Steak n Shake holds a special place in my heart. Steak n Shake was THE place to be in high school. We’d go all the time—after school, before/after football games, after show choir competitions, after parties, on the weekends… literally, I lived at Steak n Shake in high school. And what’s more “quintessential SnS” than a Frisco Melt.
My vegetarian husband sent me the link a Rabbit and Wolves recipe for Lentil Frisco Melts and I knew we had to make it. The recipe is vegan, so I made a few tweaks that make it vegetarian friendly because let’s be honest, cheese is life.
Here’s the recipe I followed for our Lentil Frisco Melts:
Ingredients:
For Patties:
1 c cooked green lentils (this is about 1/2 c dry/uncooked)
1 egg, whisked
3/4 c panko bread crumbs
2 tbsp olive oil
1 tsp soy sauce
1/2 tsp garlic powder
a pinch of salt and pepper
For Frisco Sauce:
1/2 c mayo
2 tbsp ketchup
3 pickle slices, diced (like the pickle chips you put on a hamburger)
2 tsp agave syrup
1 tbsp apple cider vinegar
1 tsp smoked paprika
1 tsp garlic powder
1/4 tsp salt
a pinch of black pepper
For the Lentil Frisco Melts:
Sandwich bread
1/2 white onions, sliced thin
Cheddar cheese
Butter to spread on the bread
Instructions:
- Preheat oven to 375 degrees.
- In a large bowl, add your lentils and smash with a fork. You want to smash them pretty well, but not completely smooth. You want some texture so keep it a little chunky.
- Add egg, panko, olive oil, soy sauce, garlic powder, salt and pepper to the lentils. Stir until everything is combined.
- Form mixture into patties by rolling into ball and flatten into a patty. I’d recommend 3 patties, or you can do 4 if you prefer your patties thin.
- Spray a baking sheet with nonstick spray and put your patties on the sheet. Spray the top of the patties with more spray. Bake for 20 minutes, flipping after 10 minutes.
- While patties are baking, add all the ingredients for your sauce into a bowl and stir until well combined.
- Once the patties are done, assemble your sandwiches on buttered bread as follows: sauce, onions, patty, cheese, sauce, buttered bread.
- Place sandwich, butter-side down, in a pan and cook until bread is golden brown and cheese is melted.
And there you go! A vegetarian twist on a recipe that your family will enjoy for dinners to come. Now go add these Lentil Frisco Melts to your next meal plan and let us know what you think!
