The following “Chew This!” column originally appeared in “The Courier-Times” and / or “The Shelbyville News”. Check their websites for further information and dates.

Famous UnSloppy Joes

Blaise Doubman

I used to love traveling to Greenville, Ohio to visit the Kitchen Aid Experience Store. It was full of anything and everything Kitchen Aid and, not many people know this, down in their basement was a clearance outlet where you could find some of their famous stand mixers on sale! Actually, this was the only location anywhere, where their stand mixers were on sale! Unfortunately, they closed due to loss of business over the COVID pandemic. While I was there, I would always stop at Maid-Rite for their famous “loose meat sandwiches” as well as fries and a milkshake of course. I will never forget the first time I went, I ordered a combo meal, sat down and ate it, and loved it so much I went up and ordered the exact same thing and ate it again! Their sandwiches are delicious! Quick fun fact, do you know why they call their sandwich shop “Maid-Rite”? The story is, butcher Fred Angell steamed hamburger instead of frying it, mixed in some secret spices and offered one of them to a delivery man who took a bite and said, “Fred, you know this sandwich is made right!” Hence, the name was born soon after.

The recipe I am sharing here for my “UnSloppy Joes” is a recipe pretty close to the Maid-Rite sandwiches that are still served today. It is also a recipe based off of the famous “loose meat sandwiches” that were featured in the hit TV show, Roseanne. So, what is the real difference between a Sloppy Joe and one that is not as sloppy? The sauce! Sloppy Joe’s have a tomato-based sauce that is mixed into the meat. The UnSloppy version, such as the Maid-Rite and the Roseanne’ loose meat sandwich, and the recipe I am sharing today, has no sauce whatsoever. They are a complete mess to eat, I will not try to hide or deny that fact, but they are fabulous! Without the sauce of a traditional Sloppy Joe, you really can taste the meat and the seasonings. Whatever you do, do not add any ketchup before or after the cooking! I am not sure why, but Maid-Rite strongly advises against adding ketchup. Extra mustard or even pickle are welcome!

Famous UnSloppy Joes

These are best served on steamed hamburger buns. To steam your hamburger buns, wrap each hamburger bun in a slightly damp paper towel and microwave for about 10 seconds. Serve these with crisp crinkle fries.

2 pounds ground beef

1 medium onion, minced

1 tablespoon yellow squirt mustard

½ cup water

1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce

½ teaspoon salt

½ teaspoon black pepper

Start by cooking together the ground beef and minced onion in a large skillet over medium high heat. Cook and chop up the ground beef in as little pieces as possible. I use the Pampered Chef “mix and mash” for this, which works wonderfully. You can also use a potato masher.

Once fully cooked, drain well. Return the mixture to the skillet and place over medium heat.

Add in the yellow squirt mustard, water, Worcestershire sauce, salt and black pepper. Mix this together and stir occasionally, until the mixture comes to a full boil.

Once at a boil, reduce the heat and simmer for 20 minutes.

Use a slotted spoon to scoop out the meat and place onto the prepared steamed hamburger buns to serve. Serve them with mustard and pickle only. No ketchup!

Ask and Answer: Many of you have been writing to me asking about my cookbooks. I published two cookbooks, “Blaise the Baker Dessert First” and “Blaise the Baker Celebrates”. They are no longer in print. However, check with your local small businesses to see about their stock.