Combine Grilled Cheese With This Other Comfort Food Sandwich For A Truly Epic Bite

Nothing beats the gooey comfort of a grilled cheese sandwich. Crispy on the outside, creamy on the inside, perfect on its own or accompanied by a tangy, creamy bowl of tomato soup, a top-notch grilled cheese is a comfort food classic that it's hard to get wrong. But it's not the only comfort food sandwich out there, and sometimes two great tastes can be even better together. Enter, the humble sloppy Joe. This sweet-and-savory classic gives many of us nostalgic memories of school cafeteria lunches, and it can be a great weeknight meal. But when you combine sloppy Joes and grilled cheeses, you get a rich, decadent sandwich that will fill your stomach and make you smile.

To make your sloppy Joe grilled cheese as delicious as possible, use a particularly hearty bread, like sourdough (also your best bet for a regular grilled cheese), or even a roll or a hamburger bun, as the combination of cheese, meat, and sauce can not only be heavy, but risk soaking through the bread. Even if you have the sturdiest, crustiest baguette ever, though, you should probably keep a fork, and maybe even a knife, close by just in case. After all, eating up all of those little bits of meat and cheese that escape from the sandwich and onto the plate is part of both sandwiches' appeal.

Once you've assembled your sloppy Joe grilled cheese, you may think your work is done. And it can be! A toasted sandwich comprised of meaty sloppy Joe sauce and a gooey cheese layer (classic American slices or cheddar work best, but provolone is also a good option) is totally delectable in and of itself, no alterations required. But if you want to give it a kick of heat, consider adding a few pickled jalapeños in with the other ingredients. On the other hand, for an extra touch of sweetness, caramelized onions are always a great option, pairing well with both the meat and the cheese.

Whatever toppings you choose, you can enjoy a sloppy Joe grilled cheese all by itself, or with picnic-style sides such as coleslaw, chips, or french fries. You can also lean into the grilled cheese angle, and serve the sandwich alongside a cup of hearty tomato soup. Just be forewarned that, if you try to dunk your combo sandwich, you may end up with bits of sloppy Joe-sauced meat in your soup bowl — although that might be a tasty combination too!