I came up with my own version of Iowa MaidRites which also are called 'loose meat' sandwiches. Very versatile, leftover beef can be used for spaghetti or taco filling, or it can be frozen for later use.
Although it is a good maid rite recipe, it doesn't come close to the Maid Rites served here in my area. I am located in the Quad City area...famous for Maid Rites. Substitute the onion soup mix and french onion soup for chicken broth and add minced onion.
Read MoreThis is okay, but not the recipe for maid-rites. Cook 1 1/2# ground beef with 1 small onion chopped fine. Drain fat and then add seasoned salt, 1 chicken bouillon cube and about 1/4 cup water. Cook for at least 30 minutes over low heat, adding more water if needed. Then turn heat up the last few minutes to evaporate extra liquid. This will get you so much closer to the real thing!
Read MoreThis is okay, but not the recipe for maid-rites. Cook 1 1/2# ground beef with 1 small onion chopped fine. Drain fat and then add seasoned salt, 1 chicken bouillon cube and about 1/4 cup water. Cook for at least 30 minutes over low heat, adding more water if needed. Then turn heat up the last few minutes to evaporate extra liquid. This will get you so much closer to the real thing!
Although it is a good maid rite recipe, it doesn't come close to the Maid Rites served here in my area. I am located in the Quad City area...famous for Maid Rites. Substitute the onion soup mix and french onion soup for chicken broth and add minced onion.
Growing up in Iowa and a big fan of the original Maid-Rite I have been searching long and hard for a recipe that would do them justice. My search is over this ios down home comfort food at it's finest. Try it you will not be disappointed.
For those who have brought up it in the revies that this doesn't come close to a "real" maidrite...if you read in my description it wasn't billed as being "authentic" but my OWN version. Just to clear up any confusion you might have. Thanks!
I'm sorry- but I live in Iowa, and these are not like the maid rites I know. Still it was a good loose meat sandwich- but not the maid rite flavor I was expecting. My mom is a manager at a maid rite, and I asked her if this was even close- and it isn't, although she wouldn't tell me anymore than that.
These were really great. I wasn't clear on adding water or, not to the recipe if I used a slow cooker? I did, and they had too much liquid. Does anyone know about this? They were even better the second time around because four pounds of meat is quite alot for a small family and the liquid absorbed. Adding salt, if your diet allows it also made it tastier.
This was wonderful! I grew up in Iowa and remember Maidrites well. I used one can only of French onion soup, and added 1/2 cup water. My boyfriend & a friend ate almost all of it, I was lucky I got one sandwich but it was perfect. Very easy and tastes great!
I have never had an Iowa Maid-Rites... so I cannot compare them to that. However, THIS sandwich was extremely tasty. I am single, so I made it as is and then I am about to freeze it. Later, with a little diced tomato and chiles, a great little nacho plate. I love it! GREAT JOB!
i am not a big fan of sloppy joes so thought i would try this recipe as it sounded good. we loved it. very tasty and different.
Not a MaidRite. I don't think it comes close. Nice meat and onion flavor. It will get eaten up.
Thanks for this recipe! I added a little garlic powder when browning the beef. GREAT recipe. I am from Iowa and know what a maid rite is. This was soooo good. Thanks again
This is our new favorite maid-rite recipe. I'm from IA and must say that this reminds me of home. We don't stock our pantry w/ soup mix so we substituted fresh onion & garlic, salt, pepper and a little chicken stock. Delicious!
Not even close to a true Iowa Maidrite sandwich. But they are tasty because of all the onion seasoning. Needs alot of tweaking to be useful in any other recipes though. Sorry.
Burlington born and raised. Have a "real" Maid-Rite close by so I presented this challenge: While my wife was busy with this receipe I actually went down to the corner and bought 2 "Real" Made-Rite sandwhiches. To wander a bit off subject, there is a reason the "real" made-Rite is called "Made-Rite"! For those that may be a little foggy in the head, that's a play on the phrase "Made Right". If you use this recipe, you WILL NOT have a "Made-Rite". You WILL have yet another persons idea of what 'might" be the made right Made-Rite receipe, but side by side this receipe doesn't cut it either. It WILL imitate the real thing, but it just isn't there.
Followed the recipe, but simmered for longer than stated. Had to add water as it simmered which seemed to be exactly what was needed. The added water kind of toned down the strong flavors. My husband & I are both Iowan's, born & raised, & this recipe brings home a little closer!
Not bad but not a Maid Rite. Another here from Iowa, Great Uncle owned the Anamosa Maid Rite in 40's or 50's. Keep it simple, meat is steamed not browned. The rest is family secret!
I've made variations of this recipe ever since I found it on this site. Tonight I think I finally came up with the right combination of ingredients. I only used 1 lb. hamburger. Browned the meat, then added 2 TBSP. dry onion soup mix and 1 whole can of French Onion soup. This combination made the mixture favorable and just the right amount of moisture. I only simmered it for 1/2 hour. Was excellent.....
