The Mouthwateringly Meaty Addition For A Next-Level Grilled Cheese

There are plenty of ways to add some pizzazz to a classic grilled cheese by getting creative with your fillings, like blending a variety of cheeses and or adding bacon or brisket. But if you really want to take your grilled cheese to the next level, go with the meat option and combine this classic comfort food with another childhood favorite, a classic sloppy Joe.

We aren't talking about a New Jersey-style sloppy Joe that somewhat resembles a Reuben sandwich. We're talking about the messy (hence the moniker "sloppy") ground beef (make sure you use beef with enough fat so it's nice and juicy). The kind that gets all over your hands if you aren't careful. When you pair that saucy meat filling with an ooey gooey grilled cheese with an Instagram-worthy cheese pull, you've got the ultimate comfort food on your hands.

To make this mouthwatering sandwich you didn't know you needed in your life, cook up a classic sloppy Joe filling and place it alongside the cheese of your choice in between two slices of buttered bread (or use mayo for a flavorful upgrade). Then grill away, making sure the cheese melts enough to mix with the sloppy filling. The result will be a gooey, cheesy delight that will have you asking, "Is it a cheesy sloppy Joe or a meaty grilled cheese?" It's probably fair to say that it's a little bit of both. But whatever you call it, it's sure to make your inner child smile and your adult mouth water.

The sloppy Joe grilled cheese isn't exactly introducing two strangers, beef and cheese, for the first time. These two ingredients have a long history of working very well together — there is a reason cheeseburgers have their very own day to celebrate their awesomeness, National Cheeseburger Day, on September 18. They appear quite often together in many cuisines, like Italian, where classic dishes like beef ragu are typically topped with a sprinkling of cheese.

But despite this intimate culinary relationship, there is actually a scientific reason why the flavors go so well together. Beef and cheese are both high in glutamates. They're also high in nucleotides. When paired together, glutamates and nucleotides create an umami blast, with the savory profile of the beef and the rich and creamy profile of the cheese coming together for a flavor bomb that is common in a variety of cuisines. Different cuts of beef go great with different kinds of cheese, like a succulent steak paired with a rich blue cheese sauce, but when it comes to finding the right cheese for your grilled cheese filled with sloppy Joe meat, consider the cheeses that are most commonly paired with ground beef in cheeseburgers for a combination that won't steer you wrong. Cheddar, Gouda, Monterey Jack, pepper jack, and American cheese are always great options, and you can even add a touch of elegance to the meal by using a decadent Brie. Have fun exploring the combinations at your disposal to create a sloppy Joe-filled grilled cheese that is uniquely you.