There are times when alcohol induces inspiration. This recipe is definitely from one of those times, although it came together to a better recipe after I sobered up. Most people know the Juicy Lucy as a burger stuffed with cheese, so one night I in college (ok, let’s be real here, it was 3 AM) a few of us though it might be a good idea to try and make a big one, with 3 layers of cheese. Well, this ended up being a bit overly ambitious, but I knew i was on to something. About $50 and two attempts later, I had this gem of a recipe that ended up being a party favorite. This recipe will serve 8-10 normal humans, or 1 drunk college student.
- 2 lbs. ground beef
- 1 lb. loose Italian sausage
- 12 slices Deli Style american cheese
- 1/2 c. diced bread, toasted
- 1/3 c. milk
- 3 eggs
- 1/2 c spicy Giardiniere, chopped (Please make sure it’s in oil)
- 1/2 small white onion, minced
- Preheat you oven to 375 degrees. While your ovens heating, combine your milke eggs and breadcrumbs and let the soak for about 20 minutes.
- Take you giardinere and onions, and get them in a saute pan over medium heat. Make sure to get all of the oil form the giradinere in the pan. You want to sweat the onions and get them to permeate the oil. You really only need about five minutes. just make sure you keep everythign moving so nothing burns. Let these cool for a minute and combine them with the bread mixture.
- In a large mixing bowl, combine the meats and and the breadcrumb mixture. Season the mixture and taste. (I’m not crazy, don’t taste it raw, just but a little bit in a pan, cook it, and make sure it tastes good.)
- Take a small 2 inch cake pan (I used 8 inches x 8 inches) and fill it a little under half way. Layer your cheese over the meat and be sure leave about 1/2 inch around the edges to seal the meat cake.
Fist layer of cheese awesome - Add the rest of the meat over top and press down around the outside to create a seal around the cheese.
Second layer of meat awesome - Place in the oven for about 45-55 minutes. i like to make sure the inside hits 145, then let it come up to 155 after I take it out.
- When it comes out, let it rest 10-15 minutes, then cut.
