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Party Bun Style Sloppy Joes

August 22, 2015

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Party Bun Style Sloppy Joes in a cast iron skillet, with a serving spatula and some wood plates next to the skillet.

So maybe you’ve had those really yummy party buns with the ham and melted cheese?  They are great for feeding a crowd and you can make them ahead of time and then warm them up right before serving.  I love those!  This is similar to that recipe, only instead of ham and cheese we’ve got a sloppy joe type filling with Muenster cheese.  Whoa, SO GOOD!

We used to tease my cousin because if you asked her what her favorite food was, she’d always say sloppy joes.  We couldn’t believe that of all the food in the world, she’d choose the humble little sloppy joe.  But I have to admit sometimes they really do hit the spot!  Sorry for the hard time we gave you sweet cousin, you can love them all you want.

Party Bun Style Sloppy Joes in a cast iron skillet, with a serving spatula and some wood plates next to the skillet.

What makes these little guys so darn good is the butter mixture that is poured over the top.  It soaks into the buns and makes them really flavorful and delicious.  Comfort food to the max, my friends.

A Party Bun Style Sloppy Joe on a serving spatula, with the rest of the Party Bun Style Sloppy Joes in a cast iron skillet in the background.

The special sauce is just butter, Dijon mustard, and Worcestershire.  Don’t worry if you aren’t a big fan of mustard.  I don’t ever put it on any sandwich of mine, but I love everything about these little buns.

Party Bun Style Sloppy Joes in a cast iron skillet.

Another way you can make these is to make a sweet and spicy sloppy joe filling by adding 1 tablespoon Sriracha.  I loved  the combination of sweet, spicy, buttery, and cheesy, but it’s more kid friendly without it.  The sloppy joe filling won’t be as “sloppy” as a typical sloppy joe.  I didn’t want the buns to get too soggy, so I made sure the meat mixture had a lot of flavor without a lot of extra liquid.  I like using a 12-inch cast iron skillet, but it also works well in a 9 by 13 baking dish.  Also, be warned that SOME kids might whine about the poppy seeds.  They add a nice crunch, but there was definitely a couple of little boys scraping them off!  Enjoy, and have a great weekend.

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Party Bun Style Sloppy Joes

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  • Author: Julie
  • Prep Time: 20 minutes
  • Cook Time: 20 minutes
  • Total Time: 40 minutes
  • Yield: 12 1x
  • Category: Main Dish
  • Cuisine: American
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Description

Just like the ham and cheese party buns everyone loves, but with a sloppy joe type filling. You’ll love this quick and easy recipe!


Ingredients

Scale
  • 20 ounces ground beef
  • 3/4 cup ketchup
  • 1 tablespoon Sriracha (optional)
  • 2 teaspoons brown sugar, packed
  • 1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
  • 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
  • 1/4 teaspoon onion powder
  • 1 package dinner rolls (12 count)
  • 3 slices Muenster cheese, cut into quarters
  • 1/2 cup butter, melted
  • 1 teaspoon Worchestershire
  • 1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
  • 2 teaspoons poppy seeds

Instructions

  1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
  2. In a large pan, brown ground beef until no longer pink over high heat. Turn heat to low and drain excess oil.
  3. In a small bowl, mix ketchup, Sriracha, brown sugar, mustard, garlic powder, and onion powder. Add to browned ground beef and stir over low heat.
  4. Place the bottom half of each bun in a 12-inch cast iron skillet, or 9 by 13 inch baking dish. Remove the sloppy joe mixture from the heat, and divide between the buns. Top each one with a slice of the cheese. Place the top of each bun on the cheese.
  5. In a small bowl, mix together melted butter, Worcestershire, mustard, and poppy seeds. Pour the butter mixture evenly over the buns.
  6. Bake uncovered for about 10 minutes, and then if the buns are getting brown, place a piece of foil over the top and bake for an additional 10 minutes.

Notes

You can assemble the buns ahead of time, refrigerate, and then bake before serving.


