In The Kitchen: Turkey Picadillo Sandwiches

I loved lunch in Elementary school (how many kids can say that?)!  My favorite meal was sloppy joe's and almond cookies.  Prepared by Mrs. Ross, a retired cook (I suspect chef to be more accurate) these were not the typical sandwich you might think of ... they were unique and de-lish!  Any morning during choral practice, held above the cafeteria in the church sanctuary, that I caught an aromatic hint it would be sloppy joe's for lunch at St. Teresa's, I would sing out with glee.

Now I haven't had a sloppy joe in a very long time because the typical version doesn't get my adult taste buds very excited.  So I was thrilled when I discovered this recipe for something reminiscent of the sandwich Mrs. Ross prepared, with complex and unexpected flavors, and healthier fixin's for today's lifestyle too!

Made with lean ground turkey, veggies, fruit, and a rich tomato base intensified with sweet and savory spices, served on a whole grain bun or wrap, and topped with sour cream or greek yogurt, this is a complete meal and a nutritional powerhouse. And this simple dish really pleases the taste buds with a combination of sweet, sour, salty and unami hits. Unami?  Umami is described as a meaty or savory flavor that helps to balance all the flavors in a dish and fold them into a single sensation of deliciousness. So maybe instead of saying "yumm" we should say "Umami"!

The main culinary skill needed for this dish is chopping, just like the Beef, Butternut Squash and Balsamic Stew I posted here.  Once everything is chopped, you brown a few ingredients in a skillet, toss in the remainder of ingredients, and simmer for about 15 minutes and you have dinner.  We add a side salad (always topped with our "house" dressing, a Balsamic Vinaigrette, posted here).  You could add chips or fries as a side dish if you want a starch, but just so you know, this is a hearty filling meal.  We tend to eat large portions but still I would estimate you'll get 4 - 6 sandwiches from this recipe. Leftovers are great the next day, even cold if you can imagine! And yes, this does freeze very well.

Turkey Picadillo Sandwiches

from The Sugar Solution Cookbook, 

by the Editors of Prevention Magazine with Ann Fittanate, MS, RD

and slightly modified by me {FYI: you'll find several printing options at the bottom of this post.}

1 teas Olive Oil

1 lg. onion, finely chopped

1 lg red bell pepper, chopped (in the winter I use roasted red pepper in a jar)

1 lb. ground turkey breast (original recipe calls for 3/4 lb.)

2 cloves garlic, chopped (if I don't have fresh garlic I use equivalent Garlic Powder)

1 tablespoon chili powder

2 teaspoons ground cumin (if you like cumin - I do, feel free to add a bit more)

1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon (I use Saigon Cinnamon, it has a richer, deeper flavor)

1 can (16 ounce) no-salt-added tomato sauce (I just use regular tomato sauce)

3 tablespoons balsamic vinegar (I don't measure and I probably use closer to 5 tablespoons because we love this ingredient)

1/3 cup golden raisins, chopped

1/4 cup pimiento-stuffed green olives, chopped

1/4 teaspoon salt (I omit this since I use regular tomato sauce)

1/4 teaspoon fresh ground black pepper

whole wheat sandwich buns or wraps

sour cream or greek yogurt for topping, optional, my addition ... really nice with the tomato sauce :)

Instructions

Chop everything.  I chop the onion, red pepper, olives, THEN the raisins last because they make the knife very sticky.  Here's a couple Chopping Tips: - olives are round and like to roll away from the knife; take control and smash the olives flat using the full width of your knife, then chop ... much easier and safer!

{Smash olived with the flat side of your knife, then chop.  Once flat they can't run roll away!}

- lightly coating your knife with a cooking spray before chopping the raisins will make everything easier.

In the original recipe they have you brown the veggies then add the turkey to the same pan and cook.  You can do that if you want.  Something about leaving the rendered fat from the turkey in the recipe bothered me, even if you purchase lean turkey (93% lean). If you purchase 85% turkey I don't think that even qualifies for "lean" so you can do what I'll describe below.  My advise is only if you have 99% lean ground turkey breast meat that you can follow the brown veggies, toss in meat method from this paragraph.

Otherwise, do what I do: heat a nonstick skillet over medium heat. Add the oil and onion to the skillet, and cook the onion until almost caramelized. If using a fresh pepper, add now and cook until softened; if using a jarred pepper, just wait until later. Transfer the veggies to a plate and then add the turkey to the skillet.  Brown the turkey, remove* most of the rendered fat and dispose of, and add all veggies back to the pan. * tip for removing even a small amount of rendered fat easily from a pan

{Tilt your skillet so the rendered fat collects in the bottom of the skillet. Then ... (next photo)}

{... toss in a clean paper towel to absorb grease, then dispose of towel.}

Stir in the garlic (or garlic powder), chili powder, cumin, and cinnamon and cook for 1 minute to toast the spices and bring out their flavor.  Inhale deeply, this smells wonderful.  Add the tomato sauce, balsamic vinegar, raisins, olives, salt, and black pepper.  Bring to a simmer and cook for 15 minutes, or until thickened, stirring occasionally.  

Serve on buns or wraps, sour cream or greek yogurt topping optional.  

I refer to this as a "grown up" sloppy joe but I think this would have to be a family friendly meal ... kids would love this because of the sweet flavor ... sweetness from veggies and fruit, but hey, they don't need to know that!

{A Turkey Picadillo "sandwich" served on a whole wheat wrap.}

Printing

If you'd like to print this or any recipe on Happily Home After, scroll to the comment section and you'll find this icon:

You get to decide how much text and / or photos you want from this post to create a PDF to save or to print the file immediately ... hope this feature is handy, and as always any feedback about printing or anything else on this blog is most welcome and appreciated.

When you try this I'd love to know if you like it as much as we do. If you'd like to see other recipes I've posted, click here, and if you like the recipes you see you might want to Follow so you never miss a new recipe post!

Thanks for visiting and happy eats!

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