*This recipe is nut and peanut-free.”

On my hunt for a great sloppy joe recipe, I kept running across recipes that had great flavor but they didn’t really provide enough sauce. Plenty of sauce is important when you are feeding a large family and want to stretch your recipe. Plus, everyone loves sloppy joe sauce! I hope this recipe serves you (and all your people) well, like it has ours!

I use ground chicken in this recipe but you could use ground beef or ground turkey, if you prefer.

You may choose to leave off the red pepper flakes, but I find them to be the perfect amount of heat — not too hot.

• Cooking spray
• 1 lb. ground chicken
• 1 bell pepper, diced
• 1 large yellow onion, minced
• 3 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 cup water
• 1 can tomato soup
• 1/3 cup ketchup
• 2 Tbsp tomato paste 
• 2 Tbsp brown sugar (or less)
• 2 tsp yellow mustard
• 2 tsp chili powder
• 1 tsp Worcestershire sauce
• 1 tsp kosher salt
• 1/2 tsp red pepper flakes
• 1/2 tsp black pepper
• Shredded cheese (optional)

What you need:

• large skillet with lid
• measuring cups and spoons
• spatula
• can opener
• cutting board and knife

Spray a large skillet with cooking spray and begin browning the ground chicken. Once the chicken is brown and broken up add the bell pepper and onion and cook for about 2 minutes.

Add the garlic and stir until you can smell it, about 1 minute.

Add the rest of the ingredients and stir until well combined. Put a lid on the skillet and turn down to low heat. Simmer for 30 to 45 minutes, stirring occasionally.

Serve with cheese, if desired, over yummy toasted brioche buns or on a baked potato. I love it on sweet potatoes!