Nutrition

  • Serving Size: 1 party bun
  • Calories: 322
  • Sugar: 4.7g
  • Sodium: 515mg
  • Fat: 20g
  • Saturated Fat: 9.7g
  • Unsaturated Fat: 8.1g
  • Trans Fat: 0.7g
  • Carbohydrates: 18g
  • Fiber: 1.3g
  • Protein: 17g
  • Cholesterol: 69mg

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Disclaimer: the links in this post for the cast iron skillet are Amazon affiliate links.

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Filed Under: Appetizers, Beef, Main Dish, Sandwiches

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Comments

  1. Faith Taylor-Eldred says

    August 22, 2015 at 8:58 am

    Just wanted to thank you for your wonderful recipes. I’m GF and dairy free and your recipes have been so easy to convert and they are delicious!!! You are incredibly talented.
    Thank you for sharing.
    Faith

    Reply
    • Julie says

      August 22, 2015 at 12:33 pm

      You are so welcome Faith! Glad they have worked out for you.

      Reply
  2. Dina says

    August 25, 2015 at 3:39 pm

    Julie, these party style sloppy joes are such a brilliant idea! Makes serving a crowd so much easier. They look so incredible too! 🙂

    Reply
    • Julie says

      August 26, 2015 at 12:17 pm

      Thanks Dina – we just love them. I could eat WAY too many :0)

      Reply
  3. Jenn says

    August 29, 2015 at 7:01 pm

    Hi, just wondering what kind if cheese that is it what other easier to find cheese might work well with this yummy recipe. Thanks.

    Reply
    • Julie says

      August 30, 2015 at 2:26 pm

      Hi Jenn, I used muenster cheese but cheddar or American would be great too. Enjoy!

      Reply
  4. Jen says

    January 1, 2016 at 1:49 pm

    Did you use the sweet hawian rolls or just the regular ones?

    Reply
    • Julie says

      January 1, 2016 at 2:47 pm

      Hi Jen. I used the sweet but you can really use any.

      Reply
  5. Kelly says

    August 14, 2016 at 9:41 am

    I made these today. I left off the poppy seeds but they were soo good. I’ll be making these often.

    Reply
    • Julie says

      August 15, 2016 at 8:09 am

      So glad you liked them Kelly! Thanks!

      Reply
  6. Cathi Calderwood says

    August 15, 2016 at 10:34 am

    These sound absolutely wonderful, Julie! I can’t wait to try them! I have made the ham and cheese ones in the past and thought I might add a suggestion for those (or these). I am not a huge fan of poppy seeds, so I toasted some sesame seeds and tossed them on top of the buns. They worked great! Thanks for your recipes!

    Reply
    • Julie says

      August 15, 2016 at 10:56 am

      Thank you Cathi, and I like the sesame seed alternative. Great idea!

      Reply
  7. Kathleen says

    August 28, 2016 at 6:54 am

    I make the ones with ham and turkey so I thought I would try these. Do think I could freeze these and then just warm them up? That’s is how I do the others. Thanks so much for the recipe. Kathleen

    Reply
  8. Cheryl DeJong says

    September 28, 2016 at 1:22 pm

    My family loved these! They are very honest with me when I try new recipes (letting me know that I never have to make a recipe again!). I served them with baked beans and chips – a nice easy warm meal!

    Reply
  9. Sheilah says

    December 20, 2016 at 6:46 pm

    I would like to make these ahead of time. Do I wait to pour the butter mixture over them before cooking? I made these once already. Delicious! Thankyou for the recipe!.

    Reply
    • Julie says

      December 20, 2016 at 7:17 pm

      You are so welcome Sheilah! I’m glad you like them. If you want to make them ahead you can go ahead and pour the butter mixture over ahead of time too. It’ll soak in and be all ready to go.

      Reply

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Hi I'm Julie, and I spend a lot of time in my lovely little kitchen. I love gathering my family around simple delicious food. This is how I do it. Learn more →

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