A sloppy joe grilled cheese sandwich is really the best of both worlds. Sweet, tangy meat (we used ground turkey but can easily use ground beef or pork) is tucked between slices of buttery, cheesy bread. It’s gooey, messy, and absolutely delicious. Have lots of napkins handy!
To prepare the Sloppy Joe filling: Pour the oil into a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the ground turkey, breaking it up as it cooks. When partially cooked through, add the diced onion and bell pepper. Cook, stirring occasionally, until the meat is fully cooked and the vegetables are softened.
Stir the remaining ingredients for the filling into the meat. Simmer the meat mixture for 8-10 minutes. Taste to adjust the seasoning. Remove from the heat.
To make the grilled cheese sandwiches: Butter one side of each piece of bread. Mayonnaise works really well for this! Place the bread on a large griddle or skillet over medium heat, mayo/butter side down. Scatter the cheese evenly on top of each piece of bread. Spoon the meat mixture on top of half of the bread. For instance, if making 2 sandwiches at once, place the meat mixture on top of 2 slices of cheese bread. If making 4 sandwiches at once, place the meat mixture on top of 4 slices of bread. Because we’re not really “flipping” these sandwiches like you normally would a grilled cheese, we’re grilling both sides of the sandwich at once. Cook for about 2-3 minutes until the cheese has started to melt and is stuck to the bread.
Place the bread that has only the melted cheese on top of the bread that has the sloppy joe mixture to form a sandwich. Cook, flipping if desired but not necessary, until the cheese has fully melted and the sandwich is deeply golden brown on both sides. Remove from the griddle and repeat with remaining sandwiches. Keep the finished sandwiches warm in a 200ºF oven if not eating immediately. Serve the sandwiches with dill pickles, if desired.
Servings 0