I agonized over what my first every posts would be for this blog. I mean I waited for so long to get this going and everything had to be perfect. I was quite frankly scared to death. I work all day every day with computers and technology and yet the thought of building a website was terrifying (enter my constant self-doubt). I put every excuse that I could think of in my own way. Finally, finally, finally I whipped my big girl panties out of the courage drawer and pulled them clean up to my neck. And now, here we are. New friends and old friends hanging out in my kitchen, eating, drinking and laughing.
So, now on to the food! I live in central Illinois and around my neck of the woods we have a concoction called a Horseshoe. A Horseshoe is one of my all-time favorite dishes. I frequently ask for this as my birthday dinner. My guys will willingly make these for me. My younger son, Alex, (he’s 25 but still referred to as the younger) loves to cook too. Actually, both of my boys can cook but Alex is usually the one who helps out with the Horseshoe. I admit that this dish is difficult with only one person but if you have a little help it is a cinch. This cheesy pile of heaven was invented in Springfield, Illinois and the recipe evolved through the years. There are soooooo many variations on this dish. The basic recipe is toast, burger patties and french fries smothered in cheese sauce. I have seen (and eaten) versions with fish and pork tenderloins as substitutes for the burger patties…mmmmm. The biggest difference in the versions of Horseshoes is the cheese sauce. The original version had a homemade cheese sauce that was more of a cheese white sauce if the recipes that I have seen are accurate. Some people like a basic yellow cheese sauce like you would use on nachos. I happen to prefer the lighter sauce with several kinds of cheese and does not resemble anything that comes from a giant can at the basketball game concession stand. Today, Alex, and I want to make the traditional hamburger Horseshoe with you. And, just so you know, this is technically a ponyshoe because it only has one burger. Horseshoes normally have two pieces of toast each topped with a burger or whatever type of meat that you are using.
This dish has a lot of components so it is best to get all of your ingredients together and do any prep work ahead of time. Shred and cube your cheeses and set aside. You can use any types of cheese that you prefer but I recommend that you use velveeta mixed with other types. This gives you a nice melty base to mix with the harder cheeses. Make your ground beef patties and set those aside. Start heating your cooking oil for the fries. It takes a bit of time to get up to the right temperature for frying. Start with a hamburger patty fried in a skillet or on a griddle. I prefer to use a beef and pork mixture for my burgers. I get this brand at Walmart. It is less expensive and I believe produces a much juicier burger. Alternatively, I might buy the budget burger at my local grocery store. Make your burger patties about ¼ pound or a bit smaller if you prefer. For Horseshoes I think that it is best to make your burgers a bit flatter than maybe you would for a regular burger served on a bun. Fry your burgers until they are no longer pink in the middle turning once or twice.
While the burgers are frying or grilling cook up some fries in your deep fryer or in a pot of oil on the stove. You will need to have the oil (I use canola oil) at least 3 inches deep. I use crinkle cut fries purchased from the freezer section but you can make homemade fries if you prefer. A crisper fry works much better for this recipe. The more substantial fries hold up better to the weight of the cheese sauce and gives you more potato flavor. Make sure to cook up a lot of fries. Yes, this seems indulgent and ridiculous but that is what this dish is all about in my opinion. If you want to eat healthy then this is not what you want to make for dinner. This is a fun, once in awhile pile of crispy, cheesy deliciousness.
Ok, now, while the fries are bubbling along and the burgers are frying you want to start your cheese sauce. Melt the butter in a large, heavy bottomed pot over medium low heat and add the milk. Once this mixture is nice and hot (but not simmering or boiling) add all your cheese cubes and shreds and stir until everything is melted and combined.
Make sure that your heat is low enough that the mixture does not scorch. Cheese tends to scorch easily so you want to melt it slowly, stirring frequently. Now to thicken the sauce take a little bit of the cheese sauce (about 1 cup) and place into a small bowl and mix with the corn starch. Stir until well combined and thickened. Add this mixture back into the pot and stir. Let cook, stirring, until the entire pot of cheese has thickened. If you want the sauce thicker just make a little more with cheese sauce and more cornstarch. Add the worcestershire sauce, the hot sauce (if using) and 1 pour (or about ¼ cup) of beer if using. Remove the pot from the heat and allow to stay warm on the stovetop until everything else is prepared.
