Sometimes I think it's fun to go back and revisit old recipes and put a modern spin on them. A few weeks ago, I was talking to my mom and she reminded me of a recipe for these hot, open face sandwiches that I had made in home-ec class, years ago (never mind how many!). I had a vague recollection of it and so I was interested in seeing the recipe. She thought she still had the recipe somewhere, so she went digging for it, found it and e-mailed it to me.
When I saw the recipe, I thought it had potential. But the first thing to go was the name, "Open Face Hot Buns (HB and Cheese)". I mean, what the heck is that?! The original sandwiches were made with hamburger and Velveeta cheese that was bound together with soda crackers, eggs and milk. So it's very similar to meatloaf. I thought calling them some kind of meatloaf sandwich was a more accurate description of what they were. I also swapped out the Velveeta for reduced fat sharp cheddar cheese and replaced the soda crackers with Italian seasoned panko bread crumbs. And, since everything is better with bacon, I added some cooked and crumbled bacon. Finally, I used English muffins instead of hamburger buns, but I do think hamburger buns would also be fine.
What I love about this recipe is that it is fast and easy. It is great for a quick dinner during the week and I think it would be equally great for casual entertaining, especially if you had a lot of people to feed. The other nice thing about these is that you can make them up ahead of time and freeze them, uncooked on a cookie sheet. Once they're frozen put them in a freezer bag and they are ready to cook whenever you need them. You would just need to add about 5 to 10 minutes of cooking time.
So, without further ado, here is my updated version of my high school recipe.
Open Face Bacon Cheeseburger Meatloaf Sandwiches
- 3 slices bacon, chopped
- 1 small onion
- 2/3 cup milk
- 1 1/2 lbs ground beef (I used 90% lean)
- 1/2 cup Italian seasoned panko bread crumbs
- 2 eggs
- 1 tsp dry mustard
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 1/2 tsp pepper
- 1 tsp Worcestershire sauce
- 2 cups shredded sharp cheddar cheese (I used reduced fat)
- 12 English muffins (or whatever kind of bun you like)
Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
Finely chop onion.
Heat a medium skillet over medium heat and add bacon.
Once bacon is starting to brown, add onion to the pan.
Cook until the bacon is crispy. Remove from pan and drain on paper towels and allow to cool slightly.
Add all of the ingredients to a large mixing bowl, except for the English muffins.
Mix ingredients together, combining well (your hands work great for this).
Split the English muffins into halves and place the halves on large cookie sheets. Divide the meet mixture up between the muffin halves, about 1/4 cup on each.
Bake in preheated oven for 20 minutes.
Serve immediately. Can serve with ketchup, brown mustard and/or barbecue sauce for dipping.
I love classics that are made new again! Thanks for sharing at Church Supper!
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