Sweet BBQ Sloppy Joes with Melty Cheddar

By Sprig Originals ✓ · cooked up in Sprig

A 30-minute skillet supper kids actually ask for: saucy ground beef simmered in ketchup and barbecue sauce with a whisper of brown sugar, piled onto buttery toasted buns and topped with cheddar that melts on contact. The onion is grated so it disappears completely into the sauce — no crunchy bits, no heat, nothing to pick out.

Ingredients

• 1 lb ground beef (85% lean)
• 1 small yellow onion
• 3/4 cup ketchup
• 1/2 cup barbecue sauce (mild, sweet style)
• 1 tbsp light brown sugar
• 1 tsp Worcestershire sauce
• 1/2 tsp salt

• 6 hamburger buns, split
• 2 tbsp butter, softened
• 1 cup shredded mild cheddar cheese

Instructions

1. Peel the onion and grate it on the large holes of a box grater straight into a bowl, juice and all. Grating instead of chopping means it melts into the sauce, so there is nothing chunky for kids to find.
2. Set a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the ground beef and the grated onion and cook 6 to 8 minutes, breaking the meat into small crumbles with a wooden spoon, until no pink remains. Tip the pan and spoon off all but about 1 tablespoon of the fat.
3. Stir in the ketchup, barbecue sauce, brown sugar, Worcestershire sauce, salt, and 1/4 cup water. Reduce the heat to medium-low and simmer, stirring now and then, for 8 to 10 minutes, until the sauce is thick enough to mound on a spoon and no longer runs on the plate.
4. While the beef simmers, spread the softened butter over the cut sides of the buns. Toast them buttered-side down in a second dry skillet over medium heat for 1 to 2 minutes, until golden. (Or toast them cut-side up under the broiler for 1 minute, watching closely.)
5. Sprinkle the cheddar over the six toasted bun bottoms, then spoon the hot beef mixture straight on top so the cheese melts underneath. Cap with the bun tops and serve right away, with extra napkins.
6. Any leftover filling keeps in the fridge for 3 days and reheats in the microwave in 90 seconds, stirring halfway through.

Chef's tips

Nutrition (per serving, estimated)

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