This post is sponsored by my friends at Johnsonville, but the opinions expressed here are all my own- just as always. Thanks for supporting the brands that support me and my family.
When game day rolls around, you’re probably searching for some serious stick-to-your-ribs kind of food that won’t have you in the kitchen all day. Well, man, do I have the perfect thing for you… These super easy, super cheesy Pizza Sloppy Joe Sliders.
These amazing little sandwiches are the amalgamation of some of my favorite foods – sloppy joes, pizza, and those quirky little baked sandwiches made on sweet Hawaiian bread.
And the best part is these only call for a handful of ingredients and you can have them done in less than 30 minutes! And you don’t have to tear down the kitchen to make them! Let’s be honest… the fewer the dishes to wash, the happier we are, right??
Now, you might think that with only a few ingredients, they wouldn’t be super flavorful. Well, you’d be wrong. That said, though, since we only have a few places to add flavor, we need to make sure that we use the best ingredients. That’s why I use Johnsonville sausage in this recipe.
Using sausage adds so much more flavor than say something like ground beef. I went with the Johnsonville Mild Italian version, but the hot would work beautifully. I just often have little mouths that are the recipients of my food and we don’t want to set anyone on fire. 🙂
Next is the sauce. Now, lots of flavor is also going to come from this so make sure you grab a sauce that you know you like. It might cost a touch more, but it’s worth it. I promise.
And seriously, this mixture of the sausage, sauce, and pepperoni is so good, you could eat it all by itself!
When it comes to the bread, you’ve got a few options. I went with a traditional bakery style roll, but the sweet Hawaiian rolls work well, too. You just have to make sure that you grab the rolls that are all baked together. They’re so much easier to make in one big batch and then you also get the fun of being able to pull them apart and seeing that super impressive cheese pull!
You can also personalize these to suit your tastes. I kept them pretty simple with sausage, mini pepperoni, sauce, and cheese, but you really could go wild with these! You could add some diced onion and green peppers when you cook the sausage. You could stir in some black olives when you add the pepperoni. You could even add in sautéed mushrooms. If you like it on pizza, chances are you’ll like it in these!
Whether they’re finger food for the big game or even a quick and easy Tuesday night supper, you’re going to love these! They’re so simple to make and can be customized to include your favorite pizza toppings!
Recipe Card
Easy Pizza Sloppy Joe Sliders
Ingredients
- 1 (16-ounce) package Johnsonville Italian Sausage (Mild or Hot)
- 1 (13 to 14-ounce) jar pizza sauce
- 1 cup mini pepperoni
- 1 (12 to 18-ounce) package dinner rolls
- 1 (8-ounce) package sliced mozzarella cheese
- 1/4 cup unsalted butter, melted
- 2 tablespoons grated Parmesan cheese
- 1 teaspoon Italian seasoning
- 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1/4 teaspoon salt (optional)
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350°F and lightly spray a small rimmed baking sheet or 9x13-inch baking dish with nonstick cooking spray. Set aside.
- In a large skillet over medium-high heat, brown the sausage until cooked through. Drain any excess grease away. Stir in the pizza sauce and pepperoni. Mix to combine. Set aside.
- Use a large knife to split the rolls in half horizontally - without separating them. Place the bottom half of the rolls on the prepared pan. Spread the sausage mixture evenly over them. Place the mozzarella cheese over the top. Place the top of the rolls on top.
- In a small bowl, whisk together the melted butter, Parmesan cheese, Italian seasoning, and garlic powder. Add salt if necessary - see note. Brush the butter mixture over the tops of the rolls. Bake uncovered for 10 minutes or until heated through and the cheese has melted. Serve immediately.
Notes
* If nutritional values are provided, they are an estimate and will vary depending on the brands used. The values do not include optional ingredients or when ingredients are added to taste. If calorie count and other nutritional values are important to you, I recommend grabbing your favorite brands and plugging those ingredients into an online nutritional calculator.
Marla Maynard
What pizza sauce brand do you suggest? These look so delicious!
Thank you,
Marla
I really like the Rao Pizza Sauce. Enjoy!