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Hanky Panky Recipe
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Flavorful rye or pumpernickel bread topped with a combination of cheesy sausage and hamburger meat makes an easy party snack or appetizer recipe. This easy-to-prepare recipe only takes 30 minutes to make.
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A classic Midwest recipe, Hanky Panky is a crowd-pleasing favorite that’s incredibly simple to make. While also called Hanky Panks or Polish Mistakes, make no mistake about the deliciousness of this little snack.
In under 30 minutes, this old-fashioned recipe is ready to serve. While you can serve it as individual appetizers, you can also place it in a crockpot and serve it as a dip, serve it on a slider bun, or even enjoy it on a baked potato.
A particular favorite appetizer around the Cincinnati, Ohio area, this recipe is perfect for the holidays, game days, parties, or any time friends or family are gathered. Hanky Pankies can even be made ahead of time and kept in the freezer for impromptu guests.
Hanky Panky Recipe Ingredients
- Hamburger - ground beef or ground chuck
- Hot pork sausage - also called breakfast sausage, you could also use regular or mild
- Velveeta cheese - for extra heat use spicy Velveeta
- Garlic salt
- Salt
- Oregano - dried oregano
- Worcestershire sauce
- Bread - Rye or pumpernickel bread
While there are a few variations of this recipe, they generally contain equal parts sausage, ground beef, and Velveeta cheese. While this recipe calls for a hot pork sausage you could substitute a mild sausage or even chicken or turkey sausage.
Hanky Pankies are typically served on either pumpernickel or rye bread. Both of these types of bread are made from rye grains and they are generally darker, denser breads, and are both very flavorful. Instead of full-sized slices of bread, you can purchase smaller ‘party breads’ that are smaller sizes and easier for making appetizers.
While the base recipe is simple, you can always add something extra to spice it up. You could sprinkle in some crushed red pepper, add a can of Rotel, or top your appetizers with extra shredded cheddar cheese.
How to Make Hanky Panky Recipe
FIRST STEP: Brown the meat and drain well and return to pan. Add Velveeta cheese, ½ teaspoon garlic salt, 1 teaspoon oregano, and one teaspoon Worcestershire sauce.

SECOND STEP: Spread on individual-sized pumpernickel bread then bake at 425°F for 5 minutes, until bread is toasted and topping is bubbling.
Can you freeze Hanky Panky appetizers?
To freeze prepared Hanky Pankies, place them on a cookie sheet in a single layer and freeze until they are frozen, about one hour. Then store them in a freezer-safe bag or container.

How do I serve Hanky Pankies?
Serve individual servings on rye or pumpernickel bread, serve as a hot dip with tortilla chips, serve as a sandwich on a slider, or enjoy as a topping on a baked potato.
Can I make this recipe gluten-free?
If you want to make this a gluten-free appetizer you can serve on gluten-free bread and make sure to choose sausage and Worcestershire sauce that are also gluten-free.
Hanky Panky Recipe
Ingredients
- 1 pound hamburger
- 1 pound hot pork sausage
- 1 pound Velveeta cheese
- ½ teaspoon garlic salt
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon oregano
- 1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
- Rye or pumpernickel bread
DIRECTIONS
- Brown the meat and drain well and return to pan. Add Velveeta cheese, ½ teaspoon garlic salt, 1 teaspoon oregano and one teaspoon Worcestershire sauce.
- Spread on individual-sized pumpernickel bread then bake at 425°F for 5 minutes, until bread is toasted and topping is bubbling.
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