World Famous Horseshoe Sandwich

"Horseshoes" are a Springfield, Illinois original, first created by the chef at the "The Red Coach" for his luncheon clientèle. The story goes that he had a lot of extra cheese sauce left over one day and decided to throw it over the "chopped steak" and gravy sandwiches the patrons were always ordering. He added some shoestring potatoes on top, and a sensation was born! This recipe is a update of the original (which called for a whole cup of flour!) and your family will positively beg for more. Don't skimp on the cheese sauce. If your appetite is smaller, cut this in half. Then you have what we call around here, a "pony shoe"!

• Ready In: 35 mins
• Serves: 4-6

Ingredients

• FOR SANDWICH

• 1 1⁄2 lbs ground beef
• 1 (28 ounce) package frozen french fries (or homemade)
• 6  pieces  Texas toast thick bread or 6  pieces  other  thick bread

• FOR SAUCE

• 1⁄4 cup butter
• 1⁄2 cup flour
• 4  cups milk
• 2  lbs Velveeta cheese or 1 1⁄2 lbs sharp cheddar cheese
• 1 (12 ounce) can evaporated milk
• 2 -3  teaspoons Worcestershire sauce
• 2 -3  dashes  hot sauce
•  salt and pepper (taste before adding)

Directions

1. SANDWICH PART: Form 6 hamburgers and season to taste.
2. Cook them, trying to keep them as evenly flat as you can.
3. Keep warm.
4. Begin to fry french fries.
5. Keep warm.
6. Toast bread until crisp.
7. SAUCE: Melt the butter in a heavy saucepan.
8. Stir in the flour.
9. Cook, stirring, 5 minutes.
10. Gradually stir in the 4 cups milk.
11. Stir and cook until thick.
12. Transfer to a large microwave-safe bowl.
13. Whisk in the evaporated milk until smooth.
14. Add the cut up Velveeta (OR Cheddar).
15. Microwave for 6 minutes.
16. Take out and stir.
17. Add the Worcestershire and hot pepper sauce.
18. Microwave for another 3 minutes or so, or until the sauce is smooth and hot.
19. Take out and taste for Worcestershire and hot sauce.
20. Place spoon you were stirring with on a clean plate, away from the stove.
21. If mixture seems to harden too fast upon cooling, add a bit more milk.
22. 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.
23. It is hard to have "too much"!
24. Assembly is in this order: toast, hamburger, lots of cheese sauce and french fries.
25. I promise, you'll have no leftovers.