Make Hot Dogs More Filling: The Easy, Hearty Topping You Need To Try

You've had the classic chili dog before, of course, and it's tough to imagine improving on such a classic. Using sloppy Joe meat in place of chili, however, may do exactly that. The textures are similar, but adding sloppy Joe meat to a hot dog gives you a touch of sweetness from brown sugar and ketchup that's present in most sloppy Joe recipes while still offering the tomato-and-beef goodness you'd get from chili. 

If you have a go-to sloppy Joe recipe that's a favorite, you can whip it up and use it to top your favorite brand of hot dog. If you'd prefer to save some time (no judgment here), you can used a canned sloppy Joe sauce like Manwich (or the Aldi customer-favorite Brookdale Sloppy Joe Sauce, a dupe of Manwich). You can take your sloppy Joe dogs to the next level by adding a bit of spice to contrast the sweetness as well. Simply swap in chorizo for traditional ground beef, and you'll create a sloppy Joe dog that still has some of the heat you'd get from using chili. No matter how you mix up your sloppy Joe meat, the sweetness of the sauce is the perfect fit for a savory hot dog.

If you'd still like to add a little more flavor to your sloppy Joe dog, you've got quite a few options. Try topping it off with a bit of sweet pickle relish to highlight the sweetness of the brown sugar in the mix. If you'd rather have a bit of heat, hit the top of your dog with a squeeze of sriracha. You can also try (trust me on this one) melting a few thin slices of Velveeta on top — there's something about the umami-rich nature of the yellow stuff that just works fantastically with the unique sweetness of a sloppy Joe.

Mess is part of the fun when it comes to enjoying sloppy Joes, but it's totally understandable if you don't want to have a greasy dinner table disaster on your hands. Thankfully, there are a few different ways you can cut down on the mess when you're enjoying this filling, flavor-packed treat. To avoid soggy hot dog buns for good — and cut down on the chance of your sloppy Joe dog falling apart — simply toss the buns on the grill or toast them in a pan just before you load them up. Another option: Elevate your sloppy Joe dog experience by using a split-top hot dog bun, just like you'd use for a lobster roll. It gives you a little more support for toppings, leaving space for cheese, relish, or whatever else your heart desires.