Philly Cheese Steak Sloppy Joes with peppers, onions, and provolone will make you forget canned sauce and make you LOVE sloppy joes again!
Sloppy Joes are such and easy Sandwich Recipe that always make the perfect family meal. I love this Philly Cheese Steak version as well as some of my other popular variations like Cheeseburger Sloppy Joes and Pot Roast Sloppy Joes!
Sabrina’s Philly Cheese Steak Sloppy Joes
My Philly Cheese Steak Sloppy Joe recipe came together almost accidentally. I already had Philly Cheese Steak Grilled Cheese sandwiches in my weeknight dinner rotation for years, and one day I’d made a skillet of the meat filling but didn’t have sandwich bread. With just a few adjustments to make the mixture extra gooey and “sloppy,” I created this sloppy joe version, which may be even more of a crowd-pleaser.
Recipe Card
Ingredients
- 1 pound lean ground beef
- 2 tablespoons butter
- 1 small yellow onion , diced
- 1 small green bell pepper , diced
- 8 ounces brown mushrooms , minced
- 2 tablespoons ketchup
- 1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
- 1/2 teaspoon Kosher salt
- 1/2 teaspoon fresh ground black pepper
- 1 tablespoon cornstarch
- 1 cup beef broth
- 8 ounces Provolone Cheese Slices , chopped (use 6oz if you don't want it very cheesy)
- 6 brioche hamburger buns
Instructions
- Add the ground beef to a large cast iron skillet (this browns very well) and brown on medium-high heat until a deep brown crust appears before breaking the beef apart.
- Stir the ground beef and brown until a deep crust appears on about 50 or so percent of the beef.
- Remove the beef (you can leave the fat) and add the butter and the onions and bell peppers and mushrooms.
- Let brown for 1-2 minutes before stirring, then let brown for another 1-2 minutes before stirring again.
- Add the beef back into the pan.
- In a small cup mix the beef broth and cornstarch together
- Add the ketchup, Worcestershire sauce, salt, black pepper, beef broth/cornstarch mixture into the pan.
- Cook until the mixture is only slightly liquidy (about 75% of the mixture is above liquid), 3-5 minutes.
- Turn off the heat, add in the provolone cheese. Start with half the cheese and then add a bit more at a time until it's as cheesy as you like it.
- Served on toasted brioche buns.
Nutrition
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Table of Contents
Chef’s Note
EDITED: You guys are amazing! In just 7 16 30 days after my original post my readers loved this recipe so much it was re-pinned over 125,000 175,000 520,000 times. If you want to read some reviews from people who have already made the recipe, check out the “tried it” responses on this pin (then re-pin it to keep this magic going!).
Alternative Cooking Techniques
Slow Cooker
- To make this recipe in the slow cooker, add the Ingredients (minus the cheese and buns) to the slow cooker and cook on low for 4 hours.
- Use half the amount of beef broth.
- If the sauce is not thick add in another 1 tablespoon cornstarch mixed with 1 tablespoon room temperature water. Cook for an additional 30 minutes on low.
Variations
This Hamburger Helper version is the second variation of this that I ended up making a week after preparing these sloppy joes for the first time. I posted a recipe for this too, but here is a quick summary:
- Cook exactly as described except double the broth (leave the cornstarch the same).
- Do not rinse your macaroni, the starch will keep the sauce thickened.
- At the step where you’d add the cheese, instead add the macaroni.
- Stir it well together and cook for 30 seconds or until thickened.
- Add in the Provolone Cheese and stir for just a couple of seconds, and serve immediately.
The following images have been used in previous versions of this post:
Just awesome, kids love it, jammed packed with mushrooms, peppers and onions. I have cheated on occasion and subbed 3-4 slices of white American cheese, when my real cheese drawer is bare. But this recipe has brought much happiness around our family table. It was my 10 year olds chosen birthday meal. Thanks to the chef for sharing.
You made my day! Getting chosen for a birthday meal is a huge compliment! Thank you so much for the review.
I want to take this to a football party tomorrow. Can I make it in the pan tonight, refrigerate, then reheat in Crock-Pot tomorrow? What would your make ahead for Crock-Pot recommendation be? Thanks.
Yes, I would add the cheese in just before serving though. You may also need a bit of liquid in the reheating.
Followed this to a T and it is amazing!!! Thank you for posting! The people who said it lacked flavor, I wonder if they didn’t brown the meat and veggies exactly as you indicated. So much flavor happens at that step if done correctly.
Thanks Michele! I really appreciate the 5 star rating!
This was soooo good and so easy to make. Everyone liked it and I really liked the fact that I could get most of it prepared ahead of time. Will definitely make this again!
Oh yes, the prepping ahead of time makes this meal super easy for a busy weeknight!
My husband I loved this! I added minced garlic and doubled the Worcestershire sauce. I also bought au jus to dip them in. Thanks for the recipe!
Thank you for the 5 star rating! I’m so glad you both loved it!
This is a quick and delicious sandwich.
All I know is, I’m coming to dinner, so save me a seat !!
