1tbsp EACH:Worcestershire Sauce, Brown Sugar, Butter, Tomato Puree (Tomato Paste in US)
2tspYellow Mustard
1/2tspSalt,or to taste
1/4tspBlack Pepper,or to taste
Grilled Cheese
10fairly thick/large slices Bread(see notes)
15square slices ofCheese(see notes)
Instructions
In a large pan over medium heat melt 1 tbsp butter then add onion and green pepper. Fry until soft & just starting to very lightly brown, then add in garlic and fry for another 1-2mins. Add in a tsp of oil or butter if the pan dries out.
Add in beef and break up with your wooden spoon. Fry until browned all over, then stir in 1 tbsp tomato paste and fry for another couple of mins.
Pour in passata and ketchup. Stir in mustard, Worcestershire sauce, brown sugar, salt & pepper and around 1/4cup/60ml water. Lower to a gentle simmer for around 20-25mins, or until very thick, stirring occasionally as you go.
Either pour the sloppy joe mix into a bowl and clean out the pan for the grilled cheese. Or, leave it in the pan and use a separate pan. Allow the mix to cool down slightly before you make the sandwiches, at least until it stops steaming.
Butter one side of each of the slices of bread. Flip half of them so they're butter-side-down. On top of those slices add 1.5 slices cheese (or enough to cover the bread), top with sloppy joe mix, followed by more cheese, then top with bread butter-side-up.
In batches, add the sandwiches to a large pan over medium heat and fry both sides until golden/crispy with the cheese melted in the centre.
Quick Demo
Notes
a) Bread - You want something fairly sturdy, just to contain the 'sloppy' filling. Here I've used thick slices of white bloomer. I'd steer clear of soft sandwich bread, it won't hold the filling efficiently.b) Cheese - You can really use any cheese you fancy. Here I've used a combo of Cheddar and Mozzarella for half, then American Cheese for the other half. Monterey Jack also works nicely. c) Servings - You'll get 4 very big sandwiches or 5 medium-large sandwiches, depending on the size of your bread. I find 3 cheese slices per sandwich works well (1.5 under the meat 1.5 on top).d) Can I make these ahead of time? - I wouldn't make the whole sandwich ahead of time, but you can certainly make the sloppy joe mix ahead of time. Just allow it to completely cool then tightly store in the fridge for 3-5days or freezer for a month. Allow it to come to room temp before adding to the sandwich, or just heat it slightly on the stove or in the microwave. e) Calories - Based on using 15x 2/3oz/20g American cheese slices for 5 sandwiches. Calories per sandwich.
* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.
*Nutrition is based on the absence of salt unless stated as a measurement in the ingredients. Cost is worked out based on ingredients bought from UK supermarkets, then divided by the number of servings. In both instances these values are just for guidance. Please check out my FAQ Page for more info.