We had to try one of Springfield, Illinois’ renowned horseshoes whenever we go there. Depending on where you stop for food, the cheese sauce will be a little different because it looks like everyone has a distinct method for producing it. However, we adore them all. A ponyshoe is what you get when you only utilize one slice of bread and one hamburger patty. Chicken tenders can be used in place of the hamburger patties in this dish.
| Prep Time: | 10 mins |
| Cook Time: | 30 mins |
| Total Time: | 40 mins |
| Servings: | 2 |
| Yield: | 2 servings |
Ingredients
- 1 (9 ounce) bag frozen french fries
- 1 pound ground beef
- 4 slices bread, toasted
- ½ cup butter
- ¼ cup all-purpose flour
- 2 cups half-and-half
- 2 cups shredded Cheddar cheese
- salt and ground black pepper to taste
- hot sauce to taste
Instructions
- 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.
Nutrition Facts
| Calories | 2057 kcal |
| Carbohydrate | 81 g |
| Cholesterol | 494 mg |
| Dietary Fiber | 4 g |
| Protein | 88 g |
| Saturated Fat | 88 g |
| Sodium | 2385 mg |
| Sugars | 4 g |
| Fat | 154 g |
| Unsaturated Fat | 0 g |
Reviews
1. This is a wonderful “base”. However, requires LOTS of salt/spices/hot-sauce (and, imo, worcestershire) to make it a home run. 2. Serving estimates are WAY off. Recipe as written easily makes double what it says. 3. I’ve made it 3 times now. Family LOVES this sauce whether for horseshoes, on broccoli, or whatever.
I made a lot of changes based on the reviews. I added Worcestershire sauce and a small amount of yellow mustard to the sauce, seasoned my burgers with Montreal steak seasoning, and deep fried the fries instead of baking them. Really good, but there was no way we could eat “a serving” of two sandwiches. One each was plenty, and we’re big eaters.
Not bad. Not as good as they make ’em at home, of course, but fair attempt. Made me a little homesick. I too would half the sauce next time.
WOW! I LOVED IT! I don’t know why this isn’t a more popular dish! the whole family loved it. I didn’t have 1/2 & 1/2 on hand so I used my 1% milk, I creamed it in the blender then put it back in the pot and added only 1 cup cheese… GREAT sauce, I added a lot of hot sauce so it wasn’t bland at all. I also used chicken that I slow boiled with olive oil and lots of spices. then shredded it on the toast…. WOW, so yummy!!! Thanks for sharing!
Not my thing. Definitely not worth the cost of cheese. Or the calories for that matter. Others I served it to, liked it though. I used the rest of the cheese sauce for mac and cheese. Added dry mustard, ground white pepper and fresh parsley. It was delicious!
We tried making the cheese twice, exactly by the recipe. It came out as less of a *sauce*, and more of a rubbery blob. It doesn’t taste good. Is there something wrong with our method/execution?
I made this last nite it was DELICIOUS !!!!! I made loose meat recipe ….. I layered toast, meat, & than I poured on the cheese sauce !!! 🙂
I’m from Spfld, IL and have been making horseshoes for years – it’s easy! The orig recipe by kehn is good, but I’m listing some additional tips. You can use any type of meat, and season the meat how you always would. Hamburger is most popular, but you can also use ham, grilled or breaded chicken breasts, crispy bacon, shrimp, Italian beef – it’s up to you. (This is an excellent recipe for any leftover meat!) You also choose the bread (white, wheat, etc.), just make sure it’s toasted. Make your favorite type of fries – we prefer the skinny straight ones. And because these are so filling, you can make a ponyshoe instead of a horse (one piece of bread instead of 2.) As listed in kehn’s recipe, you’re going to make a basic white sauce – I use 2 cups milk (you choose the type, they all work fine – skim, whole, half n half), 3 tbs flour and 3 tbs. butter. Once the white sauce is made, you’re going to add a few things to make it the “horseshoe” sauce. First stir in 2-3 Tbs Worcestershire sauce, then (and this is a must!) stir in a DROP of real mustard (not dry mustard). Lastly stir in the cheese. I have friends who add 2-3 Tbs of Velveeta or Cheese Whiz to the sauce, but I use shredded cheddar, stirring until completely melted. (Use S&P to taste.) The original recipe by kehn is close, but you definitely have to add the Worcestershire sauce and the mustard to make it even yummier! I also agree with another reviewer that D’Arcy’s Pint makes the best, so visit Spfld! 🙂
I tried this recipe and I was shocked at how good it was and how easy it is to fix it was definitely yummy to my tummy will keep this recipe handy
I went to college just west of Springfield, and there I had my first horseshoe. Glad this recipe helped me recreate the meal for my family in Ohio!
Nothing special.
If you want the best Horseshoe, visit D’Arcy’s Pint in Springfield, IL! They may even share their recipe with you. There is also a cookbook put out by the Springfield, IL Junior League that has an EXCELLENT recipe for horseshoes. I actually use THAT cheese sauce recipe for my baked Mac n Cheese.
We thought this was great! I can see how some thought it was a bit bland, though…I added some garlic powder to the cheese mixture, and seasoned the burger patties w/ salt, pepper and garlic powder before cooking. I used Ore-Ida Seasoned Crinkles for the fries, and they gave a nice flavor to the dish. served this over buttered/toasted burger buns. This was very tasty, and as we were eating, we were coming up w/ other add-ons like sauteed onios, bacon and tomato slices, all of which I plan to try next time! I will def be making this again~YUM! Thanks for sharing. 🙂
…for true D’Arcy’s Pub, Springfield IL taste, you MUST use Wisconsin White Cheddar for the cheese…..I also season the beef patties with Lawrey’s Salt and Mc Cormick’s California Garlic Powder with Parsley, but I always put that in my burgers. My fry of choice is the shoestring, more surface to hold the crispiness under that beautiful cheese sauce…bon appetit! (i gave 4 stars due to lack of healthiness only, i mean, come on, 1/2lb of burger per person??? Still, 5 star taste!)
Very good, exactly like the horseshoe we had in Springfield! Except the cheese sauce was way better! I used Lousianna hot sauce and it was perfect – the whole family loved it but it is a heart attack on a plate! So can’t have it too often! We also added bacon and steamed broccoli.
I am a retired chef from Springfield and now live in Indiana . I make these every once in a while for my husband and son. I use the white american cheese that you get at the deli and always use milk. Also, it is tradition to sprinkle a little paprika on top. I don’t think you need to use so much butter and flour. I use about 2 Tbs. butter and 2 Tbs. flour for every 2 C. of liquid. Remember, the cheese is going to make the sauce thicker. You can use any meat you like or even a grilled portabella mushroom. I agree with a lot of reviews that you need to season your meat but don’t add much else to sauce except a dash worcestershire or else it’s not a horseshoe!
very bland and the cheese got grainy when it cooled a bit on the plate. I have 5 kids and nobody liked it, but it was edible. We did not however add hot sauce. I added it to my personal plate along with a pile of jalapenos.
Holy cats was this good! A once in a blue moon recipe as it’s loaded with calories…but OH so GOOD!
Try the bitesize shrimp in place of hamburger or turkey and when in a hurry I use Campbell’s Cheddar Cheese Soup in place of that in the recipe. If you think it is too bland, you are not using enough hot sauce. Enjoy!
awesome sauce with endless possibility.
We live in Springfield, and this recipe seems pretty accurate. I suggest adding 1/4 to 1/3 cup of worcestershire to the cheese sauce to give it a more authentic flavor. This worked really well with grilled chicken breast tenders in stead of ground beef for a bit lighter option too.