Recipe Box- Recipe #3

MYSTERY ROLL-UPS

So, this next recipe looks very well used.  It must have been a favorite... back in the day.

In fact, the title was ripped and I wasn't able to see the full title of this recipe, hence the Mystery Roll-Up title.

Here we go!

Remove crusts from 1 lb. loaf unsliced bread.  Slice lengthwise into 6-8 slices.  Blend together 2 eggs, 2 Tbsp. Heinz Ketchup, 2 Tbsp. water, 1/4 tsp salt, and a dash of pepper.  Dip bread into mixture.  Brown on both sides in a lightly greased skillet.  Spread each slice with cheese spread (doesn't specify what kind) and Heinz ketchup.  Roll jelly-roll fashion.  Secure with toothpicks.  Roll in grated parmesan cheese.  Bake on lightly greased oven in a 475 degree oven for 5 minutes.  Serve with soup or salad.

Only 5 ingredients needed.  I have never heard of anything like this recipe and am thinking that it maybe could have been an entry in a Heinz ketchup contest? 

So, right off the bat there was a problem.  My french bread was a day old but it was still very difficult to cut.  The recipe doesn't say how thick the slices should be and in slicing the bread, it became mushy and hard to cut.  I managed to get only two slices out of my

whole loaf.  Good thing I'm not making this for company for the first time!

Couldn't get the french bread sliced thinly enough.

The bread quickly soaked up the egg mixture, so depending on how thick your slices are you might need to add more eggs, ketchup, etc.

My bread is also sticking to the skillet even though I lightly greased it with some butter.  This reminds me of cooking french toast only its ketchup.  I'm frying the slices on med-high heat for about 3-4 minutes per side.  I was also nervous about not cooking them long enough because of the raw egg inside the bread.  Fry the slices like you would do for french toast is my recommendation.

I would also recommend getting your cheese spread to room temperature because it will tear the bread if not soft enough.

Finished product.  Not sure even proper plating would help the looks of these.  They don't look very appetizing.

These look pretty bad.

Reviews are mixed for this recipe.  It kind of reminds me of a riff on a grilled cheese with similar flavors (because I love tomatoes in my grilled cheese).  My recommendations are (if you want to try this recipe) to use the sliced french bread that you find in the bread aisle of the grocery store.  That way, the slices are already cut and uniform (you can still cut the crusts off).  Using that type of bread will also give you thinner roll-ups because using the french bread, thick slices, was just too "bready".   Another suggestion was to add bacon to the roll-ups.  Well, we all know that bacon makes everything better, right?  How 'bout a little salami or bologna? 

I love ketchup and especially home made or ketchup's flavored with different things.  You can find specialty ketchup's in specialty food stores but I'm also seeing some popping up on grocery store shelves.  Here are two that I'm trying.  The balsamic ketchup is really good and I'm looking forward to trying the jalapeno flavored.  Experimenting with flavored ketchup's could also add a new dimension to the roll-ups!