Loose Meat Sandwich (Maid-Rite Copycat)

Loose meat sandwiches are the most popular item on the Maid-Rite menu. This recipe of these sandwiches will taste as good as Iowa-classic.

The famous sandwich from Maid-Rite is the one and only! But is it so? Today we offer you a copycat of these sandwiches with loose meat. It will take you about 10 minutes to prepare this copycat!

Recipe ingredients

If you’re not from Iowa or didn’t watch the Roseanne TV show you may not know what a Maid-Rite sandwich is. It’s a loose meat sandwich with seasoned slow-cooked ground beef served on a hamburger bun and it’s really quite delicious.

A sandwich with loose meat is a real American classic of roadside food! Although it is not as sloppy as Sloppy Joe, it is definitely included in the list of sloppy sandwiches. Maid-Rite and Sloppy Joe can’t really be compared. The common things that they have are loose ground beef and a hamburger bun. There is no sauce in Maid-Rite, on the other hand, Sloppy Joe is a saucy, tomato-based creation.

Moreover, there are a lot of similar sandwiches to Maid-Rite and you probably heard such names as:

• Taverns
• Beef burgers
• Canteens
• Nu-Way
• Steamer
• Big T
• Sloppy Joes
• Yip-yips

If you are a fan of hamburgers and Sloppy Joe’s you should definitely prepare this Maid-Rite Copycat!

You will need:

1 pound ground beef 

1/4 cup water

1 tablespoon yellow mustard

1 teaspoon granulated sugar

1/2 cup onion finely chopped, plus more for topping 

Salt and freshly ground black pepper

4 hamburger buns split, for serving

Toppings such as ketchup, mustard, mayonnaise, pickles, for serving

Ingredient notes

Ground beef: The best choice is 85 % minced meat with 15% fat content, thanks to which you will get a wonderful taste.

Onions: You can add any onion that you like (white, yellow, red, or shallots). There are two options for how to cook onions. You can add them after the meat is ready, if you want them to remain slightly firm in structure. Or you can first cook the onions in order to acquire a soft structure.

Hamburger Buns: We recommend you a soft burger bun of good quality, toasted and buttered. You can also use buns for sliders or any other bread, it all depends on your taste preferences.

Step-by-step instructions

• Step 1

Put the beef, water, mustard and sugar in a large frying pan and mix them well. Simmer for about 5 minutes over medium heat, until the beef is ready. We also advise you to break the pieces of meat with a spoon.

• Step 2

Add the onion and season to taste with salt and pepper. In the original recipe, everything is prepared with fat, but if you want, you can drain it.

• Step 3

Now it only remains to put loose meat on fresh hamburger buns. And don’t forget to add mayonnaise, ketchup, mustard and pickles.

Recipe tips and variations

How many Loose Meat Sandwiches you will get?

This recipe lets you make 4 servings of loose meat sandwiches.

How to store Loose Meat?

If you have any loose meat left, you can safely put everything in the refrigerator in a container. This way, loose meat can be stored for up to 4 days. The container should be airtight.

Can I prepare Loose Meat Sandwiches in advance?

You can prepare everything in advance and eat it later. We advise you to put the meat in an air-tight container and put it in the refrigerator. Then you can reheat the meat in any convenient way( microwave or oven) and add it to hamburger buns.

Can I keep the Loose Meat in the freezer?

You can also put the meat in an air-tight container in the freezer, and when needed you can get it out and reheat it.

Can I prepare Loose Meat in a slow cooker?

It is quite simple to prepare sandwiches in a slow cooker. For this, brown the ground beef in a frying pan, then add it to the slow cooker. Add all the other ingredients. Cook on low heat for 2-3 hours. When the meat is ready, put it on the buns.

Can I add additional seasonings to my Loose Meat Sandwich?

Alternatively, you can add Worcestershire sauce or soy sauce to add spice to your loose meat.

Can I add other toppings to my Loose Meat Sandwiches?

You can feel free to add whatever you like. We have the opinion that you should add what you like in your sandwich and it is not always necessary to strictly follow the recipes. Add pickles with dill, red onion, tomato slices, a little barbecue sauce, mayonnaise, ketchup or mustard. Or you can add them all, it’s up to you!