A classic family recipe that is made for every occasion. Hanky Panky’s anyone? Flavorful pumpernickel bread topped with sausage and cheese, baked to a crisp!
Love easy appetizers? Our Pigs in a Blanket are a classic snack, perfect for dinner or lunch too! And don’t forget to try our BLT dip.
Why this Recipe is Best
Every family has those recipes hidden in their vaults. The ones they make year after year, holiday after holiday, birthday after birthday.
You forget that there is even a “recipe” because you’ve made them so many times you have it memorized.
These Hanky Panky’s are a staple at our family functions. Late at night, after dinner has been eaten, dessert has been demolished, my mom always brings out a hot plate of hanky panky’s. Always.
They go very well with a game of cards, laughter, and late night hunger pains!
Just be warned, these don’t last long. By the time you take a batch out of the oven, the plate is empty and waiting for the next batch.
More Family Favorites: Spinach Dip | Cocktail Meatballs
Ingredient Notes
What we love about this recipe is it’s basically three ingredients:
- Bread. Whether you choose cocktail size rye bread or pumpernickel bread is up to you. These can usually be found in the deli section of your local grocery store, especially during the holidays.
- Meat. We love using pork sausage. But you can use a combination of mild/spicy sausage, ground beef, even ground chicken works (although you’ll need to add in some spices for flavor).
- Cheese. Velveeta. You know that one, in the box.
Additionally you can add in a few other ingredients, if you choose:
Spices: a combination of kosher salt, garlic powder, and oregano to your liking (start with 1/2 teaspoon of each).
Worcestershire sauce: adds a delicious flavor, but totally optional.
Rotel tomatoes: add some more texture and flavor (like our rotel dip).
How to make Hanky Panky Recipe
First, plan your menu in advance! Do your shopping as early as possible. Seriously, you don’t want to be out there while the shelves are empty!
- These Hanky Panky’s can be made up ahead of time. There is rarely a time when my mom doesn’t have a batch of these in her freezer!
- Brown your pork sausage, add the cheese and assemble as directed in the instructions below.
- If you want to freeze them, before baking them, lay them on a flat cookie sheet and place them in the freezer. After an hour, when they have begun to harden, stack them in a freezer safe Ziploc bag! Label and save them until ready to serve.
You can substitute thin rye bread for the pumpernickel bread if you prefer. We have done both and love it either way!
When your party has arrived, and you think it’s time to bring out a batch, place them on your cookie sheet while frozen. Bake a few extra minutes until the bottom crisps up and the cheese begins to sizzle. PERFECTION!
Want another freezer friendly appetizer that can be prepped ahead of time? Make ahead, freezer friendly Copycat Firecracker Chicken Wraps are a delicious appetizer to serve family and friends. This copycat Longhorn recipe is so good!
Recipe FAQs
Leftover hanky pankys that have been baked can be stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator.
Freeze hanky pankys by placing in a single layer on a baking sheet. Freeze for thirty minutes, or so, then pile into a ziploc freezer bag.
Reheat leftover hanky pankys, that have been refrigerated, in a 425 degree oven for about 15 minutes. If your hanky pankys are frozen (and not yet baked), bake as directed in the recipe, adding a few extra minutes to the bake time.
We love the creaminess of Velveeta in this recipe. While cheddar could work, it won’t have that same texture.
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Hanky Panky Recipe
Ingredients
- 36 slices dark pumpernickel party bread one 12 ounce package, substitute rye if desired
- 1 pound pork sausage
- ½ pound velveeta cheese
Instructions
- In a large skillet over medium high heat, cook sausage until browned and crumbled. Drain off excess fat.
- Add velveeta and stir over low heat until melted and fully blended.
- If serving immediately, preheat oven to 425°F. Lay bread slices onto baking sheet. Spoon dollop of meat mixture onto bread and bake for about 15-20 minutes (oven times may vary).
Notes
- If assembling ahead of time, lay bread slices onto freezer safe baking sheet. Spoon dollop of meat mixture onto bread and place in freezer for about 30 minutes to an hour. Remove and place frozen hanky pankies into a freezer safe Ziploc bag. Store until ready to serve. When serving, place frozen hanky pankies on a baking sheet and bake from frozen for about 20 minutes.
- These Hanky Panky’s can be made up ahead of time. There is rarely a time when my mom doesn’t have a batch of these in her freezer!
- Brown your pork sausage, add the cheese and assemble as directed in the instructions below.
- If you want to freeze them, before baking them, lay them on a flat cookie sheet and place them in the freezer. After an hour, when they have begun to harden, stack them in a freezer safe Ziploc bag! Label and save them until ready to serve.
Being from Cincinnati and now live in Texas, we call these Pizza Rye Rounds. Basically the same recipe but adding Worcestershire Sauce and garlic powder. The only way I could get hubby, he is the Texan, to like them is he dips in pizza sauce.
These have been a family New Year’s Eve treat for fifty years with the variation of equal parts sausage, ground beef and Velveeta with a dash of Worcestershire. We top each one with a slice of green olive. Lifelong favorite of ours.
My mom, and now myself have been making these for more than 30 years, the recipe is 1 pound hamburger, one package Jimmy Dean 1 pound velveta and one small can chopped black olives, put on cocktail rye or pumpernickel
Your recipe sounds great too.
Can you freeze the extra topping? To use use later.
My Dad used to make these every Christmas when I was growing up. It was the one time a year we had them so when you smelled the sausage before Christmas..you knew the goodness that was coming. We just called them Dad’s sausage toasts so I am thrilled to have found the recipe. Thank you for posting this!
Our family makes these every year for Christmas morning breakfast…however, our mixture is 1 pound sausage, 1 pound hamburger and 1 pound velveeta cheese…made ahead and frozen individually on cookie sheets and then put into zip lock bags to be kept in freezer until Christmas morning…baked at 350 degrees for approximately 12-15 minutes until cheese is hot and bubbly..
I’ve been making panks since ’67. Could not have made it through college & nursing school without it. If I have it handy, I add 1/2 cup minced pepperoni for added flavor. You can also freeze small patties to make burgers using small heamburger buns.
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