Sweet & Sour Sloppy Joes

Sloppy Joes. Messy, yummy, and....sloppy! Sloppy Joes are always an easy go to meal, but most just open a can of the premade stuff. Yeah, it's good...but after so many cans of that, do you ever tell yourself, "I need to shake it up. Put a twist on these sloppy joes." ? I have had this recipe for a long time (although I don't remember which magazine I got it out of), and cannot tell you how many times I've made it. I also can't recall the last time I bought a can of that stuff. This isn't your typical Sloppy Joe. Regular ones are very tangy and have a strong BBQ taste. Not these! They are tangy, but slightly sweet. SO GOOD. I have tweaked it a little bit. The original recipe uses regular granulated sugar. I, personally, like the taste of brown sugar. Also, I'm sure you could use any color bell pepper.

INGREDIENTS

• 1 Tbsp olive oil
• ½ red bell pepper, finely diced
• 3 scallions, trimmed & chopped
• 2 cloves garlic, sliced
• ¼ tsp Italian seasoning
• ¼ tsp black pepper
• 1 pound ground chicken - I used ground turkey.
• 1 (8 oz.) can tomato sauce
• ½ cup regular barbeque sauce
• 2 Tbsp granulated sugar - I use light brown sugar.
• 4 hamburger buns or soft rolls

DIRECTIONS:

1. In a medium skillet, heat oil over medium-high heat. Add red pepper, scallions, garlic, Italian seasoning, and pepper. Cook for about 4 minutes, stirring frequently.

2. Add ground chicken. Continue to cook, breaking apart with wooden spoon, until no longer pink.

3. Stir in tomato sauce, barbeque sauce, and sugar. Simmer for about 3 minutes, until slightly thickened. Remove from heat and spoon into hamburger buns or rolls.
Serves 4.