This was really good. I’m not a pepper person but I’d add more next time. Hubby said this is a keeper but next time we’d use hotdog buns or sub bun.
Made this last night when I thawed the ground beef to make tacos but then couldn’t find the taco kit I swear I got! Fortunately we had a green bell pepper, onions, and some provolone already so it worked out! This was a tasty and quick meal and we quite enjoyed it. I love Philly cheese steak anything!
I was skeptical that mixing the cheese into the meat would make it seem cheesy enough (rather than melted on top) but it was plenty cheesy and I didn’t feel the need to add another slice to the top! I used bouillon to make the broth and we didn’t have any rolls so we just had it open faced on toasted bread. Thanks for the recipe!
Glad I was able to help save dinner, haha!
Excellent twist on the ol sloppy joe! Plus a easy tasty remake when you’re hungry for Philly cheesesteak. WE will definitely make this again. Great Job!
Thanks Tim! So glad you enjoyed it!
What do you put as sides with this???
You could really add any sides that your family would enjoy, maybe a vegetable or fries are always a winner in our house.
Love this recipe, have made it twice, in the skillet. First time used 2 cups broth, second time reduced it because it was too soupy, sloppy. I put the cheeze whiz on the buns before adding the sloppy Joe filling, delicious! Thanks again for another great recipe!
Thank you for taking the time to come back and let me know how much you loved it!
Made this with ground turkey and mozzarella since that’s all I had. It was so good! I will definitely make it again!
Thanks Stephanie!
Made this for dinner tonight. Left out the mushrooms but it was really good. Hope the leftovers heat up
I made this tonite and it was a big hit with my husband! Used beef stock instead of broth and added more salt and some roasted garlic and added butter right at the end. Deeelish!!
Thank you for taking the time to come back and let me know how much you both enjoyed it!
Forgot to rate it!
My husband & I love this recipe! DELICIOUS!
Yay!! So glad you guys loved it, Brandy!
My husband and I are Philly Cheese Steak fans. When I saw this recipe, the picture drew me in! I made it tonight and it was fabulous! Easier to eat than a cheese steak. My husband loves it! I told my daughter about it too and I am sending her the recipe. Thank you for sharing such a great recipe. I know this will become a family favorite.
Fantastic Nancy! Thank you so much for taking the time to come back and let me know.
I can’t get over how AMAZING this recipe turned out!
I used ground turkey and chicken broth (added a little bit of boullian to the broth) in replacement of the ground beef and beef broth and it was so delicious!! Thank you for sharing! 🙂
Awesome Anne! I do love how you can customize this dish to your liking. I’m so glad you enjoyed it!
I made this tonight for my dinner, but I forgot to buy provolone, so instead added swiss. Normally I do not eat sloppy joes, but this recipe sound good as I like Philly cheesesteak samdwiches. Loved it.
Sabrina! I must ask. Where did you get those buns?!!
Thanks for noticing 😉 Haha, these are Brioche buns. You can usually find them in the bakery section at the grocery store (these specific ones were bought from Whole Foods) and they’re packaged in a 4 pack. They really do up this dish another notch, in my opinion!
I found brioche buns in the deli department at my grocery store, on a shelf display for brioche products. Just another idea in case your bakery doesn’t have them.
I would like to add any corn starch or flour. Do you think it would work?
I don’t think it would. My suggestion would be to use instant mashed potato flakes if you didn’t want to use corn starch or flour. It will slightly change the taste but you’ll end up with the same consistency.
This recipe is amazing! My whole family loved it! I have 2 picky eaters and they both cleaned their plates!
That’s so awesome Brandy!! Thank you for letting me know!
We loved this dish.
Made this twice now, once with beef and tonight I used ground chicken and chicken broth instead. Great both ways! Thumbs up from all 4 of my kids!
Thanks for letting others know about the ground chicken suggestion Kelly! Glad everyone enjoyed it!
Making this in the slow cooker now. Think we are gonna try it in stuffed green peppers and maybe as a new twist on a runza filling.
What a great idea Robbie!
Just made this for dinner tonight and I have to say it is one of the best meals I have had in a while! Thank you for the wonderful recipe!
Thanks for letting me know Amy! Glad you enjoyed it!!
This dish was delicious. Both my four-year-old boys loved it and my husband loved it. I did not have provolone so I used a mix of mozzarella parmesan and asiago cheese. Because my cheese is have salt in them I did not add any extra salt. Delicious! And I served them on potato bread hamburger rolls
Awesome Hanna! It’s so fantastic when you can find a meal that everyone loves!!
I made this last night. Having lived in South Philly, I am not sure that this tastes just like a cheesesteak as others have claimed. That being said, it was DELICIOUS, and a hundred times better than a “normal” Sloppy Joe. Couldn’t find Brioche buns, so I just used plain ole’ sesame hamburger buns. Served with a side of fries, and I was a happy lady! I’ll be adding this to my recipe book. Thanks for sharing!
Thank you so much for taking the time to come back and let me know how much you enjoyed it!
