Try my copycat Maid Rite sandwiches, a tasty comfort food from Midwestern made with the mix of ground beef and pork. These sandwiches are a true family favorites specially with my kids that I can whip up quickly and can plan ahead as well. Maid-rite sandwiches are filling, hearty and loaded with flavors.
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You may think of these similar to sloppy joes with juicy tomato sauce, but in maid rite sandwich, meat stays juicy due to beef broth.
Maid rite sandwiches are also called as Nu-Way, Steamer, Big T, loose hamburger sandwich and tavern sandwich based on where you are referring in Midwest. Basically, they are named after a restaurant chain in Iowa which first introduced them in 1920s.
Difference between maid rite and sloppy Joe sandwiches
Are these sandwiches similar to sloppy joes? Well, I would say look can be deceiving. At first glance, both maid rite and sloppy joes look alike, but one bite is all it takes to know the difference.
Maid-rites are made with seasoned ground beef, served crumbly without any sauce, they are more about enjoying pure beef flavors. In contrast, sloppy joes are a combination of ground beef and a sloppy sauce made with tomatoes, ketchup, mustard, and brown sugar. This sauce helps to make the meat juicy and stick together. In sloppy joes flavors are tangy, a bit sweet and spicy.
Personally I think both sandwiches make a hearty, comforting family dinner recipe. Whether you are looking for pure beefiness of maid-rites or saucier sloppy joes depending on your mood, I am sure you won’t go wrong with any of them.
Ingredients for Copycat Maid Rite Sandwiches
- Ground Beef: I prefer to use lean beef for my most of recipes, but feel free to use 90/10, 80/20, or any other kind of beef. Lean beef basically contains less saturated fat. For a healthier option, I recommend using ground chicken or turkey, they’ll still be delicious and protein packed.
- Ground Pork: Any boneless pork will work for the recipe.
- Yellow onion: In my recipe I like to use yellow onion. Either chop them finely or use larger pieces, both works just fine. Feel free to use any onions available at your convenience.
- Beef bouillon cubes: I am using beef bouillon cubes dissolved in hot water instead of beef broth. Its handy, budget-friendly and easily available. You can also use beef broth, just replace it with the same quantity of hot water.
- Soy sauce: Soy sauce gives the umami flavor when ground meat is cooked with minimal seasoning. I prefer to use low sodium soy sauce to reduce the saltiness but if not available, any soy sauce would work. Worchestire sauce can be used as a replacement of soy sauce.
- Steak sauce: This sauce adds a tangy and savory twist to the maid-rite recipe, blends very well with ground meat.
- Red wine vinegar: It adds a sharp, tangy flavor that complements the meat flavor profile.
Tips For Success
- Once the meats are browned, be sure to drain most of the fat off, otherwise your sandwiches will be very greasy and watery while serving.
- Be mindful when having toppings like pickles or mustard, as they can make overall flavor too salty. I would suggest not to use salt in the ground meat while cooking and add it at the last step.
- My favourite toppings for maid-rites are pickles, chopped onion, mustard and cheese slices. The tanginess of toppings works great with cooked meat. Having said that mayonnaise, ketchup, red onions, BBQ sauce, sour cream, and tomato slices also works well.
How to Store and Reheat
Refrigerate: Store any leftover cooked meat in the fridge for 3 to 4 days. If required I just go ahead and freeze it for up to 3 months. All you need a saucepan to warm it up or microwave it.
Freeze: When I am planning ahead, I prepare the ground meat mixture 3-4 days in advance, transfer them in freezer friendly bags and freeze. You can easily freeze the mixture for upto 3 months.
Reheat: Thaw it overnight in the refrigerator before use and reheat on the stove or in microwave.
Serving Suggestions
The best part of making a maid-rites sandwich is that they are great to serve with your usual favorite burger and sandwich sides. My favourite recommendations are to try Baked Sweet Potato Fries or Shoestring Fries for that little crunch. Or pair it with a dollop of creamy Potato Salad. Yum!
My copycat maid-rite sandwich recipe is a great addition to any game day menu!
