Hanky Pankies - An Old Fashioned Polish Mistake - These Old Cookbooks (2024)

July 15, 2021December 6, 2023

As an Amazon Associate and member of other affiliate programs, we earn from qualifying purchases.

This Hanky Pankies appetizer is also known as an old fashioned Polish Mistake. These handheld crunchy treats are made with ground beef, ground sausage and Velveeta and served on co*cktail toast slices.

Hanky Pankies – An Old Fashioned Polish Mistake Recipe

Have you ever heard of Hanky Panky? No, not that type of hanky panky. This is the Hanky Panky recipe. How about Polish Mistakes or Polish Disasters?Ever heard of those? If not, then you’ve got to make this recipe ASAP.

Hanky Pankies, Polish Mistakes and Polish Disasters are three names for the same recipe. Some people even call these sh*t on a Shingle, no joke.These people have a point because it does resemble just that. But no worries, it tastes nothing of the sort.

Hanky Panky Food

Hanky Pankies are a tasty little treat, appetizer, hor d’oeuvres, or even main dish. It consists of a co*cktail bread, either pumpernickel or rye bread typically topped with a cheesy, meat mixture.

The meat mixture combines ground beef and ground sausage. The original recipe from my 1993 First Christian Church Cook Book calls for hot sausage; however, my family doesn’t like a lot of heat, so I went with the medium flavored ground sausage.

Hanky Pankies Appetizers

Our mom has a good friend, Sue, who makes and serves these when they are snow birding down in Florida for the winter. Appetizers are always a great choice when you are vacationing on the beach as you can make up a few and serve them on the patio while enjoying your ocean view.

When thinking about what appetizers to serve for an easy evening beach meal or during happy hour, it is nice to have a hot option – like these Polish Mistakes – as well as some cold options like BLT Dip with veggies or our favorite, shrimp co*cktail!

Hanky Pankies Ingredient List

What’s in a hanky panky? Seven easy ingredients – six of which you probably already have on hand!

• Ground Beef
• Ground Sausage (Pork Sausage), mild, medium or hot pork sausage, your preference
• Velveeta Cheese (or generic cheese melt)
• Garlic Powder
• Worcestershire Sauce
• Dried Oregano (optional)
• co*cktail Bread (pumpernickel or rye bread)

How to make Hanky Panky appetizer

Step by Step Instructions

1. Brown ground beef and ground sausage over medium-high heat; drain excess fat, if needed.
2. To the skillet, add diced Velveeta, garlic powder, Worcestershire Sauce and dried oregano (optional).
3. Cook over low heat; stir until the cheese is melted.
4. Arrange co*cktail bread (party rye) on a large sheet pan or baking sheet pan.
5. Top each bread slice with 1 tablespoon of hanky panky sausage mixture.
6. To serve immediately, bake in a preheated 400 degree oven for 10 minutes or until golden brown.
7. Optional: place sheet pan in freezer, and allow the hanky pankies to freeze. Once frozen, put in a large resealable plastic bag and return to the freezer.When ready to serve, pull out as many as you need, and bake in a preheated 400 degree F oven for 12 minutes or until heated through.

For the full ingredient amounts and instructions, scroll down to the recipe card at the bottom of this post.

Recipe FAQs

• If you like spicy food, use hot ground sausage, or if you do not like any heat at all, use mild ground sausage.
• Add dried oregano only if you want to.
• A small cookie scoop works great scoop the meat mixture onto the co*cktail bread.
• These Polish Mistakes can be eaten right away or can be frozen for later use.
  • To freeze, top each co*cktail bread slice with meat mixture. Place sheet pan in the freezer until each polish disaster is frozen. Place in an air-tight zip-lock bag and store in the freezer.
  • Pull out the desired amount of appetizers, place frozen on a sheet pan. Bake in a preheated 400 degree F oven for 12 minutes or until heated through.
• Try serving these with a bowl of soup in the winter for the perfect meal.

What is co*cktail bread?

co*cktail bread is a mini sized loaf of bread, usually rye bread or pumpernickel bread. Its mini shape and size make it perfect for appetizer and co*cktail recipes. Here’s a link to a frozen rye version on Amazon (affiliate link).

Where to buy co*cktail bread?

Check the bakery section of your local grocery store or supermarket to find co*cktail bread. It is typically found on the specialty displays within the bakery department.

What is a substitute for co*cktail bread?

If you can’t find co*cktail bread at the grocery store, buy a baguette or French loaf, and cut it into thin, bite-sized slices. Or, look for pre-cut bruschetta bread which would also work as a substitute for co*cktail bread.

How long do you bake polish mistakes?

In a preheated 400 degree oven, bake the polish mistakes for 10 minutes or until golden brown and hot. If the polish mistakes are frozen, add an additional 2 minutes to the cooking time. Either way you cook them, be sure you watch as oven temperatures vary. You just want them heated through and golden on top.

What are some other ways to eat hanky panky?

• Serve over a baked potato.
• Use tortilla chips to eat it as a dip.
• Eat on a bun for a sandwich or make sliders.
• Pita chips or crackers are great dippers.
• Put it in a pita.

Recipe Variations

• Use ground turkey instead of hamburger.
• Switch up the type of sausage. Use mild sausage, breakfast sausage or even Italian sausage.
• For more heat, add red pepper flakes.

Ground Sausage Recipes

Tuscan White Bean Soup

Sausage and Pintos

Savory Sausage Casserole

Potato Sausage Casserole

Linking up to Weekend Potluck.