These are amazing! I love philly cheesesteaks, but hate having to pay for steak to make them, not to mention the pain of slicing the stuff.? These solve that problem! They’re now a favorite dinner for family friends when they come over!
Thank you so much Zoe!
I’m not much of a cook but this was sooo easy. It had so much flavor, just simply delicious! My son loved it! We don’t like mushrooms so I omitted and didn’t have provolone so I used mozzarella. Thank you for sharing! ?
Thank you so much! This dish is so easy to customize so I’m glad you enjoyed it!
I forgot to brown the meat before putting it in the crockpot! I already put all the ingredients in the crockpot.. can i just brown it all together, then put it back in the crock pot?
Yikes, so sorry I’m just now seeing this!! Hopefully it all ended up working out ok but yes, you could’ve just taken it all out to brown it together since you forgot.
I adapted this recipe for a keto diet. Replaced the buns with low carb tortillas, the cornstarch for soy flour and ketchup with reduced sugar ketchup. It’s one of our favorite meals. So good and simple. Thanks for the recipe!
Thanks for the keto substitution suggestions! Glad you enjoyed it!
I made these and they are a hit. I put them on sliders.
Great for a party idea!
This was very good! My kids won’t eat sloppy joes. but they gobbled these up quickly!!
Will definitely make this again. Thank you.
Yay, I love seeing that the entire family loved this meal! Thanks for taking the time to come back and let me know.
So delicious! My grandkids rated this 5 stars, even after picking out the mushrooms I had added. You captured the savory aspect of Philly cheesesteak sandwiches!
Thanks Janet!
Does the carb count come from the bread?! I’m low carbing and think this looks pretty good, just trying to figire out wjere they came from. I wouldnt eat mine on bread, more of a casserole type for me.
You could definitely cut out the bread to reduce carbs but I don’t have the nutritional facts for recipes on the site. I know there are a lot of free resources on the internet from when I’ve cooked for clients with low carb diets that you can check to see how it all adds up.
AShley I cooked mushroom caps instead of mushrooms in the hamburger and served it in them rather than bread to avoid carbs. Also used pepper jack cheese for more spice
Delicious but green pepper overwhelmed it all. Suggest using half a green pepper and more cheese.
OMG! Thanks for the recipe. My daughter and I LOVED it. I did add some A1 steak sauce for more flavor …This will be added to my quick and easy meals.
I made this it smelled good cooking but there is no taste to it when its done.
So sorry you thought there was no taste to it. You could definitely play with the spices to customize them to your family’s liking.
I read all the reviews and thought this was going to be a really good meal. I have a family of 5 and sadly not one of them liked this. Biggest complaint was that there wasn’t any flavor to this. Maybe some added spices might kick this up a notch.
So sorry you ended up not liking it. You could definitely play with the spices to customize them to your family’s liking.
Maybe try adding some horseradish to pep it up.
I was so excited when I finished making this recipe that I wrote 😀 I didn’t see where to put a review until I saw other recipes that I know I will make now lol It smells glorious. It is perfect for taste and time! I usually like cooking but have been in a slump. Now I am excited and happy to cook for my men 😀
Awesome! Glad to be inspiration and I’m sure their stomachs are happy too, haha! Thank you
Could I use this recipe in an Instant Pot?? Would the ingredients still be the same amount?
While I’ve been using a pressure cooker for many years, this recipe hasn’t been tested out for it and I wouldn’t feel comfortable giving a recommendation for it. Sorry. You could always check out other recipes made for pressure cookers with similar ingredients and that might give you some idea of what would work.
Thank you for this delicious recipe. My family loved these. It was simple to make, inexpensive, but full of flavor. We will definitely be making this recipe again and again.
So glad you all enjoyed it!
We made these tonight. Everyone loves them! My husband, who is a die-hard sloppy joe fan said he would take these over sloppy joes anyway. Thanks for sharing!!
That’s definitely considered a WIN in my book! Thanks for coming back to let me know!
I love this recipe and I added garlic because I pretty much add garlic to everything lol. And I used flour which I don’t think it makes any difference if you use that it corn starch, in my opinion. I am totally making this again and recommending it to all my friends and family.
Awesome! Thanks Kim!!
Made these today and everyone loved them. I did add 3 fresh cloves of garlic, chopped, with the vegetables. Delicious! And I know it will be a favorite!!
I made this today for dinner. However, I did drain off the fat from the meat and instead added some olive oil. Also, next time I make it (and I definitely will be making it again) I will use much less Worchestershire sauce. I think this is a genius idea! My husband loves steak hoagies & he gave this 2 thumbs up!
So glad you both enjoyed it!
I made this tonight with baby portobello mushrooms, and, boy, was it good! Thank you so much for the recipe — it’s definitely going into our regular rotation!
Awesome, so glad you loved it! Having a recipe put into regular rotation is a HUGE compliment, thank you!!
Awesome!! Made it for dinner tonight. It was a HUGE hit. This will go in our meal rotation. Thanks
Thanks Jackie!