Slow Cooker Philly Cheesesteak Sloppy Joes
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Slow cooker Philly cheesesteak sloppy joes are so satisfying, filling, and absolutely delicious. Tender ground beef with onion, green bell pepper, and all the best seasonings cooked all day long and topped with provolone cheese makes for an easy crockpot dinner that the whole family will enjoy.
Does your family enjoy Philly cheesesteaks like mine does? Even the kids love this tasty twist on classic sloppy joes.
They are simple to make and fill you up, just like ground beef Philly cheesesteak sliders and sloppy joe casserole–another 2 of our family faves.
I love how easy these cheesy sloppy joes are to make. Just a few minutes of prep then the crockpot does all the work– just like my slow cooker BBQ brisket, crock pot tater tot casserole, and my slow cooker hot honey chicken sandwich recipe. Meanwhile, I can get a few other things done around the house.
Just in time for dinner, the aromatics start to hit and all I can think about is sinking my teeth into one of these incredible sloppy joe cheesesteak sandwiches.
For more belly-warming sandwiches give our hot Italian sliders, cuban sliders and air fryer hamburgers a try.
Ingredients
This section includes ingredient notes and substitution options. Get all measurements, ingredients, and instructions in the printable recipe card at the end of this post.
- Ground beef– One pound lean ground beef.
- Onion- You only need a small one to dice up.
- Green bell pepper– just like classic cheesesteaks, you’ll need bell peppers and green ones are the traditional ones used in this recipe but you can use red, yellow or orange peppers if desired.
- Worcestershire sauce– this helps add to that classic sloppy joe flavor.
- Salt and pepper– what’s any recipe without a little salt and pepper? Add to taste if you prefer less or more than what our recipe calls for.
- Cornstarch- This helps thicken up the sloppy joe sauce.
- Beef broth– I use this to give more authentic flavor while making sure there’s enough moisture for cooking. You can swap this out for vegetable broth if needed.
- Provolone cheese– This is classic cheese to use on a Philly Cheesesteak, but you can easily swap this out for other cheese choices. Keep reading for my top suggestions below.
- Buns– your favorite sandwich buns
Equipment you will need
- Large skillet
- Large spoon
- Measuring cups and measuring spoons
- Slow Cooker
- Small mixing bowl
How to make the best slow cooker Philly cheesesteak sloppy joes
This section shows you how to make the recipe with step-by-step photos and instructions. For the full printable recipe, see the recipe card below.
Step 1: To a large skillet, add the ground beef, onions, and green bell pepper. Cook, stirring often, over medium-high heat until meat is browned. Drain off any grease and transfer to your slow cooker.
Step 2: In a small bowl, stir to combine the cornstarch, beef broth, Worcestershire sauce, salt and pepper. Add to the slow cooker and stir to combine.
Step 3: Cook on low 4-6 hours.
Step 4: Remove the lid and add the sliced cheese. Recover and allow to cook for just a few minutes until the cheese is melted.
Step 5: Stir in the cheese.
Step 6: Scoop onto buns and enjoy.
Storage and Reheating
In the refrigerator: Leftovers can be refrigerated in an airtight container for up to 3 days
In the freezer: For longer storage place in an airtight container or zip-top bag and freeze for up to 2 months. Thaw in the refrigerator overnight before reheating.
To reheat: While you can microwave or heat in the crockpot on low, I prefer to reheat sloppy joe in a skillet over medium heat on the stovetop.
Freezer Meal
Slow cooker recipes like beef chili with beans and these philly cheesesteak sloppy joes in the crockpot make perfect freezer meals.
Simply brown the ground beef, peppers, and onions, place in a zip-top bag and freeze for up to 2 months. Thaw in the fridge then add to the crockpot and cook as per instructions below.
Expert tips and tricks and variations
- To bring even more flavor, you can add mushrooms if you like.
- Using frozen peppers and onions are a quick way to make this recipe even faster.
