Hatch Green Chile Pork Stew
A deeply comforting Hatch green chile pork stew—roasted chilies, browned pork, and a silky sauce that eats like warmth in a bowl.
Sloppy Joe Cheesesteaks (Not Quite a Chopped Cheese)
A Sloppy Joe–cheesesteak hybrid that borrows the chopped-cheese technique without copying it. Deeply browned beef, a clingy savory sauce, and cheese melted directly into the mixture make this a kid-friendly, cold-weather crowd pleaser.
TABLE OF CONTENTS
Sloppy Joe Cheesesteaks (Not Quite a Chopped Cheese, But Close Enough to Love)
Is this just a chopped cheese?
Not exactly — but if you love one, you’ll feel right at home.
Is this a chopped cheese?
Not quite. It uses the same melt-the-cheese-into-the-beef technique, but leans into sloppy joe flavors and cheesesteak structure for a heartier, saucier sandwich.
This sandwich lives in the overlap between a Sloppy Joe, a cheesesteak, and the chopped-cheese technique. It starts with deeply browned ground beef, builds a clingy, savory sauce with Worcestershire, ketchup, and stock, and finishes by melting the cheese directly into the mixture so every bite holds together. We made this on a night when a big snowstorm was rolling in — everyone home, everyone hungry, everyone needing something warm and filling. It’s a total crowd pleaser, kid-friendly, and the kind of sandwich that disappears faster than you expect.
Ingredients (Serves 4)
Meat & seasoning
- 1 lb ground beef
- Kosher salt
- Fresh black pepper
- Garlic powder
- Onion powder
Sauce base
- 1 tbsp Worcestershire sauce
- 2 tbsp ketchup
- 1 tbsp juice from cherry peppers
Vegetables
- Neutral oil
- 1 onion, diced
- 1 green bell pepper, diced
- 4–5 white mushrooms, diced
- ½ tsp dried oregano
Extras
- 2–4 slices cooked bacon, chopped (optional but excellent)
- Chopped cherry peppers, to taste
To tighten the sauce
- ¼ cup flour
- 1 cup chicken stock
Cheese & bread
- Provolone slices (or American, or Cooper Sharp if you have it)
- 4 Hoagie rolls, split
Instructions
1. Brown the beef well
Heat a cast iron skillet over medium-high heat. Add the ground beef and cook until deeply browned, breaking it up and letting moisture cook off so you get real color.
Season after browning with salt, pepper, garlic powder, and onion powder.
Transfer beef to a bowl.
2. Build the sloppy base
To the warm beef, add:
- Worcestershire sauce
- Ketchup
- Cherry pepper juice
If using bacon, fold the chopped cooked bacon in here. Mix well and set aside.
3. Cook the vegetables
In the same skillet, add a small splash of oil.
Add onion, green pepper, mushrooms, and oregano.
Cook about 7 minutes, stirring occasionally, until softened and lightly browned.
4. Combine and thicken
Add the vegetable mixture to the bowl with the cooked ground beef.
Sprinkle the flour evenly over everything and stir until fully coated.
5. Add stock and reduce
Add the mixture back to the hot skillet, ladle in the chicken stock and bring to a boil, stirring constantly.
Reduce heat to medium and cook uncovered, letting the mixture tighten.
You’re looking for a moist but clingy texture — glossy, spoonable, not soupy. The sauce should coat the meat and hold together when scooped.
6. Melt the cheese into the mixture
Lay slices of cheese directly over the hot beef mixture. Cover briefly until melted, then gently fold the cheese into the filling so it becomes part of the sauce.
Then mix the melted cheese into the mixture. This step is key — it binds everything together and makes the sandwich eat like a cheesesteak, not a sloppy pile.
7. Finish and serve
Fold in chopped cherry peppers if using.
Spoon generously into split hoagie rolls and serve hot.
Notes & Variations
- Cheese options: Provolone is classic, American is extra kid-friendly, and Cooper Sharp would be outstanding here.
- Bread: Lightly toasting the hoagies helps them hold up.
- Make-ahead: The filling reheats beautifully the next day.
- Crowd tip: Double the recipe — it goes fast.
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