Large Jelly-roll Baked Italian Roast Beef Sandwich

An old, beloved recipe the moms used to make in our youth group. They'd make a ton (fifty or so) sandwiches at a time and keep them in the fridge, then pop 'em in the oven when they needed to feed us. Delicious!

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When I was growing up, I participated in my Episcopal church's youth group, and I have lots of memories of weekly meetings where we did things like:

1. See how many marshmallows we could shove into our mouths (I'm not sure how one of us didn't choke).

2. Play the "Ha" game: You lie on your back with your head resting on the stomach of the person next to you, then their head rests on the stomach of the person next to them, etc. Then you alternate saying "Ha," except with each person's turn they add an additional "Ha." So the first person says "Ha." Then the second person says "Ha ha." Then the third person says "Ha ha ha" and so on. You keep going, and the object of the game is to be the last one that doesn't crack up, and this is very difficult.

3. Learn about the love of God. Youth groups are good like that!

Another thing I remember about my youth group days is eating. A lot. Everything from pizza to Cheetos and everything in between. But one of my favorite food memories are the hot ham sandwiches the youth group moms used to make. I remember seeing them working in the kitchen, assembling what seemed to be millions (and that was just my share) of individual foil-wrapped sandwiches that eventually made their way into the oven…and then into our mouths. They were delicious then and are delicious now, and are a great thing to make ahead of time and keep in the fridge (or freezer, in the case of the youth group moms, if I remember correctly) until you need to pop them in the oven.

Here's how to make them! I used mostly roast beef this time (the original uses ham) and slightly messed with the dressing, but the basic components are the same as the original.

You need some shaved roast beef.

And/or some ham. (I chose the "and" option.)

You also need some buns. The youth group moms used regular hamburger buns, but I went for the smaller dinner rolls size. These are whole wheat…

And these are lovely! I got 'em at The Wal Marts yesterday after our homeschool coop.

You also need an onion…

Miscellaneous mustards (whatever kind you like) and, hopefully, some component of horseradish. You can use straight-up prepared horseradish, or you can go the horseradish mayo route. Either way, you want that feel-it-in-your-sinus quality.

You also need some poppy seeds. Weird, but totally awesome!

And provolone, Swiss, or any cheese you want.

This counts as cheese, in my option. Live a little!

And finally, it really helps to have these individual foil sheets. So much easier than tearing off the roll.

The original recipe calls for grating an onion, which, if you get a fumy onion, can make you cry like a baby.

But it gives the sandwiches great flavor.

I put the grated onion (you just need 2 or 3 tablespoons) on a paper towel…

And squeezed a lot of the liquid out so it wouldn't be too watery.

And then it's time to make the dressing: To the onion…

I added some poppy seeds…

Some regular mayo…

Some spicy mustard…

Some horseradish mayo…

(Not that you can just use straight-up prepared horseradish if you want a little more of a horseradish presence.)

And why not? I added a little honey mustard, too.

In the printable recipe below, I call for a little Worcestershire, as I think that would add a great little dash of savory goodness.

And hey, wouldn't Sriracha be delicious?

Mix it all together, then give it a taste and add more of whatever you think it needs.

Then it's time to assemble the sandwiches!

Start by spreading the bun with the dressing (you can just do the bottom bun, or you can do both top and bottom)…

Then add some of the meat (you can go thicker than this; this is a little conservative!)

Then add a slice of cheese…

And the top bun.

Next, lay it upside down on a sheet of foil…

Fold in the corners…

And it's good to go!

You can do a million different variations. There's the ham version…

The dark roll version…

Oh! And there's this version.

I'm doin' it…

I'm doin' it…

I did it.

It was an accident!

You can make these ahead of time, then whenever a kid in your house (or a grown-up, for that matter) needs a bite to eat, you can just throw as many in the oven as you need. The small size is nice, because then it can be either a snack or a meal.

You can even put them in storage containers and freeze them, which is good if you're making them for a Lock-In or some big youth group event.

Do Lock-Ins still take place, by the way?

I'm just…curious.

So what you do is, you pop them into a 350 degree oven for 20 minutes. And when you take them out, the buns are slightly crusty and the fillings are just delectable and delightful. Ooey and gooey and yum.

Mmmmm. Reminds me of the youth group days!

Ham version.

Cheez Whiz version. Loved this one!

Note: There are lots of different versions of this same sandwich, but my friend Kristen at Dine and Dish posted this version, which calls for spooning the dressing over the sandwich (rather than spreading it inside) before wrapping them in foil. I might try that next time. Sounds yummy!

Have fun with these sandwiches, guys. They've stood the test of time because they're easy to throw together and are great for a crowd.

And most importantly: Play the "Ha" game. At the earliest possible convenience. Your life will never be the same.

Here's the handy printable!

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Source: https://www.thepioneerwoman.com/food-cooking/recipes/a11056/hot-roast-beef-sandwiches/

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