Pizza Joes

This fun take on sloppy joes was inspired by all the wonderful things you love about pizza. Pizza Joes are a great family-friendly, 30-minute meal option!

If you love Italian flavor, you’ll love these Pizza Joes and my fun Italian Sausage Sandwich recipe.

I kind of have a thing for sloppy joes. Less than a month after I started this blog I posted one of my favorites to this day – Cajun Sloppy Joes. I found out that I wasn’t alone in my feelings for the messy sandwich filling when about a year later I shared my recipe for Sloppy Joe Squares. That recipe became one of the most viewed recipes in those early days.

Well, friends, I take my sloppy joe recipes seriously and I’m sharing a recipe today that is epic. The ingredient list is simple, it’s ready in 30 minutes, start to finish, and it blows away the store-bought mixes.

I’m talking about an easy Italian seasoned sauce, mushrooms, olives, and pepperoni piled on toasted onion rolls and topped with melted mozzarella cheese. Are you in? Grab a fork and knife, you’re going to need it!

The flavor is fabulously reminiscent of pizza which makes it a completely family-friendly meal. Yes, the kids will love it, but I guarantee the adults will be on board with the Pizza Joe idea as well.

Ingredient Notes

• Ground beef – 2 pounds of 85% to 90% lean ground beef. You can substitute ground turkey for a lighter version.
• Onion
• Bell pepper – This is a recipe where the classic flavor of green bell pepper really works. Red, yellow, or orange bell pepper has a sweeter, milder flavor and can be used, if desired.
• Garlic
• Mushrooms – Meaty cremini mushrooms are a great choice.
• Olives – A small can of sliced black olives.
• Marinara – Use a good quality store bought sauce. I like to go with a simple tomato basil marinara.
• Pepperoni – You’ll find bagged sliced pepperoni with the lunch meats at the grocery store. Regular, less fat, or turkey pepperoni all work well.
• Seasoning – Freshly ground black pepper, a little Italian seasoning and some crushed red pepper flakes combine with the marinara to create true pizza flavor.
• Mozzarella cheese – Either part-skim or whole milk shredded mozzarella.
• Onion rolls or hamburger buns – Not pictured but necessary. I think onion rolls are a natural fit for this Pizza Joe filling.

Lighten it Up

Combining the flavors of pizza with sloppy joes may sound indulgent, but you can lighten up the situation, if you’d like. To help myself feel a bit less guilty about inhaling a Pizza Joe, I will use lean ground turkey in place of the ground beef, go with turkey pepperoni, and top it off with part-skim mozzarella. Still delicious but with far less fat and calories.

How to Make Pizza Joes

1. In a large skillet over medium heat, cook and stir the beef (or turkey), onion, bell pepper, and garlic the until meat is thoroughly cooked and the veggies have softened. Drain off as much grease as possible and return the skillet to the heat.
2. Add the mushrooms, olives, marinara, pepperoni, Italian seasoning, black pepper, and crushed red pepper flakes.
3. Stir well to combine. Bring the mixture to a simmer, then reduce the heat to LOW, cover the pan, and allow to simmer for 15 minutes.
4. Meanwhile, preheat your oven’s broiler. Split open the onion rolls and place them on a foil-lined baking sheet. Place the baking sheet in the oven for about 2 minutes, watching closely, until the rolls are toasted and lightly browned. Remove the top buns from the baking sheet. Divide the filling between the bottom buns, sprinkle with mozzarella cheese, and return to the oven for a minute or two, just until the cheese is melted. Remove from the oven and place the top buns on the sandwiches and serve.

Behold the Pizza Joe in all it’s glory. Give it a try. You’re family will love ya’ for it.

Make it a Freezer Meal

For a super easy meal on a future busy day, spoon the cooked and cooled filling into a freezer-safe plastic storage bag. Push out as much air as possible, seal and label the bag, and transfer it to the freezer. For the best quality, thaw and use within 3 to 4 months. Frozen Pizza Joe filling should be thawed safely in the refrigerator before reheating.

More Pizza Inspired Recipes You’ll Love

• Pizza Pasta Casserole
• Easy Air Fryer Pizza Pockets
• Pizza Pasta Salad
• Pizza Chicken

This post was originally published on April 12, 2015. It has been updated with new text and images.