Ask anyone what a ‘Chuckwagon Sandwich’ is, and you’ll get a couple of very different answers or a blank look! Until recently I would have given you a blank look. This sandwich would appear to exist in two different forms. One is a deli style, made from sliced meats, cheeses, and condiments in a seeded kaiser bun. The other style is more commonly found in a diner and it consists of a breaded tenderized beef steak, pan fried and served with lettuce and tomato on a larger seeded burger bun. Both styles are delicious, satisfying and easy to prepare.
Deli Express® a well known U.S. sandwich making company that specializes in making shelf stable sandwiches states that the Chuckwagon Sandwich was created in 1961. With a 30 day shelf life, their Chuckwagon Sandwich is frequently offered in vending machines, and road side convenience gas stations. It contains around 77 ingredients, many of them are artificial additives such as preservatives and stabilizers. Most people associate the term Chuckwagon sandwich with these long life Deli Express® sandwiches.
It’s not uncommon to stumble upon a diner in the U.S. called after these delicious Sandwiches. Chuckwagon was the term given to a covered wagon that served as a kitchen in the late 1860’s. This special type of wagon stored and transported food and kitchen utensils necessary to prepare and cook the food. A Chuckwagon was part of a wagon train that ventured west to discover new possibilities. On their journey, an easy meal to prepare, was a breaded fresh meat patty (what ever was caught or hunted along the trail), that was pan fried in fat and served between bread slices. This was when the diner style Chuckwagon Sandwich was first created.
Ingredients
For the Deli Chuckwagon:
- Deli meats: turkey slices – turkey, (I like using smoked turkey,) bologna, and salami (I used peppered salami.)
- Cheeses: Cheddar and Swiss.
- Condiments: mayonnaise and mustard.
- Buns: seeded kaiser bun.
For the Diner Chuckwagon:
- Beef: tenderized steak, sometimes called cubed steak.
- Egg: whole.
- Olive oil.
- Tomato.
- Flour: all purpose.
- Breadcrumbs: I used seasoned breadcrumbs.
- Buns: slightly larger, burger bun size.
Instructions for the Deli Chuckwagon Sandwich
First, we’ll make the deli style of Chuckwagon sandwich. We’ll make a meat / cheese / meat / cheese / meat sequence of layers.
Slice the buns horizontally and spread mayonnaise on one side of the bun and mustard on the other.
Lay the bologna down first to provide a solid base for the rest of the layers. I cut the round bologna into quarters and positioned the straight sides along the edges of the buns.
Layer one of the cheeses next, on top of the bologna.
Then another layer of meat, I layered smoked turkey.
Now the final layer of cheese.
Followed by the last meat, salami, to complete the sandwich. Eat cool, not cold, it will taste better.
Instructions for the Diner Chuckwagon Sandwich
Now, the instructions how to make the diner style Chuckwagon Sandwich.
Arrange 3 shallow dishes and set up a ‘breading station.’ Flour, with salt and pepper added, goes into the first dish. Beaten egg in the next and finally the breadcrumbs in the last dish, in that order.
Dip the tenderized steak into the flour and make sure it is well coated with the seasoned flour.
Then dip it into the beaten egg and finally into the breadcrumbs, making sure both sides of the tenderized steak are well covered in breadcrumbs.
Place a frying pan over a medium to high heat. Add the oil and allow it to heat up. Test the heat of the oil first by placing a small cube of bread into the pan. If it sizzles, the oil is hot enough.
Fry each side for about 3-5 minutes each side, until golden brown. An internal temperature of 160 degrees F. will confirm the beef is cooked and safe to eat.
Cut the buns horizontally, toast them if preferred. Lay freshly washed lettuce leaves and tomato slices on the bun and then place the cooked beef cutlet on top. Complete this diner style Chuckwagon sandwich by placing the top of the bun on the meat. Eat warm.
Flexibility
Both styles of Chuckwagon Sandwich offer flexibility:
With the deli style, use any type or amount of deli meats and cheeses. If steering away from the mandatory inclusion of salami, bologna, cured turkey, american and swiss cheese along with the seeded kaiser bun, then you will be stepping away from an authentic deli style Chuckwagon sandwich. You will however have a delicious sandwich I’m sure.
Use tenderized pork, chicken or fresh turkey breast instead of tenderized beef if making the diner style of this Sandwich. The result will be different, but it will still be a breaded meat cutlet, pan fried, and served with lettuce and tomato in a seeded bun.
Uses for Chuckwagon Sandwich
A deli style Chuckwagon Sandwich is great in a packed lunch for school, work, hiking or road trip. It holds up well for several hours. None of the ingredients become compromised over a short period of time. As it is a deli sandwich and would be a wonderful option for a sandwich buffet.
