Last Minute Labor Day Cheeseburgers (no grill required!)

Ahhhhh, hello, long weekend! When you're young, holidays were relished with enthusiasm. As an adult, holidays are still great, but I think a solid long weekend is perhaps more eagerly anticipated than Christmas. It's a bonus day for productivity or lack there of. 

If you've got a gathering to go to still, and are in need of a dish to take, consider these simple party cheeseburgers. Now, I'll concede cheeseburgers in their traditional form are incredibly easy, but these are lower maintenance and great for a group. Plus, you don't even need to fire up the grill. The original recipe is from one of my favorite bloggers, Kevin & Amanda. Their recipes are generally practical and approachable. 

I first made these cheeseburgers as the main dish for the teens we feed on a monthly basis at local organization.  These teens face hardship, including hunger, shelter, stability, safety, and a lack of clothing, daily. So we're always trying to provide a little bit of comfort through some great home-cooked food. Since we're cooking for a group, I try to find recipes that are teen-friendly, cost-effective and relatively quick. This one surely fits that bill. 

You'll need some pretty basic ingredients and about 35 minutes. If you take these to a party, I bet you'll bring home an empty pan!

I have to disclose: I don't have any pictures to share with you. I could have sworn I took a few but I can't locate them. Food blogger fail! My apologies! But they're so good, I can't not post. Luckily, Kevin and Amanda's post have excellent photos it you're a visual person. AND, I'll update this post when I make them again.  

Cheeseburgers for a Crowd
Original Recipe from Kevin and Amanda
1 pound lean ground beef (we had 90/10 on hand)
1 large onion, diced (I had a large sweet onion)
1 1/2 - 2 teaspoons minced garlic
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon ground pepper
1 teaspoon cumin
1 teaspoon dry ground mustard
1 can of tomatoes with diced chiles, drained (i.e. Rotel)
sliced cheese
12 Hawaiian Rolls 

Glaze
1 stick butter (8 tablespoons)
2 tablespoons light brown sugar
1 tablespoon soy sauce or Worcestershire sauce
1 tablespoon yellow mustard

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. 
2. Brown ground beef in large skillet on high heat. Add onion at same time as beef. Season the meat. Add garlic. Stir mixture occasionally. When beef is browned, stir in the diced tomatoes and chiles. 
3. Half the rolls. Place the bottom of the rolls in a prepared (sprayed) 9x13 pan. Pour meat mixture over buns evenly. Add cheese slices to each roll. Top with the other half of the buns. 
4. In a sauce pan, combine all glaze ingredients. Melt and stir until well combined. Pour over top the buns.
5. Bake for 25 minutes. 

Seriously, that's all there is. I told you they were easy. No one wants to waste time on a long warm weekend with involved recipes. Make them. Take them. Let your friends reap the rewards of your kitchen wins.

Now, go forth, and enjoy the extra day! I'll be back with some other great stuff soon.
Until next time!
xoxo