As a mid-westerner, I am familiar with the maid-rite. This version is close to the original and very good. The flavors are very subtle
Never ate one in Iowa, but to me, it tasted like a steak sandwich of sorts. My bf and I gobbled them up! I chopped a large onion, used ground round, beef stock, garlic powder, S&P, and worcestershire sauce. Cooked it down to almost dry, and they were scrumptious. We ate them on fresh onion buns. It was a spur of the moment late dinner, but we loved it.
I'd never even heard of Maid-Rites until I stumbled across them on an unrelated web search, and had to try them. I had a can each of beefy mushroom and golden mushroom soup, so that's what went in the pot with the beef (seasoned with salt, pepper and garlic powder) and onion soup mix. 3 hours in the slow cooker and a little added beef broth yielded yummy tender meat, much better than what I thought initially looking at the simple ingredients. Not sure if the flavor is authentically Maid-Rite, but it sure tastes good!
Pretty close, but not just as I remembered from my Iowa childhood. I add vinegar and fresh bread to thicken mine. No one refused to eat it!!!
VERY GOOD..I DID USE LEAN GROUND BEEF TO MAKE IT LOWER IN FAT AND I ADDED A BIT OF MUSTARD TO THE BEEF MIXTURE.
My kids loved the meat and ate it straight from the pan because they didn't want bread. I thought it was just Okay.
I am so glad to have found this recipe! When I was in college a drive-in there sold these sandwiches, although they were not called Maid-Rites. It was the descriptive term "loose meat" that jogged my memory. This IS the recipe. (If you add anything like extra spices or tomato sauce, you create a completely new recipe. It isn't meant to be "kicked up a notch".) We always thought that one of these sandwiches with a frosty glass mug of root beer was perfect.
These are delicious! I'm from Iowa and I've had Maid-Rites but I was too young to remember what they were like, since the restaurant in my area closed when I was very young, but it doesn't matter because these are awesome either way. Thank you for the great recipe.
YUMMY! Thanks for the recipe...kids loved it. I used leftovers in spaghetti sauce..tasted just as good.
I served this for a girls day and they loved it! I am from Iowa and Maid-Rites was a family favorite. ALthough not exact, they are extrememly tasty and easy.
I am from Iowa and I live in Tulsa now, Maid-Rites are the best thing next to Tenderloins and this recipe was the futherest thing from them. It is way to intense!!! If you ever give it another go I would love to try it!!!
Like a sloppy joe without the "slop" to hold it together. A little messy to eat, nice flavor with the onion. This was pretty much a french dip with the meat cooked in the dip part. I cut this down to use 3/4 lb meat and used the whole can of soup and left out the dried package. I let this simmer for 45 min. until the liquid was gone. Thanks.
As a child my father used to make Maid Rites, he grew up in Fairfield Iowa and worked in a dinner back in the 1930/40's. He made them by frying the hamburger and adding a lump of butter that was it. We loved them, I always put ketchup on mine!
In comparison with an actual Maid Rite sandwich - it's completely different. Though give it a different name and it's an alright sandwich that's easy to make and takes very little time. We'll have these again, but I wont be calling them "Maid Rites"
This sounds like a good recipe, but it looks like there is as much controversy over the MaidRites as here in Nebraska over the "Runza". We've called loose meat sandwiches "Sloppy Joes" around here. Now I remember growing up in the 50's here in Lincoln,Ne. there was drive-up and sit down restaurant called "The Patio", it had a flat roof and on the weekends they had live music up there(what a hoot). They made a signature loose meat sandwich called a "T-Z". One of my friend's mother worked there and the owner always made up the loose meat himself and she said he would pull an envelope with some special seasonings in it out of his pocket when making the concoction and she never found out what they were. They were yummy though but when I think back a lot of things were more tasty because our French fries and onion rings were deep fried in real beef tallow rather than veggie oil. Now that I think of it we still have a drive thru that serves loose meat sandwiches called "Tasty Inn" and onion chips with a to die for dip. I believe this was one of the very first drive-ups in Lincoln,Ne. There used to be several in Nebraska but I believe this is the only one left, this business has to be older than Runza. Just Google "Tasty Inn" Lincoln,Ne. the recipes should come up. Now don't get me started on the original "Valentino's Pizza". Bon Appetite n' Hasta La Bye Bye!
This was an awesome recipe! Super Simple. Delicious. Very easy party pleaser! I made this for my son's birthday party and loved the turn out. Used the leftovers for speggheti , love the versatility. Will definitely do again.
My family loves this version of Maid-Rites! We make this one pretty regularly. I don't change the recipe at all, it stands on it's own.
I haven't had a "real" Maid-Rite in maybe ten years, so I can't really say how genuine this recipe is or isn't, but they were delicious!
My family of 4 guys loves this recipe! it feeds a lot, and is super easy to make. we always have some Ruffles potato chips on hand to scoop up the meat - it's a must! !
We really like them if there is any left over I freeze it or put it in spaghetti sauce.
