This post may contain affiliate links. Please read our disclosure policy.
Garlic bread sloppy joes are how I get away with serving garlic bread as dinner. Sweet, tangy, garlicky, and buried under enough melted cheese to hide the meat. Cut it into thick strips and see how long the pan lasts.
I always have Colby jack in my refrigerator and a garlic bread loaf in the freezer, so half of this is in my house whether I planned on it or not. That is usually how it ends up being dinner.
There is not much you can get wrong here. The meat is already cooked before it goes in, so you are only melting cheese and warming bread.
If sloppy joe night is already in your rotation, my homemade sloppy joes recipe is the from-scratch version. It sits alongside the rest of my easy beef recipes.
Key Ingredients
- Sloppy joe sauce: I use Manwich Original. I love how easy the canned sauce makes this, and one can seasons a full pound of beef. A from-scratch sauce works too, and the amount you need is in the FAQ below.
- Lean ground beef: Use lean, and drain the excess fat and liquid out of the skillet before the sauce goes in. That step is easy to rush past and it is the one I would not skip. Ground turkey and ground chicken both swap in fine here.
- Colby jack cheese: Colby jack melts really well and it pleases a lot of people, which is why it is the one I keep on hand. Shredded cheddar works, and so does a mozzarella and cheddar block.
How to Make Garlic Bread Sloppy Joes
Step 1: Make the Sloppy Joe Meat
Preheat the oven to 375°F. Cook the onion in butter until soft, brown the beef, and drain the fat. Stir in the sauce, salt, and pepper and simmer until it all comes together.
Step 2: Load Up the Loaf
Split the thawed loaf and lay both halves butter side up on a foil-lined sheet pan. Spoon the meat on, spread it to the edges, and top with the cheese.
Step 3: Bake and Slice
Bake until the cheese is bubbling, let it sit a couple of minutes, then cut into strips and serve warm.
What Bread to Use
A standard frozen garlic bread loaf is what this recipe is built on. I use Pepperidge Farm. Pull it out of the freezer when you start the beef and it will be thawed enough to split when you need it.
Loaf sizes run anywhere from 8 to 16 ounces depending on the brand. On a smaller loaf, check at 10 to 12 minutes and expect some sloppy joe mixture left over that will not fit.
On a bigger loaf, give it another 3 to 5 minutes and the layer will spread slightly thinner. Both work.
Fresh French bread works too. Slice the loaf down the center and build it exactly the same way. You can leave it plain, or spread the cut sides with a couple of tablespoons of softened butter and sprinkle garlic salt over the top before the meat goes on. Check the bottom at the 10 minute mark so it does not get too crispy.
Those two are what I have tested, so those two are what I will tell you to use. If you want another way to load up a loaf, my spaghetti stuffed garlic bread uses the same idea with a different filling.
Make It Ahead and Store the Leftovers
The meat is the make-ahead part. Cook the sloppy joe mixture, cool it in the skillet, then move it to a lidded container and refrigerate it up to 2 days.
At dinnertime, let it sit out for 5 to 10 minutes while the oven heats so the chill comes off, then build and bake. Cold meat going onto the bread usually means about 5 extra minutes. You can also warm it in a saucepan for 4 to 5 minutes and go straight to assembling.
Once it is baked, eat it. This is best straight out of the oven and it does not store well. If you do have leftovers, put them on a baking sheet and reheat at 350°F for 7 to 10 minutes, and know the bread keeps softening the longer it sits.
The air fryer is a good option for leftovers too. Reheat until the cheese is bubbling again and the bottom has crisped back up.
More Sloppy Joe Recipes
Garlic Bread Sloppy Joes
Ingredients
- 10 ounces frozen garlic bread loaf thawed (Pepperidge Farms brand)
- 1 tablespoon unsalted butter
- ½ cup chopped yellow onion
- 1 pound lean ground beef
- 15 ounces can of sloppy Joe sauce Manwich Original brand
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ¼ teaspoon black pepper
- 2 cups shredded Colby jack cheese
- 1 tablespoon fresh parsley chopped (optional garnish)
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 375°F. Line a rimmed baking sheet with aluminum foil. Set aside.
- Remove your loaf of garlic bread from the freezer to allow it to thaw while you prepare the sloppy Joe mixture.10 ounces frozen garlic bread loaf
- In a large skillet, on medium-high heat, add the unsalted butter and chopped onions. Saute the onions until soft and translucent.1 tablespoon unsalted butter, ½ cup chopped yellow onion
- Add the lean ground beef to the skillet and brown the meat for 5-6 minutes or until fully cooked and no pink remains. Drain any excess fat and liquids from the skillet.1 pound lean ground beef
- To the skillet of browned ground beef and onions, on medium heat-low heat, add the sloppy Joe sauce, salt, and black pepper. Stir and simmer the sloppy Joe mixture for 5 minutes.15 ounces can of sloppy Joe sauce , ½ teaspoon salt, ¼ teaspoon black pepper
- While your sauce is simmering, remove the loaf of garlic bread from the wrapper and open the loaf. You may need to use a butter knife to help separate the two sides of the loaf. Place both sides of the garlic bread, butter side up, onto the prepared baking sheet.
- Divide the sloppy Joe mixture evenly between the two pieces of garlic loaf. Be sure to spread the mixture out into an even layer.
- Top each of the loaves with 1 cup of the shredded Colby jack cheese.2 cups shredded Colby jack cheese
- Bake for 15-18 minutes or until the cheese is melted and bubbly.
- Allow the sloppy Joe loaves to cool slightly before garnishing with optional chopped fresh parsley and slicing the bread into 2-inch wide breadsticks.1 tablespoon fresh parsley
Jenn’s Notes
- Spoon the meat onto the bread with a large slotted spoon. Leaving the extra sauce in the pan is what keeps the crust crisp instead of soggy.
- Frozen garlic bread loaves run anywhere from 8 to 16 ounces depending on the brand. Check smaller loaves at 10 to 12 minutes and give larger ones an extra 3 to 5 minutes.
- A butter knife helps if the two halves of the loaf do not want to separate.
- If you use a fresh French bread loaf, slice it down the center and check the bottom at the 10 minute mark so it does not get too crispy.
- Ground turkey and ground chicken both swap in for the beef.
My husband loves it and it reheats very well in the air fryer.
This is a great recip I’m retired and Loving this.