This patty melt recipe is just like the classic diner sandwich. Layer juicy burgers with caramelized onions and melty, gooey cheese between slices of bread. Toast in a panini press or pan fry for an unforgettable sandwich. They are the best patty melts!
My middle daughter is a burger aficionado. She is so crazy for burgers that she even orders them when dining out for breakfast. Meanwhile, the rest of the family enjoys fluffy pancakes, eggs over easy with crispy hash browns, and delicious omelets at our local diner. So she can get her burger fix at home, I created this deliciously good patty melt recipe.
what is a patty melt sandwich?
So what exactly is a patty melt? Traditionally, a patty melt includes a combination of juicy burgers and gooey grilled cheese sandwiches. Two slices of rye bread bookend Swiss cheese, sweet and savory caramelized onions, and a burger patty. Slather the outsides of the bread with butter. Toast the patty melt in a sauté pan until it is a crispy golden brown and the cheese is melted.
Feel free to change up the bread in your patty melt. Try sourdough, pumpernickel, multi grain, or white bread. And add you favorite cheese too. Just be sure it is a melting cheese such as cheddar, pepper jack, American, mozzarella, provolone, or brie.
ingredients
- salted butter
- Vidalia onion - they are sweeter than yellow onions
- kosher salt and freshly ground pepper
- ground beef - I use a 85/15 blend for this recipe
- ketchup
- Worcestershire sauce
- sliced sandwich bread - sourdough or rye are delicious for patty melts
- cheese - I like cheddar, provolone, and good old American cheese
expert tips
If you can make burgers and grilled cheese, making this patty melt recipe will be a snap. The only additional ingredient is caramelized onions.
- The key to perfectly caramelized onions is to cook them in butter and low and slow. If you cook them too quickly over too high a heat, they with burn.
- Use an assembly line to put the patty melts together. Butter one side of each slice of bread. Top half of the slices of bread with a slice of cheese. Add extra cheese if you like your sandwiches extra cheesy. Top the cheese with a burger and some of the caramelized onions. Add another slice a cheese and the top with a slice of buttered bread.
- Use either a panini press or a sauté pan to toast the patty melts a delicious golden and crispy brown.
can the burger sandwiches be reheated?
Most definitely! This patty melt recipe is perfect for reheating. Just follow these tips for either heating patty melts straight from the refrigerator or the freezer.
- For refrigerated patty melts - Completely cool the patty melts. Wrap in plastic wrap and store in the fridge for 2 to 3 days. To reheat, unwrap the sandwich. Preheat a dry skillet over medium low heat. Add the sandwich to the skillet and heat for about 4 to 5 minutes on each side. For the last couple minutes of heating, pop a lid on the skillet to help the patty melt warm all the way through.
- For frozen patty melts - Completely cool the patty melts. Wrap the patty melts in foil and put in a resealable freezer bag. They will keep up to a month in the freezer. Reheat the foil wrapped sandwich in a preheated 375 degree F oven on a cooling rack placed in a rimmed baking sheet for 20 to 30 minutes. Unwrap the patty melt for the last 5 minutes or so of the reheating time so the crust can crisp up a bit.
what to serve with a patty melt
- Chickpea Salad with Fresh Herb Vinaigrette
- Roasted Carrot and Parsnip Fries
- Texas Caviar
- Homestyle Red Potato Salad with Dill Pickles
If you make this patty melt recipe, be sure to leave a comment and/or give this recipe a rating ~ I do my best to reply to all your comments. And snap a photo to post to Instagram. I'll add the photos to my Insta stories as I love seeing all your creations.
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Recipe
Caramelized Onion Patty Melt Recipe
Equipment
Ingredients
- 6 tablespoons salted butter divided
- 1 large Vidalia onion thinly sliced
- Kosher salt
- Pepper
- 1 ½ pounds ground beef
- 3 tablespoons ketchup
- 2 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce
- 8 slices bread - my favorites are rye and sourdough
- 8 to 12 slices of cheese - provolone cheddar, American, and pepper jack are good options
Instructions
- Heat a large sauté pan over medium low heat. Add 2 tablespoons of butter and the thinly sliced onion. Sprinkle with salt and pepper and sauté for 20 to 25 minutes or until the onions a softened and are golden brown. Remove from the pan to a plate and cover with foil.
- In a bowl, add the ground beef, ketchup and Worcestershire sauce. Form into 4 patties.
- Heat the same sauté pan to medium high heat add 1 tablespoon of butter. When the butter has melted and begins to foam, add the burgers. Depending on the size of your pan, it may be necessary to cook the patties in batches. Cook the burgers for about 2 to 3 minutes per side. Remove from pan to a plate.
- Butter one side of each slice of bread.
- For each patty melt, place two slices of bread butter side down on a work surface.
- Top one slice of bread with a slice of cheese.
- Place the burger on top of the cheese.
- Put ¼ of the caramelized onions on top of the burger.
- Top the onions with another slice of cheese.
- Place the remaining slice of bread butter side up with the cheese.
- Heat the sauté pan or panini press to medium heat.
- Cook the patty melts until lightly brown on each side and the cheese is melted, about 3 to 4 minutes for each side.
- Remove from pan and cut in half and serve.
Notes
- The key to perfectly caramelized onions is to cook them in butter and low and slow. If you cook them too quickly over too high a heat, they with burn.
- Use an assembly line to put the patty melts together. Butter one side of each slice of bread. Top half of the slices of bread with a slice of cheese. Add extra cheese if you like your sandwiches extra cheesy. Top the cheese with a burger and some of the caramelized onions. Add another slice a cheese and the top with a slice of buttered bread.
- Use either a panini press or a sauté pan to toast the patty melts a delicious golden and crispy brown.
Nutrition
This recipe was originally posted in February 2014. It was updated in January 2020 with new photos and more in depth recipe instructions.
Did you make the recipe? Leave a comment.