Sloppy Joes are one of my go-to weeknight meals using ground beef. They’re faster and easier than burgers, and offer up protein and veggies in a sauce that kids (and adults) love. In fact, you might argue that sloppy Joes don’t need improving. Yet, here I am asking you to do just that by adding two key ingredients to the mix: crispy bread and grilled cheese.

The sloppy in their name implies that sloppy Joes will always be messy. That’s part of what makes them fun! But there’s messy and then there’s too messy — and saucy meat on a soft bun can lead to the latter. Luckily, there’s an easy, grilled cheese-inspired fix: Use a sturdier, crispier bread and secure the filling with cheese. Sloppy Joe grilled cheeses are far easier to eat and, dare I say, even more delicious than the original.

Here, we’ve built the grilled cheeses with thick sourdough bread slices and sharp cheddar cheese, but feel free to experiment with other bread and cheese choices. Whatever you choose, you’ll cook the sandwiches up in a cast iron skillet until golden-brown and crispy — and wonder why you haven’t been making sloppy Joes into grilled cheeses all along.