I learned what a Hoagie is when visiting my girlfriend's family in Philadelphia. Hoagies come from there and you can get the sandwiches at local bars, delis, and sandwich shops. To see my recipe version you can scroll to the end of this blog post to see how I make mine.
Click on any photo to see it larger.
They are composed of cold cuts deli meats and cheese (provolone) with a typical sandwich dressing of tomato, onion, and lettuce on a soft Italian or French-style roll.
Check out my slideshow visit below to Happy Hour Tavern in Levittown, Pennsylvania for my first real local Hoagie. The bar is attached to Dale's Deli. Of course, it was a delicious Hoagie Sandwich along with a bag of Charles Chips, and a limited edition Yuengling Hershy's Chocolate Porter beer!
My first Hoagie Sandwich in Levittown, Pennsylvania
Slideshow
I didn't realize it, but growing up we used to take a Southern version of a Hoagie to school, but we called it a Baloney and Cheese Sandwich. The main difference was mine was served with plain sliced white bread. I liked mine with the addition of mayo, lettuce, pickle, and tomato.
The Hoagie is Italian-American in origin at the turn of the 20th Century. A Hoagie isclaimed the "Official Sandwich of Philadelphia." You can read all about the origins as well as various versions here. A real Hoagie is always served cold, not heated like a similar Submarine Sandwich.
Some say the Hoagie is derived from the Tin Pan Alley songwriter and actor Hoagie Carmicheal. That's a bit of a stretch, but both came on the scene about the same time.
Two or three deli meats are laid out in a typical Hoagie. The main deli meat is Salami, which I come by from my local 99c only Store and Dollar Tree. Other deli meats that can be included are Capicola, Prosciutto, and Pepperoni.
For cheese, a Hoagie has slices of Provolone cheese. Provolone is a mild soft cheese similar to Mozzarella (a fine alternate cheese) that shows up on your typical pizza. Now, Provolone is harder to find at dollar stores, but I frequently score Mozzarella cheese.
I once discovered a vegan Provolone...hmmm, can't say it tasted anything like a slice of any mild cheese.
For a Cheap$kate Hoagie Sandwich, you can substitute a meat filling of bologna, ham, and pepperoni -- now those are the cheapest deli cuts.
As for a cheese substitution use any fave like Monterrey Jack, Colby, String Cheese, Cheddar, and even good old American Cheese.
And here is a slide show of Linda and I's visit there, a stop I definitely will make again next vacation.
Hoagie Sandwich from Jack's Place in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
Slideshow
A Hoagie is all about the bread, too. The bread roll is of the Italian variety, slightly crunchy on the outside and very soft inside.
I find six-inch rolls you get in the bread department of most grocery stores are a similar type of roll. Local Latin markets have a roll called Bolillo. In Louisiana, our French Roll for a Po-Boy is about the same. I'm sure your local bread purveyors have a version that will fill the bill.
Now hot dog buns and steak rolls are a bit too soft, but I guess they will do in a pinch? Rolls with a crunchy crust are best.
I like my sandwiches with mayo and mustard, but a Hoagie has an Italian Dressing mix of oil, vinegar, and sometimes dried oregano. Just drizzle the Dressing over the inside bread and cold cuts.
Lettuce, sliced tomato, and onion complete a Hoagie Sandwich. I've had the sandwich served with yellow vinegary pepperoncini and a bag of salty potato chips.
Wow, this is such a tasty blog post...please excuse me, I'm off to make myself a Hoagie Sandwich right now -- won't you join me? Just follow my Hoagie Sandwich recipe video below and make your own.
Hoagie Sandwich - Recipe Video
Play it here, video runs 3 minutes, 52 seconds.
My YouTube video link for viewing or embedding, just click here.
Mom's latest recipe video is off the hook! Curly Fries in a breakfast taco? Sure why not. Mom's Breakfast Taco with Curly Fries is an OMG Recipe.
When she made this breakfast for me during my last visit to Louisiana, you'd think my Mom was a bachelorette in her 20s instead of an 87-year-old granny.
I think I know where she got the Curly Fries addition to her Breakfast Tacos though...from her grandkids, Matt and Zak, of course.
They have made a few breakfasts in her kitchen and I think she could not help but pick up the tasty and decadent frozen fried addition. This recipe is a young person's idea of a perfect breakfast - it's not pretty.
