Recipe: Grilled Cheese Mexicana Sandwich - 1965 #1 winner

GRILLED CHEESE MEXICANA SANDWICH - 1965 #1 WINNER

10 ounces (about 1 1/4 cups) raw ground beef
2/3 cup finely chopped celery
1/2 cup finely chopped onion
6 tbsp tomato paste
1 1/2 tsp chili powder
3/4 tsp sugar
3/4 tsp salt
1/8 tsp ground black pepper
1/8 tsp garlic powder
1/2 cup water (about)
18 slices enriched sandwich bread
Butter, softened
12 slices (1-oz each) process American cheese
1 1/2 cups grapefruit or orange sections for garnish
6 lettuce cups for garnish

In heavy saucepan over medium heat, mix together beef, celery and onion. Cover and cook 15-minutes.

Stir in tomato paste, chili powder, sugar, salt, pepper and garlic powder. Add enough water to moisten. Cover and continue cooking 15-minutes, stirring occasionally.

Meanwhile, spread 12 bread slices with butter. With 3-inch round cutter, cut out centers from remaining 6 slices of bread.

Preheat grill or frypan.

To assemble sandwiches, on board, place 6 buttered slices, buttered side down on board. Cover each with 1 cheese slice.

Place bread slices, with centers removed, over cheese. Spoon about 1/4 cup cooked beef mixture into center of each hole, spreading to fill opening. Cover each with 1 more slice of cheese. Close sandwiches with another buttered slice of bread, butter side up.

Grill sandwiches on both sides until golden brown.

Cut each sandwich diagonally in half. Serve hot, with 1/4 cup grapefruit and orange sections in lettuce cup.

Makes 6 sandwiches

ABOUT THE RECIPE:
The National Sandwich Idea contest was held between 1956 and 1981. It was sponsored by the Wheat Flour Institute. Each year 20 sandwich recipes, created by Food Service professionals, were chosen as the top sandwich recipes from hundreds of entries.

The Grilled Cheese Mexicana Sandwich was the number #1 recipe chosen in 1965.

It was created by Terry Vince of Detroit, MI. He worked for Grayhound Food Management of Detroit.

Source: Warsaw, Indiana Times-Union newspaper, Sep 3, 1965