Hanky Panky
If you have never had a Hanky Panky, you are in for a treat! There is nothing improper about this Hanky Panky Recipe for old-fashioned, delicious, cocktail rye bread appetizers, sometimes called a "polish mistake," topped with a combination of sausage, hamburger meat and, what else, lots of gooey cheesy goodness!
Ingredients
- 1 ¼ lb ground beef (I used Jimmy Dean's)
- 1 lb hot pork sausage (I used Velveeta cheese)
- 1 tsp ground oregano
- 1 tsp crushed red pepper
- 1 pinch fennel seeds
- 1 loaf thinly sliced party rye bread (sometimes called cocktail rye bread)
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 400° F.
- Add ground beef and sausage to a large skillet over medium-high heat. Stir and cook until browned. Use a potato masher or large fork to break up any large clumps of meat.
- When the meat has browned, drain off any excess fat.
- Add oregano, garlic powder, crushed red pepper, and fennel seeds. Reduce the heat to low and continue cooking for 20 minutes.
- Cut the cheese into cubes and add to the meat mixture. Stir until the cheese has melted and everything is thoroughly blended, remove from the heat.
- Use a small ice-cream scoop (about 1¼ inches in diameter) or a tablespoon to add a dollop of the meat and cheese mixture to each piece of bread.
- Place on a cookie sheet and bake for 8-10 minutes, or until the bread is toasted and the topping is bubbling.
- Serve warm or at room temperature.
Notes
You can change this recipe into Hanky Panky Dip by adding a can of Rotel and cooking everything in a crockpot or slow cooker until the cheese is melted. Serve with sturdy chips like Frito scoops.
I recommend using processed cheese like Velveeta in this recipe; if you're not a fan, you can experiment with cheeses that melt well, such as Fontina or Monterey Jack.
Be sure to drain off any excess fat after cooking the meat mixture to prevent the mixture from becoming too greasy.
The meat and cheese mixture should be creamy and spreadable but not runny. It might not spread well on the bread if it's too thick, and if it's too runny, it could make it soggy.
Serve hanky pankies warm. If they cool down and the cheese solidifies, you can reheat them in the oven for a few minutes