For Drip-Free Sloppy Joes, Use A Hot Dog Bun

From school cafeteria lunches to summer cookouts, there's never a bad time to indulge in the robust tastiness of a sloppy Joe. While the origins of the sloppy Joe are hazy, there's no question that, over the years, the sandwich has cemented itself as a staple in American cuisine. With its incredible combination of spiced ground meat and savory tomato sauce piled on a soft, toasted bun, sloppy Joes are mouth-watering meals that are easy to throw together. 

Sloppy Joes are undoubtedly a convenient and delicious dish, but there is one problem with this crowd-pleasing sandwich. True to their name, sloppy Joes can be very, well, sloppy. The nature of a sloppy Joe's filling is to be loose and messy. For some people, the visceral experience of eating a sloppy Joe is part of the appeal. However, if you prefer to enjoy your meal without necessitating a shower afterward, try replacing your sandwich's hamburger buns with hot dog buns. 

The inherent trough-like shape of a hot dog bun makes it the perfect vessel for containing the crumbly, loose meat of a sloppy Joe. Additionally, using hot dog buns will make a sloppy Joe easier to handle without altering the pillowy, somewhat sweet taste of the bread.

As iconic as they are, hamburger buns are meant to hold ingredients that more or less stay together when you take a bite. That means they are not suitable for a sloppy Joe. To hold up a sloppy Joe on traditional buns, you have to squeeze it from the top and bottom, which can quickly cause the ground meat to fall out before you've even taken a bite. On the other hand, a hot dog bun forms a pocket that makes it easier to get a grip on your sloppy Joe without making a mess. This also makes hot dog buns a better choice if you're cooking for young children or anyone with motor control issues.

It's easy to substitute hot dog buns for hamburger buns because, aside from cutting down on the chaos, they won't affect the taste or texture of your sloppy Joe. Every brand has its own styles and recipes, but in most cases, the biggest difference between a hot dog and a hamburger bun is the shape. Therefore, you won't lose out on the mild bread flavor if you opt for hot dog buns. You could even upgrade your sloppy Joe and use a different type of hot dog bun, like pretzel or brioche. The shape of the hot dog bun also makes it suitable for several other sloppy Joe variations. 

You can do a few things to take your sloppy Joes to the next level, even if swapping out the classic hamburger bun for a hot dog bun. First, be sure to toast the buns. It will make the surface a little crispier, creating a pleasant bite while preventing the sauce from seeping into the bread and disintegrating it. 

For a flavor boost, consider adding a bit of extra cheese to your next batch of sandwiches. Before pouring the ground meat onto the hot dog bun, put a stick of room-temperature mozzarella string cheese into each bun. Then, slather it with the warm ground meat. The heat will perfectly melt the mozzarella, and since its shape fits perfectly into a hot dog bun, you'll get the ideal ratio of meat and gooey cheese in each bite.

Another option is to bake your sloppy Joes before serving. After you've followed a classic old-fashioned sloppy Joe recipe, fill the hot dog buns as usual. Then, put them onto a baking sheet, sprinkle everything with shredded cheese, cover with foil, and put the sheet into a 350-degree Fahrenheit oven for 20 minutes. The result will be delectably crisp, warm, and flavorful sloppy Joes that are easier to eat.