For a twist on an old fashioned sloppy joes recipe, whip up these crave-worthy Garlic Bread Sloppy Joes. Ready in about 40 minutes, this open face sloppy joe is a family favorite made with seasoned ground beef, sautéed onions and peppers, a zesty sauce, and garlicky bread. Perfect for family dinners or casual gatherings!
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Looking for what to eat with sloppy joes? You'll find a delicious variety of sides for sandwiches in our recipe roundup of the best. If you're a fan of this cheesy sloppy joe, try our secret ingredient burgers and sour cream chicken enchilada casserole for your next easy weeknight dinner.
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Why You'll Love this Recipe
- Budget-friendly & simple: These inexpensive and easy to make sloppy joes on Texas Toast can be more cost-effective than purchasing pre-made versions or dining out. You can make a large batch at once and freeze leftovers for future meals, saving both time and money in the long run.
- Control the ingredients: Homemade sloppy joes sauce can be a healthy alternative to pre-packaged versions, as you can control the amount of added sugar, salt, and fat to create a healthier version of this classic dish. We make our sloppy joes without ketchup.
- One pan meal: Using less kitchen tools means less cleanup! It's another reason why we love this meal as well as our sausage and potatoes skillet.
- Crowd-pleaser: The whole family will love the sweet and savory flavors in this sandwich.
- Use up leftover bread to make one of our favorite meals with garlic bread, and try our spicy spaghetti next time.
Ingredients
See the recipe card for full information on ingredients and quantities.
- Ground beef: Provides protein and savory flavor, acting as the base for the dish and adding meaty texture.
- Onion: Adds sweetness and depth of flavor, as well as texture.
- Red bell pepper: Adds sweetness, color, and crunch.
- Tomato sauce: Forms the base of the sauce, providing richness, acidity, and a tomato flavor. It helps bind the ingredients together and adds moisture to the dish. We make sloppy joes without ketchup and use tomato sauce instead.
- Brown sugar: Adds sweetness and balances the acidity of the tomato sauce. It also helps caramelize the ingredients, enhancing flavor.
- Worcestershire sauce: Adds depth to the sauce, as well as a hint of tanginess.
- Red wine vinegar: Provides acidity and brightness to the sauce. It also helps cut through the richness of the meat and other ingredients.
- Beef stock: Enhances the beefy flavor of the dish, adding richness and depth to the sauce. It also provides moisture and helps create a velvety texture.
- Garlic bread or Texas toast - In our kitchen we eat sloppy joes on Texas toast, but any garlic bread will work great! This is one of our favorite recipes with garlic bread!
Variations
Substitute ground chicken or ground turkey in place of beef.
Serve this sandwich with sliced pickles on top for an added layer of flavor and texture.
We use pre-made bread, like thick Texas toast as our sloppy joe bread of choice. Eat it like an open faced or put it between buns.
How to Make Garlic Bread Sloppy Joes
Make sloppy joes on garlic bread in about 40 minutes using simple ingredients and pantry staples. Donate that can of Manwich - you won't need it after making this homemade sloppy joes recipe.
Step 1: In a large skillet brown ground beef.
Step 2: Add spices, onions, and peppers to the skillet and sauté. Stirring occasionally.
Step 3: The meat has browned and the onions and peppers have softened. Drain meat, if necessary.
Step 4: Add liquid ingredients and bring to a boil then simmer. While simmering, cook the Texas toast or garlic bread according to package instructions.
Step 5: After simmering for 20 minutes, the sloppy joes sauce will become thicker in consistency.
If you're making an open face sloppy joe, scoop a spoonful of homemade sloppy joe sauce onto the cooked garlic bread. Sprinkle with cheese or add a slice of cheddar cheese, if desired. To help the cheese melt you can broil in the oven for a minute.
Expert Tips
- Lightly toast the bread before assembling the sloppy joes to add a delicious crunch and prevent them from becoming soggy.
- If the sauce is too thin, simmer uncovered for a few extra minutes to reduce and thicken it to your desired consistency.
- Choose quality 80/20 ground beef for juicier and more flavorful sloppy joes.
More Easy Dinner Recipes
If you try this recipe or any recipe from Happy Honey Kitchen, please rate the recipe and leave a comment below! Enjoy!
Garlic Bread Sloppy Joes
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Equipment
- Large Skillet
Ingredients
- 1 pound ground beef
- 1 onion chopped
- 1 red bell pepper chopped
- 2 cloves garlic minced
- 1 teaspoon salt
- ¼ teaspoon black pepper
- 1 teaspoon marjoram
- ½ teaspoon chili powder
- ½ teaspoon paprika
- 15 ounce tomato sauce
- 2 Tablespoons brown sugar
- 2 Tablespoons Worcestershire sauce
- 1 Tablespoon red wine vinegar
- 2 teaspoons yellow mustard
- ¼ cup beef stock
- garlic bread such as Texas toast
- cheddar cheese optional topping
Instructions
- Preheat oven for Texas toast. In a large skillet, brown ground meat. Drain meat, if necessary.
- Once the meat has browned, add in the onions, peppers, garlic, and seasonings. Cook on medium heat until the vegetables have softened; about 5 minutes.
- Add tomato sauce, Worcestershire sauce, red wine vinegar, mustard, and stock to the skillet. Bring mixture to a boil then simmer for 20 minutes on low heat until the consistency of the sauce has thickened up.
- While the sloppy joes mixture is simmering, cook the Texas toast or garlic bread in the oven according to package directions.
- To assemble: use two pieces of Texas toast to make a sandwich filled with the sloppy joe sauce or make an open face sloppy joe.
Notes
- If the sauce is too thin, simmer uncovered for a few extra minutes to reduce and thicken to your desired consistency.
- Storage: Allow leftover sloppy joes to cool completely before transferring them to an airtight container. Store in the refrigerator for up to 4 days. When reheating, warm in a saucepan over medium heat or in the microwave until heated through.
- Freezing: Cool completely before portioning into freezer-safe containers. Store them in the freezer for up to 3 months. To reheat, thaw overnight in the refrigerator and then reheat them in a saucepan over medium heat or in the microwave until heated through.
Janie | Naughty Kitchen
I love making this sandwich. I actually used plantbased ground meat for mine and tasted so good. Love using Texas toast!
Lyssa
Oh yum! I'd never thought of using Texas toast. I can't wait to try this.
Rebecca
I can't lie, I used to be a manwich type of gal but this recipe has me rethinking my ways! I will be adding this into my recipe book ASAP! Thank you for sharing!
Elaine
This looks so delicious, I want to go buy all the ingredients right now. Thanks for sharing and I plan to try this recipe soon!