Cheesy Party Burgers

This was the one meal I made while we were on my family's vacation in Seabrook, NH.  I had found this recipe on Pinterest and thought it was the coolest idea.  It's a perfect way to serve burgers to a crowd.  Is there any better way to make burgers for 12 people and have them all ready at the exact same time?  Plus don't even get me started on the glaze that gets poured over the top buns.....

I guess maybe calling these burgers is slightly deceiving, because (yay!) there is no meat touching here and the hamburger does not get formed into patties.  Instead, it's cooked on the stove with spices, onion, garlic, and a can of diced tomatoes and green chiles.  Then the burger buns are laid out on a baking sheet, the meat is piled on top, and slices of cheddar go on top of that.  The tops of the buns get added next, and then the glaze, which I think is the coolest part; it's a mixture of butter, brown sugar, Worcestershire sauce, mustard and sesame seeds.  It hardens on the buns and makes them shiny and extra flavorful.

These burgers were a big hit (and yes that includes my veggie burger that I cooked in the corner of the baking dish!).  I think calling them party burgers is a great idea because this would be totally doable at a party.  You could even make them sliders if you wanted to use smaller rolls.  They were a little bit messy so make sure your guests have some silverware and napkins just in case :)

Recipe:

cheesy party burgers
from Kevin and Amanda
makes 12 burgers

Ingredients:
1 pound lean ground beef
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon pepper
1 teaspoon cumin
1 teaspoon mustard powder
1/2 teaspoon smoked paprika
2 cups diced onion (about 1 whole onion)
3 - 4 cloves garlic, minced
1 10-ounce can Ro-Tel diced tomatoes and green chiles, drained
12 slices cheddar cheese
12 dinner rolls or hamburger buns
for glaze:
1/2 cup butter
2 tablespoons brown sugar
1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
1 tablespoon mustard
1 tablespoon sesame seeds

Instructions:

1) Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Coat a 9x13" baking dish with nonstick cooking spray.

2) Place a large skillet on the stovetop over high heat.  When the pan is very hot, add the beef and season with salt, pepper, cumin, mustard powder, and paprika.  Add the onion and garlic, and cook, stirring occasionally, until beef is browned and onions are golden.  Stir in drained tomatoes until well combined.

3) Place bottom half of buns in prepared pan.  Top with beef and sliced cheese.  Finish off with the top half of the bun.

4) Mix all the ingredients for the glaze in a saucepan over medium heat until melted, smooth and combined.  Pour over the buns.  Bake at 350 degrees for 25 minutes.