Prep Time: 15 minutes
Cook Time: 15–20 minutes
Servings: 6
Ingredients
- 6 English muffins, split in half
- 1 lb (450 g) ground beef
- 1 small onion, finely chopped
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- 1½ cups pizza sauce or marinara sauce
- 1 tablespoon tomato paste
- 1 teaspoon Italian seasoning
- ½ teaspoon dried oregano
- ½ teaspoon paprika
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ¼ teaspoon black pepper
- 1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce, optional
- 2 cups shredded mozzarella cheese
- ¼ cup grated Parmesan cheese, optional
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
Instructions
- Preheat the oven: Heat oven to 400°F (200°C). Line a baking sheet with foil or parchment paper.
- Toast the muffins: Arrange the English muffin halves cut-side up on the baking sheet. Bake for about 4–5 minutes, until lightly toasted. This helps keep them from becoming soggy.
- Cook the beef: Heat olive oil in a skillet over medium-high heat. Add the ground beef and onion. Cook for 6–8 minutes, breaking the beef into small pieces, until browned. Drain excess grease if necessary.
- Add flavor: Stir in the garlic and cook for about 30 seconds. Add pizza sauce, tomato paste, Worcestershire sauce, Italian seasoning, oregano, paprika, salt, and black pepper.
- Simmer: Reduce the heat and simmer the beef mixture for 4–5 minutes, until thick and rich.
- Assemble: Spoon a generous amount of the beef mixture onto each toasted English muffin half.
- Add cheese: Cover each one generously with shredded mozzarella and a little Parmesan if desired.
- Bake: Return to the oven and bake for 7–10 minutes, until the cheese is melted and bubbling.
- Broil for the golden top: Broil for 1–2 minutes until the mozzarella develops beautiful golden-brown spots. Watch carefully so it doesn’t burn.
- Serve: Let them cool for 2–3 minutes before serving.
Tips
For extra flavor, add diced bell peppers, mushrooms, pepperoni, or red-pepper flakes to the beef mixture. You can also replace the English muffins with thick slices of toasted French bread.