Diner style Chuckwagon Sandwich is more of a meal served primarily with fries and slaw. It is considered more of a lunch or dinner entree. Delete the slaw and swap out the fries for hash browns, and serve the diner style Chuckwagon sandwich as a breakfast entree.
Serve it with other hot Sandwiches to create a Sandwich / Burger Bar to guests to enjoy. A great burger to add is the Black and Blue Burger.
Storage
Store a deli Chuckwagon Sandwich in plastic wrap and in the refrigerator. It will last for a day or two max.
A leftover diner style Chuckwagon Sandwich should be dismantled before storing. Store the breaded meat patty, bun, lettuce and tomato separately. Reheat the meat patty preferably in the air fryer and then assemble it and serve immediately. The breaded meat patty can be frozen in an airtight container for up to 3 months.
Drink Recommendation
Czech pilsner is an ideal beer recommendation for the deli Chuckwagon Sandwich. A fruity red wine with ample acidity will pair nicely with the diner style Sandwich. I recommend a Sangiovese or Zinfandel for this choice.
A Tip From Me
If meat is to be breaded, first dry it well before starting the breading process. This means dabbing kitchen towel over the surfaces of the meat patty to make it as dry as possible. Then go through the breading and cooking process as described above.
Got Questions?
I’ve got answers – hopefully!
- Why did the breading come off during cooking? It’s all down to science. If there is moisture on the surface of your meat patty, then the moisture becomes trapped in the breading coating. During cooking the breading cannot adhere to the meat, as this moisture starts to evaporate. As stated in the ‘Tip From Me’ section above, dry the meat on both sides using a paper towel. Just to ensure the breading will adhere, apply a little pressure just before cooking it. This will help the breading stick to the raw meat. Ensure the oil is hot, then pan fry the cutlets.
- Can I add condiments to the diner style Chuckwagon Sandwich? Of course, make it your own!
- Why did you feature two styles of Chuckwagon Sandwich? I felt I had no choice – they are so different in their flavors and presentation, I wanted to show how two completely different Sandwiches share the same name.
Food Safety
Clean hands are a must when making the deli style Chuckwagon Sandwich, wearing gloves is even better!
If making the diner style Chuckwagon Sandwich, wash your hands with soap and warm water for at least 20 seconds before and after handling ground / tenderized beef to make sure you don’t spread bacteria. Use soap and hot water to wash utensils and surfaces that have come into contact with the raw meat
- Ensure meat juices do not drip onto other foods.
- When raw beef is ground or tenderized, the bacteria that sits on the surface of the beef is now transferred throughout the meat. That means ground or tenderized beef must be cooked to at least 160 degrees F.
- Once the beef patty has been cooked, make sure it is not placed on a surface (such as a plate or board) were raw meat was.
- Do not use the same utensils for raw and cooked meat.
For more information refer to the USDA guidelines.
Chuckwagon Sandwich (Deli and Diner Styles)
Ingredients
- 2 seeded kaiser rolls For the Deli style
- 8 slices salami
- 8 slices turkey
- 2 slices bologna
- 6 slices Cheddar cheese
- 4 slices Swiss cheese
- 1 tbsp mustard
- 1 tbsp mayonnaise
- 8 oz tenderized beef (2 x 4oz beef patties) For the Diner style
- 1 egg
- 1 oz breading
- 2 tbsp all purpose flour
- 2 leaves lettuce
- 1 tomato
- 2 burger size buns
Instructions
- For the deli style: Slice the buns horizontally and spread mayonnaise on one side of the bun and mustard on the other.
- Lay the bologna down first to provide a solid base for the rest of the layers. I cut the round bologna into quarters and positioned the straight sides along the edges of the buns.
- Layer one of the cheeses next, on top of the bologna.
- Then another layer of meat, I layered smoked turkey.
- Now the final layer of cheese.
- Followed by the last meat, salami, to complete the sandwich. Eat cool, not cold, it will taste better.
- For the diner style: Arrange 3 shallow dishes and set up a 'breading station.' Flour, with salt and pepper added, goes into the first dish. Beaten egg in the next and finally the breadcrumbs in the last dish, in that order.
- Dip the tenderized steak into the flour and make sure it is well coated with the seasoned flour.
- Then dip it into the beaten egg and finally into the breadcrumbs, making sure both sides of the tenderized steak are well covered in breadcrumbs.
- Place a frying pan over a medium to high heat. Add the oil and allow it to heat up. Test the heat of the oil first by placing a small cube of bread into the pan. If it sizzles, the oil is hot enough.
- Fry each side for about 3-5 minutes each side, until golden brown. An internal temperature of 160 degrees F. will confirm the beef is cooked and safe to eat.
- Cut the buns horizontally, toast them if preferred. Lay freshly washed lettuce leaves and tomato slices on the bun and then place the cooked beef cutlet on top. Complete this diner style Chuckwagon sandwich by placing the top of the bun on the meat. Eat warm.
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