Gooey PAtty Melts

Patty melts and burgers are close cousins! A patty melt is a burger consisting of a hamburger patty, melted cheese and topped with caramelized onions between two slices of bread. Somedays, I prefer a patty melt over a burger because the toast gives it a nice crunch!

 
 
 

Gooey patty melts

Prep time: 30 minutes | Total time: 30 minutes

Makes: 2 sandwiches

Ingredients:

1/2 pound 80/20 ground beef

2 teaspoons ketchup

1 teaspoon yellow mustard

1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce

1 teaspoon onion powder

1 teaspoon garlic powder

1/2 teaspoon prepared horseradish

2 tablespoons unsalted butter

1/2 medium onion, thinly sliced

Kosher salt

1 teaspoon sugar

Freshly ground black pepper

1 tablespoon vegetable or canola oil

4 slices white bread

4 tablespoons mayonnaise or Japanese mayonnaise, such as Kewpie

4 ounces American cheese, grated or sliced

Instructions:

  1. In a medium bowl, add the ground beef, ketchup, mustard, Worcestershire, onion powder, garlic powder and horseradish. Stir until combined and set aside on the counter.*

  2. Melt the butter in medium skillet over medium low heat. Once fully melted, add the sliced onion with a large pinch of salt and sugar. Stir the onions until it is well combined. Continue to cook until onions are a deep golden brown and very soft, about 20 minutes, stirring occasionally. You can add a splash of water if onions begin to brown too quickly. Set aside. 

  3. Meanwhile, take the marinated ground beef and form two large patties, a little large than the slice of bread. Season both sides of both patties with salt and a few turns of black pepper. Heat a the vegetable oil in a large skillet. Once hot, add the seasoned beef patties. Press the patties gently with a spatula, cook until each side is well browned, about 2 minutes. Carefully flip and continue to cook the patty until it is cooked through. Transfer patties to a plate and turn off the heat. Wipe the skillet with a cleaned paper towel. 

  4. Spread one side of the bread with 1 tablespoon mayonnaise. Lay one of the slices of prepared bread, mayonnaise side down, and top  with 1/2 the grated cheese. Top with one burger patty and 1/2 the caramelized onions. Lastly, place another slice of bread, mayonnaise size up to complete the sandwich. Repeat with the remaining sandwich. 

  5. Return the skillet back on medium heat. Add one prepared sandwich and cook until the mayonnaise spread slice is golden brown, about 3 minutes. Flip and cooking until cheese is fully melted and other slice of bread is golden brown, about 2 minutes more. If you have space in the skillet, add the second sandwich, if not, do it batches. 

  6. Transfer prepared sandwiches to cutting board and cut in half diagonally. Place on plates and enjoy this classic!

Cook’s Note

Before cooking proteins… but why?

You always want your proteins (chicken, pork and especially steak) to cook evenly from edge to center. Letting it sit on the counter for about 25 minutes will bring the meat up to room temperature, which will help it cook more evenly. This really depends on how big your meat is, please see guide below. Also, keep in mind, how warm your kitchen is. If you live in a warmer or more humid climate, adjust accordingly.

  • Ground meat, about 15 minutes

  • Two-inch thick steak, about 25 minutes

  • Whole 4-pound chicken, about 40 minutes

  • Whole 20-pound turkey, about 90 minutes.