National Turkey Lovers Month in June proves that turkey is enjoyed many more times throughout the year than Thanksgiving!
Smoked and grilled turkey are some of the many reasons we slice up this flavorful bird all year long. But we eat more than just the roast turkey. Ground turkey makes a white meat chili that keeps us coming back for more; Renaissance faires live on turkey legs; Grilled turkey breasts make excellent meals, too.
When it comes to nutrition, the bird gets great numbers, too! White meat takes the win over dark meat when comparing fat and calories – 125 to 147 calories and 2 grams to 5 grams respectively for 3 ounces of roasted turkey. Of course, that depends on how the bird is prepared. If the turkey is dunked in a deep fryer, those numbers go up.
Try turkey with pasta. Turkey Bacon Wraps make a great lunch or dinner. Brighten a turkey salad with grapes and nuts, a tangy cheese and layer it with crisp lettuce on a crusty bun; serve with iced tea on the back porch on a sunny day with a friend.
HISTORY
The National Turkey Federation founded National Turkey Lovers Month.
Full of flavor, healthy and easy ro make, this dinner hits the spot for full tummies. Filled with Ground turkey, Couscous, black olives, 2 kinds of sqaush, cheeses, and greek seasoning ant topped with lemon slices. It’s perfect for a family meal, potluck dinner, and a good choice for lots of dietary needs. So good I bet no one will even suspect it’s good for them…
Ingredients
1 Near East Couscous 5.9oz box
3 lbs ground turkey
16 oz sliced Pepper jack cheese
1 2.2 oz can sliced blak olives
1 8oz spinach artichoke cheese dip
1/4 cup grated Parmesean Cheese
1 medium onion diced
2 tbls minced garlic
2 lemon sliced
2 Tbls Greek Seasoning
Zucchini
Yellow Squash
10 oz fresh grape tomatoes sliced in half
Directions
Prepare a 9 x 13 glass baking dish
Prepare couscous as directed on packaging and set aside
Chop zucchini and yellow squash into 1/2 pieces
Brown Ground turkey with onion and minced garlic
Drain, mix with spinach artichoke cheese dip, set aside.
In prepared dish spread browned turkey, couscous, vegetables and black olives in 3 layers.
Top bottom layers with Monterrey Jack cheese.
Sprinkle Paresean cheese and greek seasoning over top of cassarole.
Top entire dish with lemon slices
Bake @ 350° for 40 minutes until vegetables are cooked.
No matter how you make this hot sandwich, on March 18th, celebrate National Sloppy Joe Day.
The Sloppy Joe is one of America’s all-time favorite hot sandwiches. Its base ingredient is often ground beef. However, others use turkey and buffalo, too. The other elements give it its flavor, though. Onions, tomato sauce, brown sugar, cola or maple syrup to sweeten it and seasonings to spice it – and of course, any secret ingredient families may add over the years. All of it is served up on a hamburger bun or roll. And is it ever sloppy! Be sure to grab more than one napkin!
Who Created The Sloppy Joe
Meet Joe
There are different claims to the origin of the sloppy Joe. In Havana, Cuba, in the 1930s, there was a genuine bartender who gained popularity with vacationers who went by the name of Sloppy Joe. He earned his name for his less than enthusiastic way of cleaning the bar. He was, however, an attentive bartender, and the bar was a hot spot for the jet set.
However, no mention is found in papers from the era of a hot sandwich on the menu matching the description of a Sloppy Joe, and the man of the same name retired to Spain in 1933.
Town Hall Deli
Reader Steven Hirsch wrote to National Day Calendar and informed us that Town Hall Deli in Maplewood, NJ has a direct connection to Sloppy Joe of Havana fame. It opened in 1927, and during the 1930s, Maplewood’s Mayor Sweeney traveled to Havana, where he met the bartender named Sloppy Joe and was served a delicious sandwich. The mayor came back to New Jersey and with a well-developed taste for Joe’s sandwich. The mayor enjoyed it so much he asked one of Town Hall Deli’s proprietors, Fred Heinz, to replicate it. According to the website, “It was made with coleslaw, ham, cow tongue, swiss cheese, with lots of dressing and was served on thin rye bread. Hence, the origin of the Sloppy Joe sandwich and how Town Hall Deli of South Orange became The Birthplace of the Sloppy Joe!”
At the Ye Olde Tavern Inn, in Sioux City, Iowa, Abraham and Bertha laid claim to the Sloppy Joe when they added a loose meat sandwich on their menu in 1934.
Whoever brought the Sloppy Joe to the world, Hunt’s made it more convenient in 1969. They put it in a can and called it Manwich.
Today many families have their secret recipes that make their Sloppy Joe’s special. Whether it’s an unusual spice, a novel ingredient for sweetening or a homemade tomato sauce, a Sloppy Joe lends itself to originality and personality. A new flavor is just around the corner. In the south, you might come across a barbecue flavor while in the north, Sloppy Joe might be a little sweeter. Whatever your flavor, it is undoubtedly an all-American food holiday! My husband who was raised in the midwest still calls them barbeques…
![Turkey and the Wolf: Flavor Trippin' in New Orleans [A Cookbook]#TurkeyLoversMonth](https://jensperspectiveblog.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/05/81yaudbd9ml7789820284101195926.jpg?w=113)
