The Unexpected Way To Use Up Leftover Sloppy Joe Meat

Sloppy Joes were once a popular sandwich, but these days, people don't tend to eat them quite as often as they did in elementary school. Still, if tater tots — a similar cafeteria staple — can get a trendy makeover, why not this sandwich? Sloppy Joes deserve better, especially when you consider how versatile the filling is. On day one, you can eat it on a burger bun in typical fashion. Then, the leftovers can easily be repurposed into other dishes. One of our favorite ways to use up leftover sloppy Joe filling, however, is in quesadillas.

Quesadillas on their own couldn't be much simpler: Heat a flour tortilla until it's floppy, fill it with cheese, fold it, and cook it in a frying pan or the oven until the cheese melts and tortillas crisp up. If you have any leftovers on hand, though, you can upgrade this plain version with sloppy Joe mix for a heartier, tastier version with hardly any extra work. Before you layer on the cheese, spread sloppy Joe meat over your warm tortilla. Fold it over, and cook until the filling is heated throughout and the cheese is nice and melty.

Sloppy Joe mix tends to be on the sweet side, and you can lean into this by pairing it with a very mild, melty cheese in your quesadilla. Mozzarella, a Mexican cheese blend, or Monterey jack are all excellent choices. Or, opt for pepper jack to give the quesadilla a hint of heat. Cheddar cheese adds some contrasting sharpness, while American cheese is a comfort food classic that, like sloppy Joes, also gives elementary school food vibes in the best way. 

Of course, you can always upgrade the leftover sloppy Joe filling with complementary flavors using ingredients like chili powder, taco seasoning, hot sauce, or chopped green chiles. Once the quesadilla is cooked, layer on taco-type fillings, such as diced tomatoes, black olives, sliced green onions, pickled jalapeños, pico de gallo, guacamole, or sour cream. One more intriguing addition is to add some broken tortilla chips to the quesadilla, giving it some extra texture reminiscent of Taco Bell's Crunchwrap or Cheesy Gordita Crunch. If you aren't feeling quesadillas, you can also use the filling in other Tex-Mex favorites, such as tacos, tostadas, enchiladas, and even sweet and savory sloppy Joe nachos.