Lunchroom Style Pizza Burgers

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Quick and easy pizza burgers are a nostalgic meal that will remind you of childhood. They are also a delicious way to get dinner on the table in a hurry.

These family friendly pizza burgers are a perfect busy night meal. They come together in no time with very few ingredients.

You may be reminded of the school cafeteria lunches of your childhood in the best kind of way. This is the kind of nostalgia your taste buds (and kids!) will love.

Pizza burger night is always a good night at our house and it can be at your house as well. You can get a dinner they’ll love on the table without a lot of time or effort.

My husband has particularly fond memories of pizza burgers from his elementary school days. He says his school cook piled them high with that “government cheese.”

As cheese lovers, that makes them extra appealing. I can see why he still gets excited when we have them for dinner.

A Perfect Use for Leftover Buns

Pizza burgers are a great way to use up extra buns. If you overbought for a party, those excess hamburger and hot dog buns are the perfect base.

However, they are definitely good enough to warrant buying the buns specifically. You may want to put them on your weekly menu.

Adaptations and Substitutions

One of the best parts about pizza burgers is how adaptable they are. Sometimes we eat them open faced if we are trying to stretch a few buns into a whole meal.

Sometimes, like on this particular day, we turn the tops into toasted garlic bread. That adds another layer of goodness to the final product.

You start with a pound of ground beef. Though you can use ground turkey or venison if you prefer.
 
If you want to sneak in some extra veggies, feel free to toss in some diced bell pepper, onions or mushrooms with the meat as you brown it. Then stir in the pizza sauce.

Scoop that delicious mixture on top of your buns. Then top it with yummy mozzarella cheese.

We usually use shredded cheese because that is what we are more likely to have on hand. However cheese slices make for easy and consistent full coverage.

If desired, brush the other half of the buns with garlic butter. Then bake until the tops are golden and the cheese is melted.

You can have dinner on the table in under a half hour. Bonus: they are going to love it!

What is pizza burger made of?

This pizza burger recipe is like a pizza flavored version of a sloppy joe. It features pizza sauce, ground beef, and mozzarella cheese.

What do you serve with pizza burgers?

We tend to keep our side dishes simple when we make pizza burgers. Frozen french fries make an easy and fun side dish. Or try baby carrots and some dip or a simple green salad.

More Recipes You Will Love

If you like these fun pizza burger sandwiches, you are going to love my slow cooker chicken Parmesan sandwiches. 

Or make some fun little pizza burger sliders for an appetizer or fun dinner. Whether you make them big or small, they are sure to be a hit.

Instant Pot Maid Rites are another great sandwich option. The loose meat burgers are really simple, but really tasty.

What are your favorite busy night meals? I’d love to hear all about them!

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