How to make the most delicious Philly cheesesteak sloppy joes with ground beef, mushrooms, and provolone. Easy dinner idea and recipe!
Back in college, I was introduced to my first Philly cheesesteak on a trip to Philly. Before that, I'd really never heard of a cheesesteak and really had no idea what it was.
And then I married a guy from Pennsylvania who absolutely loved a good Philly cheese steak sandwich. In fact, it became a regular part of our menu.
Combine his favorite Philly cheese steak with my favorite sloppy joes, and you've got the makings of a really yummy dinner.
The nice thing about Philly cheesesteak sloppy joes is that without the toasted buns, the meat mixture is fairly low carb. So pair with a bed of lettuce or spinach and you've got a much healthier option.
And if you're in a pinch and need a super quick dinner, you can totally make this juicy burger up ahead of time and just warm it up for dinner. Easy make ahead meal for the win!
Another couple Philly cheesesteak favorites around here are this Crock Pot Philly cheesesteak sandwich and Philly cheesesteak peppers. Yum!
I JUST WANT THE RECIPE! TAKE ME TO THE PHILLY CHEESESTEAK SLOPPY JOES RECIPE!
If you’d rather skip all of my cooking tips, important cooking info for this recipe, and similar recipe ideas – and get straight to the delicious recipe for Philly cheesesteak sloppy joes – just scroll down to the bottom, where you’ll find a printable recipe card.
WHAT IS A PHILLY CHEESESTEAK SLOPPY JOE?
Don't worry, before college I'd never heard of a Philly cheesesteak sandwich either.
A Philly cheese steak sandwich is basically a sandwich made on a hoagie with smaller, thinner pieces of beefsteak and cheese. What cheese goes on a Philly cheese steak depends; it can be provolone, American, or Cheez Whiz.
A Philly cheesesteak sloppy joe is made with ground beef instead of beefsteak. And like a cheesesteak, it has peppers, onions, mushrooms, and cheese.
Instead of serving this loose meat sandwich on a hoagie, you serve it on a toasted hamburger bun, just like a sloppy joe.
While I use ground beef, you can also make a good sloppy joe sandwich with ground pork or ground turkey.
CAN I USE FROZEN GROUND BEEF? DO I NEED TO THAW IT?
You can use frozen hamburger meat to make homemade sloppy joes, but you may need to sauté your onion, garlic, mushrooms, and bell pepper in a different skillet so they can be added to the ground beef once it’s thawed. We actually do this quite often because we forget to get the meat out, so don’t fret if you’ve forgotten it too.
Since it’s a loose meat sandwich and you’re not making hamburger patties, it’s a little bit easier to do; though I do recommend thawing if at all possible.
Just put the meat into a skillet with maybe 1/2 cup water, turn the heat on medium, and place a lid on the skillet. This basically steams the meat.
You can add the sautéed onion, garlic, mushrooms, and pepper once the meat has loosened up.
When it’s fully cooked, you can drain off any excess oil.
TIPS FOR HOW TO MAKE PHILLY CHEESESTEAK SLOPPY JOES
I recommend using bacon grease for added flavor to the meat mixture (and for toasting the buns). But if you don’t have bacon grease, no worries; you can also use butter or olive oil.
Be sure to mince up the garlic, onion, mushrooms, and bell pepper really well. I like mincing them up so they blend well with the meat and the sauce.
- You’ll start by sautéing the garlic, onion, mushrooms, and bell pepper in a large skillet.
- Then add the ground beef and mix together with the vegetables, cooking the mixture well.
- Be sure to drain off any excess oil when the meat has finished cooking.
- Whisk together the beef broth and flour in a separate measuring cup.
- Once you add the sloppy joe sauce ingredients, including the broth mixture, just let the meat simmer for a good 5-10 minutes.
- Finally, top with the Provolone right in the skillet and let it melt. Then stir the melted cheese into the meat mixture.
Meanwhile, you can toast hamburger buns in another skillet or on a griddle in a little bit of bacon grease. Or you may choose a lower carb option and prep a plate of lettuce or spinach to go with your cheesesteak sloppy joe meat.
Spoon the meat onto a toasted bun and serve it while it's all toasty warm!
MORE SLOPPY JOE RECIPES YOU MAY ENJOY:
25+ Sloppy Joe Recipes for Dinner Tonight
KITCHEN TOOLS YOU MAY NEED TO MAKE PHILLY CHEESE STEAK SLOPPY JOES
Skillet – We love using our cast iron skillets and griddle for pretty much everything both at home and while camping; they are very much a part of our camping cooking gear on every trip.
Hamburger Chopper – This handy dandy tool makes it easier to chop up the meat into a much looser mixture.
Ninja Food Chopper Express or Cutting Board and Chef’s Knife
PHILLY CHEESESTEAK SLOPPY JOE RECIPE
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Philly Cheesesteak Sloppy Joes
Ingredients
- 1 tablespoon bacon grease *
- 1 clove garlic minced
- 1/2 medium yellow onion chopped
- 1/2 large green bell pepper chopped
- 2 ounces fresh mushrooms minced
- 1 pound ground beef
- 1/2 cup beef broth
- 1/2 tablespoon unbleached all-purpose flour
- 1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
- 2 teaspoons dry mustard
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1/8 teaspoon ground black pepper
- 8 ounces Provolone cheese
Instructions
- Heat the bacon grease in a large skillet until hot.
- Then add in the garlic and sauté for 2-3 minutes.
- Add the onion, mushrooms, and bell pepper in with the garlic and sauté for another 3-5 minutes.
- Add the ground beef into the skillet, stirring the garlic, onion, mushrooms, and bell pepper into the meat. Cook on medium heat for 15 to 20 minutes, or until the meat is well cooked.
- Be sure to drain off any excess oil when the meat has finished cooking
- Whisk together the beef broth and flour in a separate measuring cup.
- Mix the beef broth mixture, Worcestershire sauce, dry mustard, salt, and black pepper into the meat, stirring until combined.
- Let the cheesesteak sloppy joe mixture simmer for a good 5-10 minutes.
- Finally, top the meat with the Provolone right in the skillet and let it melt.** Then stir the melted cheese into the meat mixture.
- Serve on toasted buns or on a bed of lettuce or spinach.
This was so simple, yet scrumptious!! My new go to for a quick and delicious meal! Thanks for sharing?
Awesome, Beth! I’m so glad you enjoyed! Thank you!