Cooking Time:
4 hoursServings:
10
Ingredients
2 T. dried onions or a small onion2 garlic cloves
1 T. warm water (if using dried onions)
3 lbs. lean ground beef
1 beef bouillon cube (low sodium)
1 chicken bouillon cube (also low sodium)
1 1/2 c. water
2 T. Worcestershire sauce
1 T. low sodium soy sauce
2 T. cider vinegar
2 T. brown sugar
Slow Cooker Loose Meat Sandwiches are a great go-to, meal as I usually have ground been in my freezer. This is one of our comfort foods in the Midwest (where I am originally from). Enjoy!
- Start slow cooker on high, add dried onion and 1 T. warm water. (Allow to rehydrated a bit while assembling other ingredients.)
- Stir ground beef, 1 1/2 cups water and all other ingredients well. Stirring well to break up ground beef and mix all ingredients.
- Cover. Cook on high 4 hours or until ground beef is cooked, stirring occasionally to prevent beef from clumping. The ingredients should have a smooth texture.
Serve on hamburger buns with tomatoes, onions, pickles, or any topping you desire.
Optional: I use an diced onion instead of the dried onion, and brown the onion and garlic, and add the ground beef to brown too, as I feel it adds flavor. But you really don’t have to brown the ground beef, just be sure to stir occasionally as stated in step #3!
Note: These are messy so use plenty of napkins!
Happy Crocking!
XOXO,
Jenn
This was super easy to make, and tasted pretty good – a little bland for my family – but a good base recipe for a mexican meal! It also made a LOT… plenty for a medium sized family.
Do you have any suggestions for a person who is using one of the small size crock pots? Everything overcooks because it has to cook for approx 10hrs. Not a big deal for a “regular” crock pot but not good for small. FYI, I love leftovers but currently have no microwave. So that makes it hard too. Thanks for any help.
Ann that is a tough question! As a rule of thumb a crock pot should be 1/2 to 3/4 full but the small crock pot I have found usually crocks hot, so to crock for 10 hours that would probably over cook everything! Depending on what you crock, some of our facebook friends use a timer, this might be an alternative for you?? Hope this helps, and happy crocking!
I made this yesterday and I thought it was absolutely wonderful. I don’t like the traditional sloppy joes because of the red sauce so this was really different but still it taste a lot like sloppy joes still just without the red sauce. I will be making this often thanks for the recipe! Oh, I added red pepper flakes and red sweet bell peppers and yellow and orange peppers a fresh chopped onion and it was cooked on the stove simmered real slow for about 40 minutes.
Can the burger go in raw or do you need to brown it first?
Thanks for the question Jamie! I usually brown my hamburger, because I feel it adds flavor, but I don’t think you really need to according to the recipe. Happy Crocking!
[…] Indiana, I just couldn’t do it. We luckily had a back up! Loose meat (Maid Rite) sandwiches! http://www.getcrocked.com/2011/08/24/crock-pot-loose-meat-sandwich/. The recipe is a crock pot version, but we used the stove top. We also had corn on the cob. For […]
Great recipe! I used pita pockets for the bread and it wasn’t messy at all. It was a hit with the fam. Thank you for sharing!
What would the measurements be to cut this to 1 or 2 lbs of meat? There are only 2 of us.
Lillie that would be 2/3 for 2 lbs. of meat, and 1/3 of the recipe for 1 lb of the meat. Enjoy and Happy Crocking!
This looks very similar to the maid rites I grew up eating in SE Iowa. I always enjoyed a smear of cheez whiz on my sandwich. Going to try these very soon. Thanks for posting!
Are you from NW Indiana that you know of Maid Rite?
Hi Sandy, I did grow up in the Midwest, but not in Indiana, my Husband is actually from Indiana!
I think this is a old fashioned Madrite sandwich,I’m going to give it a try..
does the ” T ” mean teaspoon or table spoon in the instructions ?
