Crumbled ground beef and finely diced onions are cooked in a special sauce and piled high onto a warm, soft bun. Quick and easy Maid Rite loose meat sandwiches are a Midwestern classic!
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Why you'll love this recipe
If you've never been to one of the few Maid-Rite locations, you have been missing out! That's okay because now you can make delicious loose-meat sandwiches right at home!
Easily double (or triple!) this recipe for a crowd and bring them to potlucks, graduation parties, or baby showers. There's never a wrong time for classic Iowa Maid Rites!
Ingredients
This quick and easy Midwest classic only needs a handful of simple ingredients. Here's what you'll need:
- Ground hamburger meat
- Onion
- Yellow mustard
- White vinegar
- Sugar
- Water
- Salt and pepper
- Hamburger buns
- Toppings, such as pickles, mustard, and ketchup
Step-by-step instructions
In a large skillet (preferably cast iron), combine the hamburger meat, yellow mustard, white vinegar, sugar, and water. Break up the ground beef with the back of a wooden spoon, until it's in small crumbles.
After the beef has browned, stir in the diced onion and season with salt and pepper. Simmer for 8 to 10 minutes, or until most of the liquid has evaporated.
Serve the loose meat on hamburger buns with toppings such as mustard, pickles, or ketchup. My favorite is mustard!
Serving ideas
Serve up this crowd-pleasing favorite with our delicious Creamy Deviled Egg Potato Salad, Pea Pasta Salad, or Amish Macaroni Salad!
Slow cooker
Here in Iowa, you can almost always guarantee that you will find Maid Rites at every potluck or graduation party! This is one recipe that holds up fantastic in both a crockpot and a roaster oven.
To make Maid Rites in a slow cooker, brown the beef in a skillet, then add it to the slow cooker. Add the remaining ingredients (onions, mustard, vinegar, sugar, salt, pepper, and water). Cover and cook on low for 2 to 3 hours.
You could also cook up the meat in a large stockpot, transfer the loose meat to a slow cooker, and keep it on the "warm" setting.
Tips & tricks
Fully combine the beef. Stir together the ground beef, mustard, vinegar, sugar, and water until it looks like pate. This will make breaking the beef into small crumbles a lot easier.
Warm up the buns. For a true Maid-Rite experience, warm up the hamburger buns. To do this, heat your oven to 350 degrees F. Gently warm and toast the buns for up to three minutes.
Recommended tools
- 12-inch Cast Iron Skillet. This is my favorite kitchen tool! It can be used for so many recipes like Creamy Honey Butter Skillet Corn and Cajun Shrimp Alfredo.
- Slow Cooker or Roaster Oven. Easily serve Iowa Maid Rite sandwiches for a crowd in a slow cooker or roaster oven.
Storing and reheating
Once the beef has cooled, store the loose meat in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to four days.
Reheat the loose meat in the microwave in a microwave-safe container. Add a splash of water if needed to keep the meat from drying out.
More potluck sides
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Recipe
Iowa Maid Rites
Equipment
Ingredients
- 1 lb ground hamburger meat 90/10, 85/15, or 80/20
- 1 tablespoon yellow mustard
- 1 tablespoon white vinegar
- 1 tablespoon sugar
- ¼ c water
- 1 small white onion diced
- 1 teaspoon salt or to taste
- ½ teaspoon pepper or to taste
- 4 hamburger buns
- toppings such as mustard, pickles, ketchup
Instructions
- In a large skillet, combine hamburger meat, mustard, vinegar, sugar, and water. While browning the beef over medium-heat, break up the beef with the back of a wooden spoon, until it's in small crumbles.
- Stir in the diced onion, season with salt and pepper, and simmer for 8 to 10 minutes, or until most of the liquid has evaporated.
- Serve the loose meat on buns with toppings such as mustard, pickles, or ketchup.
Nutrition
Nutritional Disclaimer
The nutritional information provided is only an estimate. For accurate results, we recommend calculating the nutritional information based on the ingredients and brands you use.
Double or even triple this recipe for graduation parties, baby showers, BBQs, potlucks, family gatherings, Super Bowl parties, camping get togethers, and Labor Day or Memorial Day weekend parties.
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