Patty Melt

Patty Melt is the best things about the burger and grilled cheese combined in one delicious sandwich. This is my most favourite sandwich. Period. The flavours of caramelized onions and beef, the textures of buttery crisp bread toasted in heavy skillet…

BUT, let me tell you, this recipe is not for everyone. It takes some effort to make it, there will be splatter, and if cooked correctly, your kitchen will and should get smoky. Also, it’s hard to scale it up. One sandwich is manageable to make. Two is somewhat reasonable, if you cook in batches. 4 sandwiches could be done in two skillets. But in a home kitchen, making more than 4 sandwiches would take forever and is not really reasonable. For these reasons, although exceptionally delicious, this recipe may not be for everyone. It’s very important to crisp up the bread properly as well as to crisp up the beef patty properly. So cook in batches if needed but do not overcrowd the pan.

I usually make it for myself or for a dinner date. This sandwich brings me back to my childhood and sharing this meal with my grandma, with a cup of English tea and absolutely no veggies on the plate. Haha, nothing healthy about this dish other than soul-warming comfort this dish provides.

Let’s get cooking!

CategoryDifficultyBeginner

patty melt

Yields1 Serving
Prep Time5 minsCook Time10 minsTotal Time15 mins

 couple of spoonfulls of unsalted butter
 2 pieces of Rye bread
 1/4 - 1/3 lb ground beef
 kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
 ½ medium yellow onion, sliced
 1 slice Swiss Cheese
 1 slice cheese of Choice (Swiss, American, Mozzarella, etc.)
 Garnishes of Choice, such as pickles

1

Melt a bit of butter in a heavy skillet, ideally cast iron, over medium heat.

Add bread slices and cook for about 3 minutes until crisp golden brown. Move them around as needed to make sure they caramelize evenly. Remove to a plate with the seared side up. Top each slice with a piece of cheese.

2

In the meantime, increase the heat to medium high.

Shape the meat into an oblong patty roughly the size of your bread. Season the outside generously with salt and pepper.

Add to the hot skillet and cook for about 2 minutes on the first side, until very golden and crisp. Flip and cook on the other side until the patty is cooked through to a safe internal temperature. Remove to a plate.

3

Add onions and a splash of water. The splash of water is needed to dissolve all of the flavourful bits (fond) stuck to the bottom of the pan. Cook onions for about 5 minutes over medium heat, adding water as needed to keep dissolving the fond and ensuring the onions do not burn. They should be soft and golden brown.

Add the onions to one of the cheese-topped bread slices. Add the patty that was set aside to the other cheese slice. Close them together to make a sandwich.

4

Wipe the skillet clean, melt a bit more butter over medium heat until the butter is shimmering. Cook for 3-4 minutes per side until golden brown and the cheese on the inside of the sandwich has melted. Watch closely not to burn and adjust the heat as needed. Serve immediately with optional garnishes of choice, such as pickles. Enjoy.

Ingredients

 couple of spoonfulls of unsalted butter
 2 pieces of Rye bread
 1/4 - 1/3 lb ground beef
 kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
 ½ medium yellow onion, sliced
 1 slice Swiss Cheese
 1 slice cheese of Choice (Swiss, American, Mozzarella, etc.)
 Garnishes of Choice, such as pickles

Directions

1

Melt a bit of butter in a heavy skillet, ideally cast iron, over medium heat.

Add bread slices and cook for about 3 minutes until crisp golden brown. Move them around as needed to make sure they caramelize evenly. Remove to a plate with the seared side up. Top each slice with a piece of cheese.

2

In the meantime, increase the heat to medium high.

Shape the meat into an oblong patty roughly the size of your bread. Season the outside generously with salt and pepper.

Add to the hot skillet and cook for about 2 minutes on the first side, until very golden and crisp. Flip and cook on the other side until the patty is cooked through to a safe internal temperature. Remove to a plate.

3

Add onions and a splash of water. The splash of water is needed to dissolve all of the flavourful bits (fond) stuck to the bottom of the pan. Cook onions for about 5 minutes over medium heat, adding water as needed to keep dissolving the fond and ensuring the onions do not burn. They should be soft and golden brown.

Add the onions to one of the cheese-topped bread slices. Add the patty that was set aside to the other cheese slice. Close them together to make a sandwich.

4

Wipe the skillet clean, melt a bit more butter over medium heat until the butter is shimmering. Cook for 3-4 minutes per side until golden brown and the cheese on the inside of the sandwich has melted. Watch closely not to burn and adjust the heat as needed. Serve immediately with optional garnishes of choice, such as pickles. Enjoy.

Patty Melt

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