The Springfield Horseshoe Recipes

Steps:

• Prepare fries per package directions. Place 2 slices bread side by side on plate. Top with ham slices or 2 hamburger patties. Cover with Sauce. Top with a mound of fries, drizzled with more Sauce. Sauce: Beat egg yolks and beer together. Melt butter and cheese over boiling water, stirring in one direction only with a wooden spoon. Add seasonings. Stirring constantly, add beer and egg mixture a little at a time. Keep mixture piping hot as you stir; but don't let it bubble. Constant stirring and the very best cheese will yield a smooth, uncurdled mixture. Fun Fact: The horseshoe sandwich was first made by Joe Schweska and Steve Tomko at the Leland Hotel in Springfield, Illinois, in 1928. Steve Tomko then took the recipe to Wayne's Red Coach Inn, where it was served until the restaurant closed in 2006. The recipe lives on at the Godfather's Pizza which opened in the spot of the old Red Coach. There you may still get an original Red Coach recipe horseshoe. Although widely debated by locals, the sandwich is said to have originally been served as a tribute to the many horsemen that frequented these hotels. The original horseshoe was served on a sizzling metal platter that represented the anvil; the shape of the ham serves as the shoe with the fries representing the nails. The horseshoe has been featured on Al Roker's Roker on the Road and Guy Fieri's Diners, Drive-Ins and Dives on the Food Network.

Steps:

• Prepare frozen French fries according to package directions.
• Meanwhile, prepare cheese sauce by first beating egg yolks and beer together.
• Melt butter and cheese together over boiling water, stirring in one direction only with wooden spoon.
• Add Worcestershire sauce, dry mustard, salt and cayenne pepper.
• Stirring constantly, add beer/egg mixture to cheese mixture a little at a time.
• Keep mixture hot as you stir, but don't let it bubble.
• Meanwhile, toast bread.
• Meanwhile, preheat platter.
• Place toast on platter.
• Place meat atop toast.
• Cover meat with cheese sauce.
• Circle platter with French fries.
• Add dash of paprika.
• Makes 1 serving.
• Tip.
• Constant stirring and top-quality cheese will yield a smooth mixture.

Steps:

• SANDWICH PART: Form 6 hamburgers and season to taste.
• Cook them, trying to keep them as evenly flat as you can.
• Keep warm.
• Begin to fry french fries.
• Keep warm.
• Toast bread until crisp.
• SAUCE: Melt the butter in a heavy saucepan.
• Stir in the flour.
• Cook, stirring, 5 minutes.
• Gradually stir in the 4 cups milk.
• Stir and cook until thick.
• Transfer to a large microwave-safe bowl.
• Whisk in the evaporated milk until smooth.
• Add the cut up Velveeta (OR Cheddar).
• Microwave for 6 minutes.
• Take out and stir.
• Add the Worcestershire and hot pepper sauce.
• Microwave for another 3 minutes or so, or until the sauce is smooth and hot.
• Take out and taste for Worcestershire and hot sauce.
• Place spoon you were stirring with on a clean plate, away from the stove.
• If mixture seems to harden too fast upon cooling, add a bit more milk.
• Note: I know this seems like a lot of cheese sauce and you may cut it down if you wish, but the cheese sauce is the main attraction here.
• It is hard to have "too much"!
• Assembly is in this order: toast, hamburger, lots of cheese sauce and french fries.
• I promise, you'll have no leftovers.

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F (200 degrees C). Spread french fries out on a baking sheet. Bake for 20 minutes in the preheated oven, or until golden brown.
• Meanwhile, divide the ground beef into four equal parts and form into patties. Fry the patties in a large skillet over medium-high heat until well done, about 4 minutes per side.
• Melt the butter in a saucepan over medium heat and whisk in the flour. Cook while stirring constantly for 4 minutes to cook out the flavor of raw flour. Gradually whisk in the half-and-half so that no lumps form. Bring to a simmer then remove from the heat and add the cheese; stir until melted. Season with salt, pepper, and hot sauce to taste.
• Place 2 slices of toasted bread onto 2 dinner plates and top each slice with a hamburger patty. Top each patty with cooked french fries. Pour the cheese sauce on top of everything and serve immediately.