Gene Kelly's Man Sandwich Puts This Hard-To-Reheat Leftover To Use

You've seen Gene Kelly sing and dance his way through some of the Golden Age of Hollywood's most beloved movies, from "Singin' in the Rain" to "An American in Paris." You've seen all his classic moves, whether he's twirling around streetlights, leaping into the air, or pulling off a sick spin move like a "Dark Souls" boss for some reason. You may have even seen him in "Anchors Aweigh," that movie he did with Frank Sinatra in one of the few moments in history where Gene Kelly was seen as cooler than Frank Sinatra. But have you eaten his favorite sandwich? He called it a "man sandwich," and it was filled in part with leftover mashed potatoes.

So, the thing about Gene Kelly is that he was very much aware that dancing was perceived as effeminate, and he hated it. He would tell anybody who listened that dancing was as masculine a mode of expression as anything John Wayne was doing, emphasizing the athletic prowess dance required. (This is both true and, to modern eyes, completely beside the point — what does it matter if it's masculine or not? — but he lived in a different time.) This chip on his shoulder evidently carried over into his taste in food, as he specifically called this carb-heavy sandwich a "man sandwich" (not a Manwich, though, as that would be copyrighted later). It probably would hit the spot after a whole lot of strenuous dancing, though, so we guess the machismo is forgivable.

So what's in this sandwich? Well, it's pretty simple: Onto French bread that has been thoroughly buttered and mayo'd, you place leftover mashed potatoes and slices of red or white onion. (We suppose you could make a batch of mashed potatoes fresh, but we're not really sure why you would.) The concept of a mashed potato and onion sandwich might strike some as strange, but it's weirder in theory than it is in practice. It's kind of like a Thanksgiving leftover sandwich without the turkey. (Or the stuffing, or the cranberry sauce, or ... look, you get the idea, right?)

The complication comes with the mashed potatoes, which, like most forms of potato, are a pain to reheat. If you reheat them in a microwave without covering them, you're likely to get something dry or even gritty. If you use a microwave, be sure to cover it for a minute, and then let it go for about 30 seconds uncovered; alternatively, you can also reheat them on the stovetop and get them nice and creamy again with a bit of milk. Either way, they'll make Kelly's "man sandwich" a much richer experience for you — maybe even the kind of experience that would make you want to twirl around a streetlight in the rain. And if you're after other Old Hollywood recipes, check out Bette Davis' corned beef hash, or James Dean's favorite dessert, banana salad.