Lunch Lady Pizza Burgers Recipe – pizza sloppy joes simmered in a quick homemade pizza sauce, topped with mozzarella and served on hamburger buns. Ground beef, onion, garlic, tomato paste, water, basil, oregano, marjoram, thyme, salt & pepper, mozzarella cheese, and hamburger buns. SO simple and super delicious. Ready to eat in 30 minutes. I am pretty sure my lunchroom never served something so yummy!
In a large skillet, brown the ground beef until no longer pink. Drain.
Add the rest of the ingredients except for cheese and hamburger buns and stir. Bring mixture to a boil and reduce heat and simmer for 10 to 15 minutes.
Split hamburger buns. Place bottom halves of hamburger buns on a baking sheet. Place a couple of spoonfuls of the meat mixture on the bottom bun half. Top meat with mozzarella cheese.
Bake for 8 minutes. Serve as an open-faced sandwich or add the top bun for a closed sandwich.
Notes:
You can substitute ground turkey for ground beef.
Feel free to use fresh onions and add bell peppers to the mix. Cook the fresh vegetables with the ground beef so that they soften.
I use shredded mozzarella cheese. You can use any cheese that you enjoy. Provolone, grated American cheese, or cheddar cheese are great.
For extra flavor, melt butter and brush it on the hamburger bun halves before placing them on the cookie sheets.
Can substitute an equal amount of Italian seasoning for the basil, oregano, marjoram, and thyme.
Are pizza burgers gluten-free? Yes! All of the ingredients in this recipe are gluten-free.
Can School Pizza Burgers be made in advance? Yes! You can make the meat mixture ahead of time and reheat it before serving.
Can Old School Cafeteria Pizza Burgers be frozen? Yes! Prepare the meat mixture and let it cool completely. Transfer the meat to a freezer bag and freeze. To reheat, thaw completely and reheat in the microwave or the stovetop.