Once the burgers are done set aside and move on to the toast. Toast up some Texas Toast bread. You can use two slices of toast per serving as is typical but feel free to reduce that to one if you prefer.
Once the toast is finished place one or two slices on each plate and top with a burger patty.
Pile fries on top of the burger patties until the meat is barely visible.
And now comes the crowning glory. Ladle the melted cheese over the fries. Use a goodly amount but don’t go overboard. Those of us who have eaten a fair amount of Horseshoes can tell you that the cheese can be overwhelming and once is starts to cool it can also be difficult to eat. You want just enough cheese so that each bite will have some but not so much that you can’t see the fries poking out here and there.
Now this is a knife and fork burger so grab your utensils and enjoy!
P.S. Alex, wanted me to let you know that there are also breakfast Horseshoes and Ponyshoes. These typically start with toast that you top with breakfast meats, hashbrowns and then cheese sauce or milk gravy. Yummy!
Hamburger Horseshoe
Preparation and assembly of the Hamburger Horseshoe
Ingredients
- 1 32 oz. (or larger) package of frozen french fries
- 2 lbs. of ground beef or beef/pork blend
- 1 loaf of Texas Toast bread
- 3/4 cup of salted butter
- 1 quart warm milk (I use 2%)
- 16 oz. box of regular Velveeta
- 8 oz. sharp cheddar cheese - brick form
- 8 oz. muenster cheese - brick form
- 4 oz. monterey jack cheese - brick form
- 4 oz. marble jack cheese - brick form
- 4 Tablespoons corn starch
- 5 drops of your favorite hot sauce (optional)
- 2 teaspoons Worcestershire sauce
- 1/4 cup of a good, dark beer (optional)
Directions
- Step 1 Prepare your hamburger patties using 1/4 to 1/2 pounds of burger portions. It is entirely your choice regarding size of patties and method of cooking. I prefer to fry the burgers on a griddle or in a skillet.
- Step 2 Start heating the cooking oil for your french fries. You can choose to fry them in a deep fryer or in a pot of oil on the stove. Baking is also an option but frying is preferable for this dish. Refer to the package directions for each of these cooking methods. When your oil (or oven) is ready cook up a good amount of fries. You want enough to cover each burger and the toast. I use the entire large package of frozen fries when I am making 4 – 6 horseshoes.
- Step 3 Cut the Velveeta into bite-sized cubes and shred the blocks of cheese. Set aside.
- Step 4 Cook your burgers and fries as per your preference. Once burgers and fries are cooked set aside and keep warm.
- Step 5 While burgers and fries are cooking begin preparing your cheese sauce by melting the butter in a large, heavy-bottomed pot over medium low heat.
- Step 6 Once the butter is melted add the warmed milk and stir until combined.
- Step 7 Add the cheese cubes and shreds and stir until everything is melted together. Be sure to stir frequently and keep your heat low enough that the cheese does not scorch.
- Step 8 To thicken the sauce, remove about 1 cup of the hot cheese/milk mixture to a small bowl and add the cornstarch. Stir to combine and thicken and then add back into the cheese mixture. Stir and cook slowly until thickened. If the sauce still seems to thin for your liking you can repeat this process with more cornstarch. If it seems too thick you can add more milk.
- Step 9 Add the Worcestershire sauce and hot sauce (if using) and the beer (if using). Stir over low heat until completely combined.
- Step 10 Remove from heat but keep in a warm spot so that the cheese does not harden.
- Step 11 Toast up your bread slices. You can use 1 or 2 slices per serving.
- Step 12 Lay the toasted bread on your individual plates and place a hamburger patty on top. If you are using 1 patty put it in the middle so that it straddles the pieces of toast.
- Step 13 Cover the toast and hamburger with cooked fries. Make sure that you have enough fries so that you barely see the burger.
- Step 14 Ladle on the warm cheese sauce using enough to cover the entire surface but no so much that you can no longer see fries poking out.
- Step 15 Serve with a knife and fork! Enjoy!