- Using a vegetable chopper helps to chop up vegetables without having to pull out the knife and cutting board.
- You can slice your peppers lengthwise if you prefer that to diced up ones.
- You can also serve this over pasta, like egg noodles or even over white rice.
What to serve with sloppy joes
I like to serve sloppy joes with a pickle spear and one or two sides. Some of my favorite sloppy joe side dishes are baked beans, mac & cheese, fried pickles, Jiffy corn casserole, french fries, or potato chips.
Frequently asked questions
I like using either sliced or shredded provolone but you can use whichever cheese you prefer. Some other options are American, Mozzarella, or even cheez-whiz.
Absolutey. To make this easy recipe even simpler, you can brown the meat, onions and peppers beforehand and refrigerate for up to 1 day before throwing it in the slow cooker.
For a lower-carb version, try using large leaves of romaine lettuce as your “sandwich bun” and enjoying them that way instead. You will still get all the amazing cheesesteak sloppy joe flavors without all the heavy carbs you get from your bread choices.
These tasty crockpot Philly cheesesteak sloppy joes truly are a delicious and easy meal that the whole family will love. Grab the simple pantry staple ingredients and add this to your weekly meal plan.
More Easy Slow Cooker Dinner Ideas
- Crockpot brown sugar garlic chicken thighs
- Slow cooker Salisbury steaks
- Chili mac in the crock pot
- Slow cooker frito pie
- Crockpot steak bites
Slow Cooker Philly Cheesesteak Sloppy Joes
Ingredients
- 1 pound ground beef
- 1 small onion diced
- 1 small green bell pepper diced
- 1 Tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ½ teaspoon black pepper
- 1 Tablespoon cornstarch
- ½ cup beef broth
- 6 slices provolone cheese or 1 ½ cups shredded
- Buns for serving
Instructions
- To a large skillet, add the ground beef, onions, and green bell pepper. Cook, stirring often, over medium-high heat until meat is browned. Drain off any grease and transfer to your slow cooker.
- In a small bowl, stir to combine the cornstarch, beef broth, Worcestershire sauce, salt and pepper. Add to the slow cooker and stir to combine.
- Cook on low 4-6 hours.
- Remove the lid and add the sliced cheese. Replace the cover and allow to cook for a few minutes, until the cheese is melted.
- Stir in the cheese.
- Scoop onto soft buns and enjoy.
Nutrition
Did You Make This Recipe?
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I made this with ground turkey and yellow, orange, and red bells bc that’s what I had and it turned out delicious! Thank you!
This is on the menu can’t wait to try this.
This came out so good!! Added to our weekly rotation. Thank you so much for sharing! 🙂
I made this for dinner last week. It was easy and delicious. I’ll make this again on game day with slider buns. Go Lions!!!
These are SO good!!! great flavor in the meat and the cheese pushes it over the top. will make again and again, thank you!!
I want to try this but… is there a substitute for the corn starch? Really don like the jello texture when I’ve tried recipes before.
The cornstarch is used to thicken the sauce… but it really shouldn’t give the sauce a jello-like texture. However, all-purposes flour makes a good cornstarch substitute and can also be used to thicken sauces. For this recipe you would use 2 Tablespoons of flour in place of the cornstarch.
Reading instructions on the Philly Cheesesteak sloppy joes, ( sounds fabulous)……. Why does it need to go in crockpot ? Everything is cooked and stirred together.
Will it work just as well to make in skillet on stovetop?
It doesn’t need to go in the crockpot, that is just the way that I prefer to make it since I love crockpot dinners where I can prep ahead. You can certainly make this Philly cheesesteak sloppy joes on the stovetop if you prefer.
So I did this on the stove instead of in a slow cooker, holy crap that was good. My kids didn’t like it but that’s just cause they don’t like minced meat. I would definitely make this into sliders when friends come over to watch sports!!
This recipe was so delicious and so easy to make! It tasted exactly like a Philly cheesesteak I love it!
So glad that you enjoyed it!