Here at the farm, we LOVE burgers. The Bibbed Wonder could eat a burger every single day if “his wife wouldn’t take away everything that makes him smile.” It’s not that I don’t want my darling bib overall wearing fuzzy bottoms to be happy; I just don’t want to be responsible for his arteries seizing and hardening. I know, I’m unreasonable and unkind…insert a huge eye roll here. Although we are meat lovers, I try to incorporate two to three days of meatless meals into our diet. Every meatless meal is met with scrutiny, disapproval, and lamenting about how my one intent in this world is to bring my husband misery and unhappiness. It’s a hard life the poor man leads.
On the days I do include red meat or, more specifically, hamburgers, I try to do something other than traditional burgers. My bib overall wearing wonder buns claims he cannot tolerate anything resembling a “sloppy joe.” According to The Bibbed Wonder, when he was growing up, GramBarb made sloppy joe sandwiches for every other meal, went out of her way to make them gross, and made threats of physical harm if he didn’t eat what was put before him. Now, one must remember The Bibbed Wonder has a flare for embellishing stories to make them a) more interesting, b) as outlandish as possible c) to emphasize his point and make him look angelic.
I will tell you, GramBarb is a fantastic cook. Everything the woman makes is amazing, including her sloppy joe sandwiches. Although well deserved, she’s never threatened one bib overall-wearing drama queen with physical violence. She may have made the offending sandwich part of her regular mealtime repertoire, but I’m confident it wasn’t made for every other meal. Although Eric is highly opposed to anything resembling a sloppy joe sandwich, I tried a new recipe this week that got a gold star and a request to be made again. This is a five-star review from my food-oriented, hamburger-loving, bib overall-wearing drama queen.
I hope you enjoy my version of BBQ Burgers. To help my bald little buddy keep an open mind about a new recipe, I stayed far away from referring to these sandwiches as sloppy joes. We will go with BBQ Burgers, but you may call them whatever you like, just please don’t tell Eric…insert wink.
BBQ Burgers
Ingredients:
2 lbs. Lean Hamburger
1 Small Sweet Onion
1/2 Cup BBQ Sauce
½ Cup Ketchup
¼ Cup Brown Sugar
1 TBLS Worchestershire Sauce
½ Cup Beef Broth
8 Brioche Buns
Cheddar Cheese
Pickled Onions
Instructions:
Brown hamburger with onion in a large skillet. Once cooked, drain fat and return to flame. Add all ingredients and simmer uncovered until thickened.
Broil buns in a broiler set on low for 2-3 minutes. Once toasty, place cheddar cheese atop buns and return to broiler. Broil cheese for a few minutes, just until melted and bubbling. Top buns with hamburger mixture and pickled onions. I served this sandwich with corn on the cob and cucumber salad. Enjoy!
I hope, dear reader, you have enjoyed my version of BBQ Burgers. Have a wonderful weekend; the weather forecast is perfection. If you are looking for something fun to do, I highly recommend The Shaker Woods Festival in Columbiana, Ohio. We will be there Saturday and Sunday from 10-5. As always, stay safe, be smart, eating well is part of living well, and keep washing your hands.