A couple of weeks ago, I got an idea from a status update on my Facebook feed. It said this:
Remember sloppy joes? Yup, that was our dinner tonight. : ) And then she commented, I am such a gourmet cook after all these years.
But then the funny thing is that her friends followed up her status commenting about how much they loved sloppy joes, and how they sounded so good! Don’t you think it’s about time the poor little unappreciated sloppy joe got a little makeover. It’s one sandwich that everyone loves, but no one really appreciates, right?
So while I know the classic, humble sloppy joe can really hit the spot, I decided to give it a little facelift. Instead of a bun, panini style, with creamy baby swiss all melty and stringy, and a few caramelized onions too.
I’ve never seen a sloppy joe hold it’s head so high– This sandwich was downright proud of itself!
Now I know sloppy joes are one of those recipes that everyone sort of thinks however their family made them is how they ought to be, so feel free to use this method but substitute your own favorite recipe for the meat mixture. I totally understand that my sloppy joe recipe might seem strange to you- it’s just how my mom made them for me growing up.
PrintSloppy Joe Panini With Baby Swiss and Caramelized Onions
- Prep Time: 20 minutes
- Cook Time: 30 minutes
- Total Time: 50 minutes
- Yield: 4 1x
- Category: Main Dish
- Method: Simmer
- Cuisine: American
Description
Your average sloppy joe gets a makeover with toasty french bread, baby swiss, and caramelized onions.
Ingredients
- 1/2 onion sliced thinly
- 1 tablespoon butter, plus more for the bread
- 1 pound ground beef browned
- 1/2 can of condensed tomato soup
- 8 ounce can of tomato sauce
- 1 tablespoon Chris and PItts Sauce (or other BBQ sauce)
- 4 slices baby swiss cheese
- 8 thick slices of french bread
Instructions
- Combine onion slices and butter in a medium pan on medium heat. Stir occasionally until onions are soft and brown, then turn heat to low until ready to use.
- In a large pan, brown ground beef, and drain fat.
- Over medium heat, stir in tomato soup, tomato sauce and Chris and Pitts.
- Turn heat to medium low and simmer for 20 minutes so sauce can thicken.
- Assemble sandwiches with ground beef, swiss cheese and caramelized onions and butter both sides of the sandwich. Grill sandwiches on the panini press until the bread is toasted and the cheese is melted.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 Sandwich
- Calories: 1017
- Sugar: 16g
- Sodium: 1773mg
- Fat: 1.4g
- Saturated Fat: 17g
- Unsaturated Fat: 15.8g
- Trans Fat: 1.4g
- Carbohydrates: 107g
- Fiber: .5g
- Protein: 59g
- Cholesterol: 142mg
Aimee @ ShugarySweets says
I love sloppy joes, but I’ve never made them like this! Time to change it up. These look incredibly good.
Julie says
Thanks Aimee, hope you get a chance to try them!
Sarah says
Oh goodness these look amazing! Ah, so cheesy… I want!
Julie says
Thanks Sarah!
Christine says
This sandwich looks like a combination of sloppy joes with grilled cheese – just divine!
Julie says
So true Christine!
The Sunday Dinner says
You’re such a genius, we had to share!
http://www.thesundaydinner.net
Julie says
Sweet of you to share! Thank you.
Alison says
On the menu for this week! They look so yummy!
Julie says
Thanks Alison! Hope you are enjoying your new house.
Jamie@Milk 'n' Cookies says
This sandwich looks scrumptious! Love how much melted cheese is on there. I don’t think I’ve ever made Sloppy Joe’s for myself, but I definitely need to remedy that soon!
Julie says
You definitely need to try this one Jamie!
Jan says
Do you feel this panini with its tomato-y base would be a good fit with onion soup? Would like to serve it to about 25 people. Usually a cheese/roast beef would be more logical
Julie says
I definitely think it would be very tasty with onion soup, but I do agree that a cheesy roast beef sandwich would be delicious. Here’s a recipe that you could use, but do them panini style instead of on a bun. Panini’s hold up to dipping so well. Sounds like a wonderful plan for a fall gathering! Hope this helps. http://samanthaelaine.net/french-onion-soup-roast-beef-sandwiches/