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Pizza Sloppy Joes will become be your family’s new favorite weeknight meal too!
Italian sausage crumbles, flavorful marinara, sauteed mushrooms, onions, and green peppers, pepperoni pieces, topped with melty mozzarella cheese, all served up on a toasted bun. Your favorite pizza, but Sloppy Joe style!
I’ll be honest and admit that I don’t like sloppy joes. What is a sloppy joe anyway? To me, it tastes like bland hamburger with a ketchup sauce and is definitely not my idea of a delicious meal, especially the canned Manwich version. I can’t even say for sure if my kids like them since I refuse to make them. I’m willing to admit to being a bit of food snob, and maybe a slightly selfish cook who doesn’t make things I don’t want to eat. My kids might be officially deprived of an American tradition. So sad, I know.
BUT, I definitely LOVE pizza and so do my kids. And we are ALL in love with our favorite new comfort meal. The best part…It’s a 30 minute win!
And it might be one of the easiest dinner ideas out there.
- Brown bulk Italian sausage.
- Add in onion, green peppers, and mushrooms.
- Stir in pepperoni and your favorite marinara or red sauce.
- Serve on a toasted bun with mozzarella cheese.
In a way, this meal is kind of similar to another Family Favorite, The Bomb Italian Sausage Sandwich, which is actually one of my most popular recipes. Both use Italian sausage, are saucy, and gooey with cheese, but this one is definitely all about the pizza inspiration.
How to make Pizza Sloppy Joes
Begin by starting to brown a pound of your favorite bulk Italian sausage.
When the sausage is almost cooked through, add diced onion and green peppers and sliced mushrooms.
Cook the mixture until the meat browns and the veggies are tender-crisp. Drain any excess drippings if needed.
Add your favorite red sauce or marinara. My favorite version of Pizza Sloppy Joes uses my Homemade Red Sauce, but if you don’t want to make sauce from scratch, choose a good quality marinara. By good quality, I find that the ones labeled organic and without additional sugar to taste the best.
How to customize your Pizza Sloppy Joes
- Substitute your pizza toppings with whatever you prefer on your pizza ie bacon, olives, ham.
- Use ground pork or ground beef with the addition of Italian Seasoning if Italian sausage is not available.
- This recipe easily doubles for a larger group or for left-overs.
If Pizza Sloppy Joes tempted your taste buds, make sure to check out The Bomb Italian Sausage Sandwich and my Chicken Ricotta Meatballs.
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Pizza Sloppy Joes
Crumbles of Italian sausage, marinara, sauteed mushrooms, onions, and green peppers, pepperoni slices, and melty mozzarella cheese all served up on a toasted bun. It's pizza but Sloppy Joe style!
Ingredients
- 1 pound Italian Sausage – bulk or removed from casings
- 16 ounces Marinara or Red Sauce approx 2 cups
- 1/2 cup onion – diced
- 1/2 cup green bell pepper – diced
- 1 cup mushrooms – white or cremini sliced
- 1/2 cup pepperoni – quartered
- 4 buns – hamburger, bakery, deli, or sliders style
- 4 slices mozzarella cheese shredded cheese may be substituted
Instructions
Preheat oven to broil.
On the stove top, cook ground Italian bulk sausage in a large skillet on a medium heat for 6-8 minutes.
When sausage is almost cooked through, add diced onion, green pepper, and sliced mushrooms.
Continue cooking until sausage begins to brown (165 degrees) and vegetables are tender-crisp, about another 5 minutes.
Drain any excess drippings if necessary.
Add Red Sauce or Marinara, stir to combine, and continue to cook until the sauce is heated through.
Place open bun halves, interior facing up, on a large baking sheet.
Place pizza sloppy joe mixture on the open bun bottoms and top with the cheese.
Broil for 2-4 minutes until cheese is melted and bun top is toasted.
Assemble Pizza Sloppy Joe sandwich and enjoy!
Recipe Notes
This recipe is very easy to double. If doing so, use 2 pounds of Italian sausage for a standard 28 oz jar of marinara.
Nutrition is approximate and does not include bun of choice.
Wife, Mother, and Food Obsessor. I love being inspired with fresh, seasonal ingredients and relish every opportunity to elevate my home cooking. Join me!
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