Description
Listen, I’ve eaten my fair share of sloppy joes in my life, and most of them are just… meh. Sad ground beef on a soggy bun that falls apart the second you pick it up. But then I had this brilliant (if I do say so myself) idea: What if I put that messy goodness on thick, buttery Texas toast instead? Game. Changer. The toast holds up to all that saucy meat, you get that crispy-buttery crunch with every bite, and it’s basically impossible to mess up. This is comfort food that actually comforts you instead of frustrating you with its structural failures.
Ingredients
Scale
For the Sloppy Joe Meat:
- 1.5 lbs ground beef (80/20 is perfect – you want some fat for flavor)
- 1 medium onion, diced (don’t go tiny here, we want some texture)
- 1 bell pepper, diced (green, red, yellow – whatever’s on sale)
- 3 cloves garlic, minced (or more, because garlic is life)
- 2 tablespoons tomato paste (the secret weapon for deep flavor)
- 1 cup ketchup (yeah, I said it – ketchup is good)
- 2 tablespoons brown sugar (balances the tang)
- 2 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce (don’t even try to pronounce it, just use it)
- 1 tablespoon yellow mustard (the cheap stuff works fine)
- 1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar (brightens everything up)
- 1 teaspoon smoked paprika (regular paprika is fine if that’s what you’ve got)
- 1/2 teaspoon chili powder (adjust to your spice tolerance)
- Salt and pepper to taste
- 1/2 cup beef broth (or water if you’re out)
For the Texas Toast:
- 8 thick slices of Texas toast bread (the frozen stuff is totally fine)
- 4 tablespoons butter, softened
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- 1/4 teaspoon garlic powder (because more garlic is always better)
- Pinch of salt
- Optional: 1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese (makes it extra fancy)
Optional Toppings (because we’re not savages):
- Shredded cheddar cheese
- Pickles (dill or sweet, your choice)
- Sliced jalapeños for heat
- Coleslaw for crunch
- Extra pickles (seriously, pickles make everything better)