Atomic turkey Sloppy Joes
One of the best Foods when friends and Family get together for the big game, Sloppy Joes are easy to make and (more importantly) Easy to serve to a boisterous crowD!
We call these atomic sloppy joes but you can tone them down by backing off on the amount of spicy stuff that you put in. Using less hot sauce and red chili flakes is a good place to start. You can also serve pickled jalapeno and habanero peppers on the side so your guest can customize their 'Joe' accordingly.
a little further down the page, we'll be talking about the best way to serve this recipe so it stays hot for the entire game.
YOU MIGHT FIND IT HELPFUL TO SCROLL THROUGH THIS ENTIRE PAGE BEFORE YOU GET STARTED. WE'VE FOUND IT BEST TO HAVE ALL YOUR stuff PREPPED AND ORGANIZED BEFORE YOU START COOKING.
let's get this done!
just one more thing...
you can make this recipe up to three days before kickoff. Just make sure you reheat it to serving temperature before placing on your buffet.
ok. now, let's get this done...
atomic turkey sloppy joes
makes 12 big sloppy joes
PREP TIME: 20 MINUTES/COOK TIME: 30 minutes
ingredients & procedure
ingredients
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 3 pounds ground turkey
- 1 large onion, diced (fun 'how to' video follows)
- 1 large green bell pepper (another fun 'how to' video follows)
- 2 cups chili sauce (or ketchup)
- 2 teaspoons garlic powder
- 2 tablespoons cane sugar (or brown sugar)
- 1 tablespoon chili powder
- 1 teaspoon smoked paprika (optional)
- 2 teaspoons dry mustard
- 2 teaspoons salt
- 1 teaspoon red pepper flakes (this is a pretty mild dose, I'd add another couple of teaspoons, but that's just me...)
- 1 teaspoon hot sauce (see note in preceding bullet)
- 1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
- 12 hearty sandwich buns
let's get everything into the pot...
procedure
Turn burner to medium. Add olive oil to large pot.
Add peppers and onions to pot.
Stir occasionally until softened, about 5 minutes.
Add garlic powder, smoked paprika, chili powder, dry mustard, red pepper flakes, and salt. Stir for 2 minutes.
Add turkey meat and stir to combine with vegetables and spices. Cook until meat is cooked through, about 8 minutes.
Add chili sauce, Worcestshire and hot sauces. Stir to combine.
Stir to completely break up the meat.
Cover and simmer over medium-low heat for 20 minutes.
And now a word from the good people at Sterno Products...
While this is cooking, let's chat about the best way to serve this to your guests...
30 minutes before your guests arrive, Set up your chafing dish...
You're probably saying to yourself, 'Self, how in the world am I going to keep 3+ pounds of steaming Atomic Turkey Sloppy Joe meat hot for the entire game?'
The Sterno party set is the answer...
This set includes everything you need to serve Atomic Turkey Sloppy Joes at the ideal & safe serving temperature.
Here comes the party set tutorial...
Place the wire rack where it will be used (away from flammable objects-napkins, drapes, centerpieces, etc.).
Carefully open the chafing fuel cans...
...and place in fuel holders. Place water pan in wire rack.
Fill a pitcher with 2 quarts of very hot (not boiling) water.
Pour water into water pan.
Light the fuel.
...and here's a confidence-boosting flash video just in case you need it!
If your chafing dish will be out of eyesight while your in the kitchen, make sure an adult is in the room to prevent an accidental fire.
I think it's almost sloppy joe time!
it's 15 minutes to kickoff! Let's get this on the table....
IT'S TIME...
Carefully ladle the Sloppy Joe meat into ONE OF THE ALUMINUM HALF-PANS. CAREFULLY PLACE IN THE CHAFING DISH. THE EDGES OF THE PAN MIGHT GET A LITTLE BENT WHILE YOU DO THIS. SIMPLY SMOOTH THEM WITH A TOWEL ONCE THE PAN IS IN PLACE.
THIS CHAFING DISH hols TWO HALF-SIZE FOOD PANS. IN THE OTHER PAN YOU see our Maple Cayenne Chicken wings. Click the button just below to get the recipe.
