CHEESEBURGER STUFFED BUNS

My Stuffed Cheeseburger Buns aremade with soft homemade yeast dough and filled with ground beef, cheddar cheese, pickles, green onions, ketchup, and mustard for classic cheeseburger flavor. They are perfect for school lunches, travel snacks, freezer meals, after school snacks. These homemade stuffed buns are kid friendly, portable, and made completely from scratch with ingredients you probably have in your pantry and fridge.

INGREDIENTS

For the Dough

1½ cups warm water

¾ teaspoon salt

⅓ cup sugar

⅓ cup vegetable or canola oil

3⅔ cups flour

1¼ teaspoons active dry yeast

For the Filling

1¼ lb lean ground beef

1 onion, diced

1 tablespoon olive oil

1 teaspoon salt

½ teaspoon pepper

½ teaspoon seasoning salt

¼ teaspoon red pepper flakes, optional

1 teaspoon onion powder

1 teaspoon garlic powder

2 teaspoons Worcestershire sauce

1½ cups shredded sharp cheddar cheese

½ cup chopped green onions

⅓ cup chopped dill pickles

¼ cup ketchup

2 to 3 tablespoons yellow mustard

Egg Wash

1 egg

1 teaspoon cold water

Sesame seeds

DIRECTIONS

1. In a large bowl, stir together warm water, sugar, and yeast. Let sit 5 to 10 minutes until foamy.

2. Add salt and oil. Stir to combine.

3. Gradually mix in flour until a soft dough forms. Knead for 5 to 7 minutes until smooth and elastic. The dough should be soft but not sticky.

4. Place dough in a lightly greased bowl, cover, and let rise in a warm place for 1 hour or until doubled in size.

5. While the dough rises, heat olive oil in a large frying pan over medium high heat. Add ground beef and diced onion. Cook until thoroughly browned. Drain excess fat.

6. Stir in salt, pepper, seasoning salt, red pepper flakes, onion powder, garlic powder, and Worcestershire sauce. Cook 2 to 3 minutes. Taste and adjust seasoning if needed. Remove from heat and allow to cool completely.

7. Once cooled, mix in shredded cheddar, green onions, dill pickles, ketchup, and mustard until well combined.

8. Preheat oven to 375°F and line a large baking sheet with parchment paper.

9. Punch down dough and divide into equal portions, about golf ball to small lemon size depending on how large you want the buns. Flatten each piece into a roughly 3 inch circle.

10. Place 1 heaping tablespoon of filling in the center. Pull dough up and over the filling, pinching tightly to seal. Place seam side down on prepared baking sheet.

11. Cover loosely and let rise for 20 minutes.

12. Beat egg and cold water together. Brush tops and sides of each bun with egg wash and sprinkle with sesame seeds.

13. Bake for 20 to 22 minutes or until golden brown and the internal temperature reaches 190 to 200°F.

14. Let cool slightly before serving.