5-Star Review
“I made this last night and it was the moistest chicken we’ve ever had. A bit of crispy and the flavor was wonderful. I didn’t have buttermilk and did add lemon juice to 1% milk. I am making it again today. Thank you for this recipe.” – Dawn
Copycat Maid Rite Sandwiches Recipe
Ingredients
- 1 pound ground chuck
- 1 pound ground pork
- ½ yellow onion diced
- 2 beef bouillon cubes
- ½ cup hot water
- 1 tablespoon soy sauce
- 1 tablespoon steak sauce
- 1 tablespoon red wine vinegar
- 1½ teaspoon ground black pepper
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- Buns, American cheese slices, diced white onions, pickles, and mustard for topping
Instructions
- To a large skillet set over medium high heat, add the chuck, pork, and onion. Break the meats and cook.1 pound ground chuck, 1 pound ground pork, ½ yellow onion
- Brown the meats and sauté the onion.
- While the meat cooks, dissolve the beef bouillon cubes in the hot water.2 beef bouillon cubes, ½ cup hot water
- Drain all except 1-2 tablespoons rendered fat from the pan.
- Add the bouillon and remaining ingredients to the browned meat.1 tablespoon soy sauce, 1 tablespoon steak sauce, 1 tablespoon red wine vinegar, 1½ teaspoon ground black pepper, 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- Simmer for 30 minutes. If the mixture becomes too dry, add a couple tablespoons of water.
- Scoop the meat onto burger buns, add any toppings, and enjoy. (For cheesy burgers, cover about ⅛ of the meat mixture with one slice of cheese and let it melt before scooping and serving.)Buns, American cheese slices, diced white onions, pickles, and mustard
Video
Becky’s Tips
- Make Ahead: If making the filling ahead of time, let it cool full before storing.
- Browned Meat: To avoid greasy sandwiches, drain most of the fat off of the browned meats.
- Other Meats: For a healthier option, try making these sandwiches with ground chicken or turkey – they’ll still be delicious!
- Adjust Salt to Taste: Add salt at the last step of the recipe to ensure the perfect level of salt to taste.
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
Did you make this? Leave a comment!
How to Make Copycat Maid Rite Sandwiches Step by Step
Brown The Meat: Add 1 pound ground chuck and 1 pound ground beef along with diced 1/2 yellow onion on a large skillet over medium-high heat.
Break up the meat and cook until browned and onions are soften. At this step you won’t see any pink color left in the meat.
Dissolve Bouillon Cubes: While I am cooking ground meat, take a small glass bowl and dissolve the 2 bouillon cubes with 1/2 cup of water. By the time meat is getting cooked you have the bouillon ready to add in next.
Drain Excess Fat: Once browned, drain the excess fat from the pan. Leave 1-2 tablespoon of fat for further cooking.
Combine All Ingredients: After draining excess fat add bouillon (ready from above step) , 1 tablespoon soy sauce,1 tablespoon steak sauce,1 tablespoon red wine vinegar, 1½ teaspoon ground black pepper, 1 teaspoon kosher salt and stir to combine them well.
Simmer: Once all ingredients are combined let the mixture simmer for 30 min. Turned the heat on low and stir occasionally. If you find mixture becoming too dry, add 1-2 tablespoon water and stir.
Serve: Are you ready to dive in the best maid rite sandwiches? Grab your softest bun, scoop the meat onto it, add toppings like American cheese slice, diced onion, pickles and mustard and chomp!!
Super tasty recipe! Definitely saving it for the future. It was a little salty for us (especially since we did mustard and pickels) so we might just omit the tsp of salt next time, but it was still sooo good!
Thanks for sharing!
Same picture six times before you even get to the recipe- ridiculous
You can use the jump to recipe button at the top of the page to go directly to recipe card!
ALWAYS DO-still ridiculous
I made this for us tonight and my husband can’t stop talking about how wonderful it was. This will definitely be on the rotation list for dinner! Thanks!!!
Sounds like a win in the kitchen!
Why why why does anyone need to show the same picture six times in any recipe
Good recipe
Why does this have to be your comment? Can’t you just respond with a positive or keep your mouth shut? Creator…this sounds wonderful and I am using it for Easter dinner for my family!!
I’d like to know why she had to make the same comment twice