, about 10 minutes, then cut in half horizontally.

Recipe found at epicurious.com (from Gourmet Magazine, September 2004)