As soon as Mom put a bag of frozen Curly Fries on the kitchen counter beside the eggs and bacon slices, I knew I had to get the recipe on video. I don't think you will be disappointed with this one.
I found packages of frozen fries at my local Dollar Tree for a buck twenty-five that are not Curly but are easier to find and are a fine substitution.
What's nice about a bag of frozen Curly Fries is you only use what you need and store the rest in the freezer so there is no waste or extra work in the kitchen, to quote Mom: "I hate to buy a big bag of potatoes and not use them."
Curly Fries Ingredients
These fries are pre-cooked and seasoned so all I would add is black pepper.
First off, this Breakfast Taco comes together quickly and easily. Mom likes bacon in her scrambled eggs - just brown some pieces of bacon and drain away the grease. While the bacon browns, microwave a plate of Curly Fries. You can also heat the fries in the frying pan.
Bring it all together by heating the de-greased bacon, defrosted Curly Fries, and scrambling a few eggs. Mom even tops the scrambled eggs with shredded cheese, oh boy.
And check out how mom heats up her flour tortillas...with a bread toaster! I was skeptical, but it works just fine. Press the toaster lever down to start the heat and place the tortilla on top of the bread slots. You do need to check while warming as the tortilla can burn.
Most of the ingredients come cheaply. I still get eggs for around a buck per package of 6 to 8 eggs at my local Dollar Tree. And be sure to pay special attention in the video when Mom exposes the Great Egg Size Ripoff Conspiracy!
Corn and flour tortillas are cheap at most grocers and 99c Only Stores.
Small packages of cheese can be found for about a buck. I've tried vegan imitation cheese products and it's not great yet, but it's okay, maybe you have a brand you can recommend?
Click on any photo to see larger.
Jars of Salsa show up at my local 99c only Stores and Dollar Trees. I've grown to like them, although I have a local Latin market that has fresh salsa and that is the best.
My latest recipe with Mom is not an everyday thing, but if you have youngsters with a bottomless appetite, then this will do the trick, so go ahead and make a batch and save a couple of Mom's Breakfast Tacos for yourself.
Mom's Breakfast Tacos with Curly Fries - VideoPlay it here, video runs 5 minutes, 30 seconds.
My YouTube video link for viewing or embedding, just click here.
Ingredients (4 tacos)
3 to 4 Eggs - depending on egg size and how stuffed you like your tacos. Flour tortillas are usually larger than corn tortillas so they will hold more filling.
Curly Fries - 4 or 5 defrosted store-bought curly fries. Okay to use regular frozen fries. Up to you how many fries to cook with.
2 Slices of Bacon - Use as much or as little bacon as you like. You can slice the bacon into smaller pieces for browning or just break it apart after frying.
Shredded Cheese - Use any favorite cheese. Sprinkle on a couple of tablespoons or so of cheese when the eggs are scrambled.
Black Pepper - optional. Seasoned fries have enough salt for me.
4 Flour Tortillas - okay to use corn tortillas. I use grocery store tortillas that are cooked, so all you are doing is heating them up until soft, for a minute or two.
Salsa and/or Hot Sauce - optional as a topping on tacos.
Directions
Fry two slices of bacon. Drain bacon grease. You can slice the bacon into bite-sized pieces.
While bacon browns, microwave some frozen Curly Fries until soft and warm, usually a minute or so. You can also just heat up the Curly Fries in the frying pan.
Now time to bring it all together. Break apart the browned bacon and add Curly Fries. Depending on how large the fries are you may want to break them apart as well into bite-sized pieces.
Add eggs and scramble all ingredients together. Okay to add black pepper. I leave out salt as bacon and Curly Fries have plenty of salt.
When eggs are halfway done sprinkle on the shredded cheese. You can use any favorite cheese, sliced, cubed, or shredded.
While eggs scramble, heat tortillas over a stovetop burner, in a frying pan, or on the bread toaster (like my Mom does in the video.)
Store-bought tortillas heat pretty quickly in a minute or two. You just want to lightly toast them, and as soon as they are warm and soft they are ready to eat. Okay to use flour or corn tortillas.
Finally, add scrambled eggs with bacon and Curly Fries to headed tortillas. I like my Breakfast Tacos with salsa.
