$25 Dinners - Homemade Sloppy Joes with Salad

Rather than opening a can of sloppy joe, try this healthy, inexpensive recipe for the cafeteria classic. It's sure to please everyone and be kind to your wallet as well. You'll only need three minutes to cut up vegetables for a side salad and then about 15 minutes of cook time.

Ingredients:
1 lb. of ground turkey
2/3 cup of ketchup
1 tsp dry mustard
1/2 tsp cumin
1/2 tsp liquid smoke
sandwich thins
1/4 cup onion, chopped (optional)
1/4 cup green bell pepper, chopped (optional)
1 tbl olive oil (if using peppers and onions)
vegetables for a salad (suggestion: spinach, carrots, onions, bell pepper,  broccoli and cherry tomatoes)
low-fat salad dressing of your choice (suggestion: Newman's Own Lighten Up Raspberry and Walnut dressing)

1. Brown the ground turkey over medium heat (approx. 10 minutes).

2. While the meat is cooking, chop whatever vegetables you would like for a salad. If you'd like peppers and onions in your sloppy joes, chop those as well and sauté over medium heat with a tbl of olive oil.

3. Once the ground turkey is cooked through, add the ketchup, dry mustard, cumin and liquid smoke. Mix everything thoroughly. Add the optional sautéed vegetables as well.

4. Put the sloppy joe mixture on a sandwich thin and mix your salad. Then enjoy!

*Makes 4-6 servings, approximately 330 calories each (340 if you add peppers and onions. Cost of meal is about $3.60 per serving ($3.80 if you add peppers and onion).