The Italian Bread Swap To Totally Upgrade Sloppy Joes

For a nostalgic treat, it's hard to beat a good old-fashioned sloppy Joe. This meaty sandwich has long been a favorite of weeknight family suppers, school lunches, and more. While generally, any Sloppy Joe is a reliably tasty, comforting meal, there's a way to take it to the next level. According to cookbook author and social media creator Matthew Bounds, aka @yourbarefootneighbor on TikTok, rather than a hamburger bun, two slices of Texas toast style garlic bread can make for an even better bread option to add extra crunch and flavor to your next Sloppy Joe experience.

Keep in mind that this works best as an open-faced sandwich, rather than trapping all that meat between two slices of garlic bread. Bounds makes the Texas toast according to the package instructions, then creates a small crater in the center with a spoon to hold the sauced beef, and finally, tops everything with a slice of provolone cheese. However, you're welcome to use American cheese, grated parmesan, or even go dairy-free if you prefer. Then, stick it back in the oven until the cheese is melted to your liking and voilà, an even more indulgent Sloppy Joe to devour.

If you're not a fan of garlic bread, or just want to experiment a bit more, there are plenty of other great ways to try a twist on the Sloppy Joe, including simply by making them into sliders. Best of all, not all of them need to be sloppy, so your favorite shirt is in no danger of being destroyed. Sloppy Joe stuffed peppers, for instance, which take the classic slightly-sweet beef in sauce and bake it inside sweet bell peppers, are a knife-and-fork dish, with no risk of the meat filling oozing out unexpectedly the way the inside of the sandwich often does. 

Sloppy Joe bowls are another utensil-friendly option to enjoy all that messy goodness without actually making a mess. But even if you're a sandwich loyalist when it comes to your sloppy Joes, the different twists you can try are as infinite as your imagination. While garlic bread gives sloppy Joes an Italian spin, peppers and onions with cheese could bring a Philly cheesesteak twist, while adding jalapeños and guacamole could create a Tex-Mex Sloppy Joe. There are even tons of vegan variations, utilizing plant-based substitutes for ground beef.