Princesi s Kaima i Kashkaval
Принцеси с кайма и кашкавал·(prin-TSEH-see s kai-MAH ee kash-kah-VAHL)
Bapche's Breakfasts & Popara Mornings
If you grew up in a Bulgarian household, the smell of rendering pork fat and piney summer savory on a Saturday morning is permanently burned into your sensory memory. Princesi—literally "princesses"—are the ultimate utilitarian comfort food. Born out of an era where stretching ingredients was a survival skill, this dish elevates slightly stale bread, minced meat, and yellow cheese into something transcendent. It’s street food, school canteen food, and home food all rolled into one. The secret to separating a grandmother’s masterpiece from a soggy, sad American patty melt? A paper-thin butter barrier to protect the bread, and binding the meat with an egg and a splash of milk so it doesn't shrink into a puck under the broiler.
Ingredients
- standard sandwich bread8-10 slices
- unsalted butter2 tbsp
- ground pork1/2 lb
- 80/20 ground beef1/2 lb
- Monterey Jack or young Gouda cheese1 1/2 cup
- eggs2 large
- whole milk2 tbsp
- summer savory (chubritsa)1 tsp
- sweet paprika1/2 tsp
- kosher salt1/2 tsp
- black pepper1/4 tsp
Method
- 01
Preheat the oven and prepare the hardware.
Set an oven rack in the upper-middle position and preheat to 400°F. Line a large rimmed baking sheet with foil and place a wire cooling rack inside. The wire rack mimics the top-down radiant heat of a classic Bulgarian parti gril, allowing air to circulate so the bread doesn't get soggy on the bottom.
- 02
Apply the butter barrier.
Lay the bread out on a cutting board and spread a paper-thin layer of softened butter across each slice, going all the way to the edges. This waterproofs the bread against the raw meat juices.
- 03
Mix the kaima.
In a large bowl, aggressively mash together the ground pork, ground beef, grated cheese, eggs, milk, summer savory, paprika, salt, and pepper. You want a uniform, slightly wet, sticky paste.
- 04
Frost the bread.
Divide the meat mixture evenly among the slices, using about 2 to 3 tablespoons each. Spread it in a thin, even layer completely over the edges of the crusts so the bread doesn't burn before the meat cooks.
- 05
Bake the Princesi.
Transfer the loaded bread to the wire rack and bake for 12 to 15 minutes, until the meat is sizzling and the cheese forms beautiful golden-brown caramelized spots. Broil for the final 60 seconds if you want an extra crispy top, watching them like a hawk.
- 06
Cool and serve.
Let them rest for a minute so you don't burn the roof of your mouth, then serve immediately alongside a cold glass of ayran or milk.
Notes
The Strandzhanka Exception.
If your family hails from the coastal city of Burgas, you likely know these as Strandzhanki, and you’d skip the cheese entirely. For the rest of Bulgaria, the classic Princesa demands it.
Don't skip the chubritsa.
Summer savory is the undisputed soul of Bulgarian savory cooking. Replacing it with generic thyme or oregano will destroy the authenticity of the dish.