Close-up of a beef patty with melted American cheese in a soft burger bun

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Sloppy Joe Smash Burgers

Name: Sloppy Joe Smash Burgers
Cuisine: American
Ingredients: 1 1/2 teaspoons olive oil; 1/3 cup diced onion; 1/3 cup diced green bell pepper; 1/4 teaspoon garlic powder; 1/2 pound ground beef; 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt; 1/2 teaspoon pepper; 1/2 cup Sloppy Joe sauce, plus more for serving; 2 slices thick-cut American cheese; 2 hamburger buns

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About

This recipe crosses two American classics. The patties are smashed thin like a smash burger, but they are pressed down on top of a bed of diced onion and green bell pepper already sizzling on the griddle, so the vegetables fuse into the crust the way they would in an Oklahoma onion burger. Then Sloppy Joe sauce goes on after the flip.

The onion and pepper cook first with a little oil and garlic powder for about five minutes, until they soften and brown at the edges, and are shaped into four mounds. A portion of beef goes on each one and is pressed flat with a sturdy spatula, seasoned with salt and pepper and left alone for about three minutes to crust. Each patty gets two tablespoons of sauce, then they are stacked in pairs around thick-cut American cheese. Half a pound of beef makes two double burgers.

Ingredients

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Olive oil1 1/2 teaspoons olive oil
White onion1/3 cup diced onion
Bell pepper1/3 cup diced green bell pepper
Garlic powder1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
Ground beef1/2 pound ground beef
Salt1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
Black pepper1/2 teaspoon pepper
Sloppy Joe sauce1/2 cup Sloppy Joe sauce, plus more for serving
American cheese2 slices thick-cut American cheese
Burger bun2 hamburger buns

Recipe

1
Heat a griddle or large skillet over medium high heat. Add oil, onion, and bell pepper; season with garlic powder and cook, stirring constantly, until softened and browned around the edges, about 5 minutes.
2
Arrange onion mixture into 4 mounds. Divide beef into 4 portions and place each portion over a mound of peppers and onions. Using a flat spatula, press down firmly on each section to form thin patties. Season evenly with salt and pepper and cook, undisturbed, until browned on the bottom and around the edges, about 3 minutes.
3
Flip burgers and top each with 2 tablespoons of Sloppy Joe sauce. Place cheese slices over two of the burgers and top with remaining 2 burgers.
4
Toast each bun in pan drippings and add stacked burgers to buns. Serve with more sauce if desired.