Our New Favorite 4-Ingredient Ground Beef Dinner Is Made Just Right

This will become your go-to dinner, too.

For almost 100 years, Maid-Rite (or Maid Rite) sandwiches have been a cornerstone of quick Midwestern cooking. With a filling that is too loose to be a burger and without any kind of sauce to be considered a Sloppy Joe, Maid-Rites are a category unto themselves. Juices run through to soak the fluffy bun, bits of meat fall through your fingers, and it is all worth it for a bite of this simple and comforting classic.

What Is a Maid-Rite?

At its core, a Maid-Rite is a loose meat sandwich, meaning the filling is not held together by any kind of binder. The hamburger meat can be steamed, though it is not sacrilegious to cook it off in a pan. The seasonings are simple and though the original mix remains a mystery, it generally contains salt, pepper, and onion. Other savory aromatics can be added, resulting in juicy, savory crumbles that are served on a soft white bun. The rest is up to the customer; sandwiches can be served plain or with cheese and doctored with ketchup, mustard, pickles, or onions.

What’s the Origin of a Maid-Rite?

The straightforward and delectable simplicity of a Maid-Rite comes from its beginnings in Iowa. Back in 1926, a butcher named Fred Angell in Muscadine, Iowa created the unique beef concoction and served it to a delivery man who had stopped by. The story goes that the delivery man was so impressed, he told Angell that the sandwich had been “made right”; thus a new dish and name were born.

What About the Maid-Rite Chain?

Angell began selling his sandwiches and quickly establishing franchisee locations, looking for owners who were well-established in their communities. The business stayed in the Angell family until the 1980s when it was sold off. Today, there are 31 locations in 5 states, the majority still in Iowa. And while customers can get the classic Maid-Rite sandwich at any location, don’t expect them all to be cookie-cutter copies. Some stores have been passed down through generations over the last century and retain their unique footprint. Taylor’s Maid-Rite in Marshalltown, Iowa, serves only the famed sandwiches, chips, and pie, whereas the Maid-Rite in Quincy, Illinois, includes a plethora of additional entrees and sides like fried mushrooms.

It is possible to find loose meat sandwiches on restaurant menus billed as something other than a Maid-Rite. But if there’s nowhere near that serves them, then head to the kitchen as Midwest cooks have done for decades and put together a platter of Maid-Rites for lunch, dinner, and anytime in between.