Dill Pickle Sloppy Joe Grilled Cheese combines two comfort-food favorites—sloppy joes and grilled cheese—elevated with the bright bite of dill pickles.
Dill Pickle Sloppy Joe Grilled Cheese
If you love dill pickles, this sandwich deserves a spot on your menu. The tang of diced dill pickles cuts through the savory sloppy joe filling and melted cheddar, while Texas toast gives the sandwich body and a satisfyingly crisp exterior.
Ingredients Needed
This comes together quickly, especially if you have leftover sloppy joe meat. Quantities and a printable recipe card are included below.
- Sloppy Joe mixture: extra-virgin olive oil, lean ground beef, sweet onion, garlic powder, ketchup, yellow mustard, brown sugar, kosher salt, and black pepper.
- Dill pickles: diced small and stirred into the sloppy joe mixture.
- Bread: Texas toast or another thick, sturdy sliced bread.
- Cheese: shredded cheddar cheese works beautifully.
- Butter: unsalted and softened for spreading on the bread.
Best Bread To Use
Use thick, sturdy bread like Texas toast. Thin sandwich bread can get soggy and fall apart, while very dense loaves can make the sandwich harder to bite through.
How to Make Sloppy Joe Grilled Cheese
These sandwiches are quick to prepare in a skillet.
- Heat 2 teaspoons olive oil in a large non-stick skillet over medium-high heat. Add 1 pound lean ground beef and 1 small diced sweet onion. Cook until the beef is no longer pink and the onions are softened, about 3 minutes. Drain excess grease.
- Stir in 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder, 1/2 cup ketchup, 2 teaspoons yellow mustard, and 2 teaspoons brown sugar. Season with 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt and 1/4 teaspoon black pepper. Fold in 1/2 cup diced dill pickles. Transfer the mixture to a bowl and keep warm.
- Wipe out the skillet and return it to medium heat. Butter one side of a slice of bread and place butter-side down in the pan. Add a small layer of shredded cheddar, a generous spoonful of the sloppy joe mixture, more cheese, and top with another buttered slice of bread, butter-side up.
- Cook until the bottom is golden brown, about 1–2 minutes, then flip. Press down lightly to help the cheese melt and cook until the second side is browned and the cheese is fully melted, another 1–2 minutes. Repeat to finish remaining sandwiches. Serve immediately with potato chips or extra dill pickles.
Recipe Details
Ingredients
- 2 teaspoons extra-virgin olive oil
- 1 pound lean ground beef
- 1 small sweet onion, diced
- 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1/2 cup ketchup
- 2 teaspoons yellow mustard
- 2 teaspoons brown sugar
- 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1/4 teaspoon black pepper
- 1/2 cup diced dill pickle
- 8 slices Texas toast (or other thick, sturdy bread)
- 2 cups shredded cheddar cheese
- Unsalted butter, softened, for spreading
Instructions
- Warm the olive oil in a large non-stick skillet over medium-high heat. Add the ground beef and diced onion and cook until the beef is browned and the onions are softened, about 3 minutes. Drain any excess grease.
- Mix in the garlic powder, ketchup, mustard, and brown sugar. Season with salt and pepper, then stir in the diced dill pickles. Transfer the sloppy joe mixture to a bowl and keep warm.
- Clean the skillet, return it to medium heat, and assemble each sandwich: butter one side of a bread slice and place it butter-side down in the skillet. Add cheese, a generous scoop of the sloppy joe mixture, more cheese, and top with another buttered slice.
- Cook 1–2 minutes per side until golden brown and the cheese has melted. Press gently after flipping to help the cheese meld. Serve hot.
Nutrition
Nutrition figures are estimates and can vary based on brands and substitutions.