Garlic Bread Sloppy Joes: A Tasty Twist on a Classic!

Garlic Bread Sloppy Joes are a quick and easy twist on the classic American favorite! With a garlic butter crust, homemade sloppy joe meat mixture, and melted cheese, its comfort food at its finest! Perfect to enjoy as an appetizer, snack, or dinner option!

Photo byThe Cookin' Chicks

Texas Toast Sloppy Joes

Classic Sloppy Joes are a tried and true family favorite and a recipe you most likely grew up enjoying! Simple, tasty, and delicious, its a meal staple that can be ready to serve in no time! This tasty variation offers an incredible garlic crust in lieu of a hamburger bun or sandwich roll, which adds an incredible flavor boost! Same great messy goodness in every bite!

Photo byThe Cookin' Chicks

Garlic Bread Sloppy Joes Ingredients Needed

Here are the ingredients needed to make Sloppy Joe Garlic Bread!

• Beef– I use 80/20 lean ground beef, however, you can also use ground turkey if desired
• Onion– diced, if you don’t have one on hand, use 1 tablespoon onion powder
• Bell Pepper– diced, I use a green pepper, but you can use red, orange, or yellow
• Sugar– this offsets the acidity in the ketchup, just a small amount is needed
• Ground Cloves– the secret ingredient to my family recipe! Adds such a tasty addition, be sure not to skip this
• Yellow Mustard– if you don’t have yellow mustard, you can also use Dijon
• White Vinegar– this is a great addition to the ketchup and is one you don’t want to skip
• Salt/Garlic Powder– simple spices to add great flavor. Feel free to use Italian seasoning as well
• Ketchup– if you love BBQ sauce, you can also use 1/2 ketchup, 1/2 BBQ sauce
• Garlic Bread– I use a frozen loaf of store bought garlic bread. You can also use Texas Toast Garlic Bread Slices if desired
• Cheese– shredded Cheddar cheese is my favorite, but Mozzarella cheese works great too

Substitutions and Variations

• If you don’t want to use store bought garlic bread, you can use homemade French bread or try my Cheesy Garlic Homemade Bread.
• Sloppy Joe Sauce– if you are like me and enjoy a good shortcut, feel free to use canned sloppy joe sauce such as Manwich for this recipe. You will need 2 cups of sauce per one pound lean ground meat.
• Cheese– you can swap out the Cheddar cheese for Mozzarella cheese, Colby Jack, Pepper-jack cheese, etc.
• Meats– in place of the ground beef, you can use ground turkey, pork, chicken, or sausage.

Photo byThe Cookin' Chicks

How to make Garlic Bread Sloppy Joes

1. In a large skillet over medium heat, cook ground beef until crumbly and fully cooked. Drain fat and return meat to skillet.
2. Add in diced onion and bell pepper and continue cooking meat mixture until cooked through and veggies are semi-tender.
3. Add in remaining ingredients and allow to simmer over low heat for about 15 minutes, stirring occasionally.
4. Cut garlic bread in half horizontally and spread meat mixture evenly over both pieces. Top with cheese.
5. Place garlic bread pieces onto a baking sheet and place in oven at 375 degrees for about 15-20 minutes, or until cheese has melted and bread is golden brown.
6. Remove from oven and cut into desired size pieces. Serve!

Photo byThe Cookin' Chicks

How to store Sloppy Joe Garlic Bread

This is best enjoyed warm and fresh from the oven. The bread tends to get soggy otherwise, however, here are some tips and ways to keep it fresh longer and reheat perfectly.

• Refrigerator– place fully cooled leftover slices into an airtight container for up to 3 days.
• Freezer– the meat mixture can be frozen in a freezer safe container up to 3 months. Allow to thaw before spreading onto garlic bread and baking.
• Reheating– you can reheat bread pieces in the microwave in 30 second increments or use the air fryer to cook at 375 degrees for about 5-6 minutes.

Photo byThe Cookin' Chicks

How to serve

This Sloppy Joes recipe is best served warm and fresh from the oven! You can serve this with a fresh side salad, or a side of BBQ Baked Beans, Mom’s Classic Pasta Salad, or my Ultimate Potato Salad! Of course, if you are in a hurry on those busy weeknights, you can also keep things simple and serve some fries or chips on the side! This recipe makes an incredible appetizer, snack, meal, or anytime enjoyment!

Tips for the best Sloppy Joe Texas Toast

• Use a slotted spoon when scooping the sloppy joe mixture onto the frozen Texas toast. This keeps any excess liquid away from the bread, avoiding excess sogginess!
• Allow the frozen garlic bread to thaw a bit so it splits in half easily. If using fresh French bread, you can slice using a sharp bread knife and even try using my Cheesy Homemade Garlic Bread recipe for an added flavor boost.
• Serve these warm from the oven for optimal taste. You’ll love all the cheesy goodness in every bite!
• Sprinkle fresh parsley on top just before serving for an added color boost.

Photo byThe Cookin' Chicks

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I make Garlic Bread Sloppy Joes ahead of time?

Yes! Although I don’t recommend putting the meat mixture on top of the garlic bread until just before the oven, you can prepare the meat mixture up to 3 days in advance and simply store in the refrigerator.

How do I make this into a vegetarian version?

If you have a favorite meat alternative, feel free to use it in place of the ground beef.

What other meat can be used besides ground beef or turkey?

You can use ground chicken, pork, or sausage in place of the beef or turkey!

Exact Ingredients

Click link under any picture for printable recipe card.

• 1 lb beef *ground
• 1 onion *diced
• 1 bell pepper *diced
• 2 teaspoon sugar
• 1/4 teaspoon ground cloves
• 1 teaspoon yellow mustard
• 1 tablespoon white vinegar
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1 cup ketchup
• 1 loaf garlic bread *thawed, or Texas toast
• 2 cups cheddar cheese *shredded