Maid-Rites are a popular Midwestern loose meat sandwich, and are full of savory goodness. This is my version!
It’s time for another edition of You Know You’re From the Midwest When… (check out editions one and two!)
You know you’re from the Midwest when you don’t say “Maid who??” when I tell you Maid-Rites were on the menu tonight!
Maid-Rite, a popular Midwestern restaurant, specializes in “loose meat” sandwiches, aka seasoned ground beef on a warm bun. I know. Sounds… crazy?! It is, a little, I suppose – but we totally dig them. And NO they’re not sloppy joe’s!
I had to laugh when Ben told me a story about a co-worker who was visiting from the east coast last month and was asking people where she should eat while in town. Someone suggested Maid-Rite and was trying to explain the sandwiches to her…
“So it’s a sloppy joe then…”
“No, there’s no sauce.”
“So it’s just meat?”
“Yeah, but it’s seasoned.”
“But it’s still just ground beef…”
“Right, but it’s really good. Just trust me!”
HA! I can totally hear this conversation in my brain… Anyway, my Mom has a super recipe for Maid-Rites (oh also, you can just call them “maid-rites” and everyone will know what you’re talking about) so I cooked some up for dinner!
Ingredients
- 1 lb 85/15 ground beef, could use 80/20 - just not super lean
- 1 onion, chopped
- 1/2 beef boullion cube
- 1/2 cup water
- pepper
- 1 1/2 Tablespoons soy sauce
- 1 1/2 Tablespoons steak sauce
- Buns
Directions
- Sauté beef and onions until cooked then drain and return to pan.
- Add the rest of the ingredients then simmer for 30 minutes and scoop onto buns.
Notes
- Serve like you would a burger - this is more akin to a burger than a sloppy joe.
Nutrition
Nutritional values are estimates only. Please read our full nutrition information disclaimer.
I always get my maid-rites with a squeeze of cold ketchup and salty pickles. Perfection I tell you. Totally a crowd pleaser too – everyone will love these.
Bring a taste of the Midwest to your home, won’t you?
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Fill in the blank “You know you’re from (fill in your city/state here) when…”
Alternatively, do you have any unique local or regional dishes?
Iowa, of course, is know for their corn and pigs. NOT POTATOES – that’s Idaho (I can’t tell you how many times I’ve gotten that!)
You know your from Ohio if you know what a buckeye is…….. and i am not talking about the college or the tree!
My dad is from Illinois and I so remember Maid Rite from summers visiting my grandparents! My dad made them at home ocassionally too, now I have a craving! There are so many “you know you’re from Colorado when…” Sayings most of them involve snow!!
My mom always made sloppy joe’s, but as a born and bred eastern Iowa girl, I’ve had my fair share of maid-rites, too. Other very Iowa things (in my hometown anyway) are: scotch-a-roos, cheesy chicken roll-ups, taco pizza, cheesy hash-brown potato casserole and cherry fluff jello salad. Yikes, lots of gooey, cheesy dishes!
Those are all my favorites to make and eat too!!!
I loooooove Maid Rites! They were a must-have whenever we were at the mall!
I grew up in MN and have lived in Iowa for nearly 5 years. I never knew what a maid-rite was before I got here, and since I’ve been here I have never tried one.
Maybe making my own version at home will happen in the coming weeks – I know my husband would die for some red meat! :)
I’m from MN and I have never heard of a maid-rite. I want to try your fries! Mmm! You know you’re from MN when you know what a beef commercial is, eat hotdish instead of casserole, drink pop instead of soda and look forward to eating pork burgers at the county fair! :)
If we want loose meat sandwiches in the Wichita KS area, we just go to NuWay. It’s a fast food place thats been around forever here. They put pickles and mustard on them, not ketchup. Also they make their own root beer which is awesome too! You know your from Kansas when they say “where’s Toto”? And they always think they’re the first person to say it too!
Fave local/regional dish . . . Shrimp and Grits!!! Mmmmmm :-)
I’d never heard of a maid-rite before. I’m another east-coast girl who just doesn’t get it :-)
My mom made Maid-Rites for dinner regularly too! So yum! Gonna have to pick up stuff for this meal soon cause now I’m craving it. It makes great leftovers too. Gotta love that! :)
You know your from Cincinnati when…………you love a 3-way and it has nothing to do with sex. Good ole Cincinnati chili at Skyline Chili. Yum! Another Cincinnati favorite goetta. I am not a fan but about everyone else I know is. I’ll be trying Maid-Rite this week with the IGE recipe. Thanks!
:) I was going to use the 3-way example! Don’t forget Graeter’s Ice Cream!
1) The phrase “loose meat” sandwich makes me crack up!
2) I’m from Ohio (which we categorize as the Midwest…but if you look at a map there’s nothing “West” about Ohio), and there are no Maid-Rites here. Might have to try your version.
3) You know you’re from Ohio when someone says “O-H!” and you turn around and yell, “I-O!” making the symbol for both I and O with your arms over your head. It’s a total reaction.
4) You ALSO know you’re from rural Ohio when your local hang out is a Subway…the only fast food restaurant for miles and miles. :)
Those fries look outta this world!!
That dinner looks KILLER! It’s a must-make STAT.
Let’s see…
You know you’re from Portland, Oregon when you’re rather die than be seen with Starbucks coffee because it’s too Seattle and “American corporate” AND when the more your outfit looks like you pulled it out of a free box in someone’s lawn and threw it together in the dark, the better.
Oh Portland, you’re one of a kind.