Manhatten Rolls

This is a family recipe from Chris's family, it brings back lots of memories from his childhood. This is an AWESOME recipe for kids. They think they are getting a really yummy homemade roll from mom, but when they bite into it, it's a cheeseburger. You can double the batch and freeze the second batch and pull them out for "emergency" meal days. They are soooo yummy!

2 pkg. (1/4 oz.) active dry yeast
1/2 cup warm water (110-115 degrees)
3/4 cup warm milk (110-115 degrees)- I never check the temp., if it's warm, not hot, it's good!
1/4 cup sugar
1/4 cup shortening
1 egg
1 tsp. salt
3 1/2-4 cups flour
1 1/2 Lb. ground beef
1/4 cup chopped onion
1 can (8 oz.) tomato sauce
8 slices American Cheese

In a mixing blowl, dissolve yeast in warm water. Add milk, sugar, shortening, egg, salt and 2 c. flour, beat until smooth. Stir in enough remaining flour to form a soft dough. Turn onto a floured surface and knead until smooth and elastic, about 4-6 minutes. Place in a greased bowl, turning once to grease the top. Cover and let rise in a warm place until doubled, about 30 minutes.

In a skillet, cook beef and onion until meat is no longer pink; drain. Stir in tomato sauce. Remove from heat, set aside. Punch dough down, divide into 16 pieces. On a lightly floured surface, gently roll out and stetch each piece into a 5 inch circle. Cut the cheese slices in half. Top each circle with one slice (1/2 piece) of cheese and about 3 Tbsp. beef mixture. Bring dough over filling to the top center and pinch the edges real tight to seal it.

Place seam side down on greased baking sheet. Cover and let rise in a warm place until doubled, about 20 minutes. Bake at 400 for 8-12 minutes or until golden brown. Serve warm. Refrigerate or freese leftovers. 16 sandwiches.