Mini Roast Beef & Blue Cheese Sammies on Bacon Beer Bread Recipe

"This is such a great sandwich and is perfect for playoff games, parties, appetizers, or just a light lunch or dinner. At parties, this is one of the first things to go. Now, plan to make the bread, the dressing, and the onions the day before to save time; and, take advantage of your grocery deli for the roast beef. That way ... this is a quick sandwich to put together. The homemade bread is the key to this sandwich. I make mine in mini (small) loaf pans which makes this perfect for these mini sandwiches. You should get approximately 8 slices of bread per mini loaf (16 small sandwiches)."

Step by Step Method

Step 1

Bread ... Now to make this a MINI sandwich, I use the small bread loafs. If you don't have any, the grocery store has the aluminum ones for just a couple of dollars and they work just as well. The small loafs make it very easy to make the mini sandwiches. This makes 2 mini loafs.

Step 2

Add the flour, sugar and the beer and mix it well. Then fold in the cheese and bacon crumbles. Spray the pans with a little non-stick spray or you can just use a little butter; then pour the batter into the greased pans. Cook on the middle shelf at 350 degrees for 25 minutes, then pour the melted butter over the top of the bread and return to the oven for an additional 10 minutes. NOTE: Cooking times will depend on the type and size of the pan, so just check. Remember cooking times are a guideline, so just check. Mini loaf pans do vary in size; and an aluminum disposable pan will cook in less time, so keep an eye on them. Insert a knife in the center and it should come out clean. Make sure to cool before removing the bread from the pan; and then cool completely before slicing.

Step 3

Blue Cheese Sauce ... Mix the blue cheese, sour cream, mayo and pepper (to taste) in a small bowl - cover and refrigerate until ready to use. This can easily be made the day ahead, like the bread and the onions.

Step 4

Onions ... 2 large onions, cut in quarters and thin sliced, add to a saute pan along with a little salt. Bring to medium heat and slowly saute the onions until tender. By cooking them slowly, you should not need to add any oil. After 5 minutes, I add brown sugar for a little sweetness and continue to cook another 5-10 minutes. We are not caramelizing these, you just want them tender. These can be served cold, room temp or warm - it doesn't matter; I prefer chilled. Definitely make these ahead.

Step 5

Sandwich ... To make the sandwich - start off with a slice of bread, 1 slice of roast beef (you can add more if you want, but I find that works best), a tablespoon of the onions, 1 dill pickle slice cut in half, and finish with the blue cheese sauce spread on the top slice of bread. Put a toothpick through the sandwich to hold them together.