Hi Frank, The T. stands for Tablespoon, and tsp. stands for teaspoon. Thanks for the question, and Happy Crocking!
I usually brown my burger, add onion as in powder, flakes, or finely chopped fresh. I add a small amount of water, to make the burger crumbly. I also add Chicken Bouillon Cube, along with Salt and Pepper to taste. I grew up eating Maid Rites, and still travel back to Illinois and have them a few times while I’m there at the Maid Rite Restaurant. This way I make mine is the closest I’ve had. Maid Rites aren’t sweet, or anywhere near a Sloppy Joe. Maid Rites are served with Onion, Pickle and Mustard and only Ketchup on request.… Read more »
I love these but add mustard and relish to the meat and mix it up. It helps hold it together. Love them!
I pinned this for my sweet little momma the other day . She is from Iowa and LOVES the place where they make these, but can no longer find them around her. I sent her the recipe and she’s in heaven! All she kept saying was: What a great way to start a new year!
Thanks for making her “year”! 🙂
I’ve got this in the crockpot right now. My husband and I love Maid Rites & the closest one is about 30-40 miles from here. Looking forward to supper tonight. Thanks for the recipe.
What sides do you serve with them?
Personal I did not think it taste like Maid rites at all. And tasted very blah. I have a way better recipe:
1 lb hamburger, 2 Tbs. sugar, 4 Tbs dill pickle juice, 1 diced onions, lots of pepper, mustard and buns
cook hamburger in skillet, drain, put back in skillet. Then add sugar, pickle juice and onions. Let set a few mins. prepare buns with mustard and pickles. and enjoy!
[…] Recipe and photo by Get Crocked. […]
Please check your protein value. No way does this have 41 grams of protein!
Chyrie, I just double checked the nutrition facts with the program I use, and they were correct. If you find a program that gives you different facts, please let me know. Thank YOU! 🙂
Surely you don’t throw in the boullion cubes without dissolving them in water do you?
Thanks,
Iowa Girl who loves Maid Rites!
Jerri it will dissolve in the liquid, but you can dilute it in the water if you would like. Happy Crocking!
Plan to make these today & will let you know how my family likes them. Have been excited once I found this recipe. As the maid rite is my favorite spot to go eat when I visit my mom in Southeast Iowa.
Delighted to find this recipe – when traveling East (we live in Arizona) we always stop for Maid Rites – they are delicious. Will enjoy being able to have them more now! Thanks for the recipe!!
Hi! Do you drain the meat if you brown it first?
This recipe has been a huge hit at my house! Super easy and tasty! My daughter is a light meat eater so it’s perfect for her just to dip out what she wants…the males in the house are big meat eaters so they pile it on. So far, the leftovers have only made it to the next day!
Sadly; I had to throw it out. Left it on high for 4 hours to come back home to charcoal burnt hamburger. Maybe 4-6 hours on low would be better. Not very happy right now.
Christi I am sorry you had a problem, but I would check with the manufacturer of your slow cooker, as it sounds like it was crocking too hot. It may be that there is a recall on your unit. Hope this helps!
Can I cook this on low 6-8hrs?
Rachel I have not crocked it on Low, but I am sure it would be very good… Happy Crocking!
Made this a couple days ago following the recipe exactly and I have to tell you it was wonderful!! I grew up in Iowa and Maid Rites were always a treat! I have lived in Calif for my adult life and everytime I visit Iowa it’s one of the first things I do when I get there, get a Maid Rite! Sadly they are getting harder and harder to find. I have often thought that they would go over well out here. Thanks for the recipe!
Thanks Mindy for letting me know, so glad you enjoyed! Happy Crocking!
I would’ve to use no sodium boullion cubes as those cubes are loaded with sodium,we’ve them here in upstate ny.sounds like a sloppy joe,but better!the red sauce can be too spicy,so i’m going to try this.
Do you put the garlic cloves in whole? I have only used minced garlic before so I’m not sure how to use cloves. Thank you.
[…] For directions, visit Get Crocked. […]