It’s hard to say no to this PATTY MELT on rye bread tucked with a juicy beef patty, caramelized onions, and ooey-gooey cheese. With just a short list of ingredients, it’s easy to recreate this classic diner sandwich at home for lunch or even dinner!
Now that most of the states here are opening up even amidst the pandemic, I’d still want to err on the safe side. As much as I want to drive around and go to my favorite diner and restaurants (and contribute to the local economy), I’d still want to remind myself that I can make some of my favorites here at home.
Take for example this classic diner sandwich Patty Melt.
It’s messy, juicy, and just full of good stuff – just the way I like it! And did you know that you can make this at home using only eight (actually, 6 if we don’t count salt and pepper and butter 😉) very SIMPLE ingredients? Can I get a high five?
A very satisfying lunch (or dinner), for a fraction of price. And heck, you can add in whatever you have on hand and enjoy it whenever you want to! How does that sound to you?
What is a Patty Melt?
Although the history of this sandwich remains unclear, what I do know though is that a Patty Melt is a sandwich recipe made with a juicy hamburger patty along with melted cheese (usually Swiss cheese), then topped with caramelized onions tucked between slices of toasted or grilled bread.
The bread used in this Patty Melt sandwich is traditionally rye or marbled rye, but some versions also use Texas toast or sourdough. Does this closely resemble a cheeseburger to you?
Patty Melt vs Burger
Can we all agree that both Patty Melts and cheeseburgers are pure comfort food? Although these two are both drool-worthy, they vary quite a lot.
Patty Melt is on a toast while a cheeseburger is on a hamburger bun typically accompanied with a juicy patty, mustard, mayo, lettuce, tomatoes, onions, and pickles, too. There is actually a lot going on in a cheeseburger compared to our simple Patty Melt.
What’s on a Patty Melt?
Since this Patty Melt recipe is fairly simple, you’d be surprised to know that you probably have all the ingredients sitting at your kitchen.
- Bread – I’d like to keep it traditional by using rye bread, but feel free to use a quality sourdough or any bread that will hold up well against a juicy hamburger patty and saucy caramelized onions.
- Onions – I guess this what sets it apart from all other sandwiches. The caramelized onions in this sandwich bring a ton of flavor in every bite that you shouldn’t skip this one out. It’s as good as this French Onion Soup HERE.
- Beef Patty – A little bit of fat in your ground beef makes this sandwich recipe messy good. So go with an 80/20 beef, and not the extra lean.
- Cheese – Swiss cheese is a great choice for this classic diner sandwich. It’s gooey, melty, and cheesy. Feel free to swap it though with American or cheddar cheese. Actually, any type of cheese would be fine.
What Else Can You Add?
Want to take this sandwich up a notch? Feel free to add any of the following below.
- pickles
- bacon (see my fuss-free Oven Baked Bacon)
- ham
- mayonnaise (see my Homemade Mayonnaise HERE)
- another layer of cheese (like sharp cheddar, cause why not?😉)
What to Serve with a Patty Melt?
This homemade Patty Melt would be perfect for a backyard lunch or dinner along with some of our favorite go-to sandwich sides.
- Fried Pickles
- French fries or this Baked Crispy Potato Wedges
- Tuna Macaroni Salad
- Chef Salad
- Potato Chips
More Recipe Like This
Here are other diner and fast food restaurant favorites that you can easily make at home. Now you don’t have to worry about driving or waiting in the line for hours.
How to Make a Patty Melt
Caramelized Onions
In a medium skillet over medium heat, add butter. As soon as butter melts add onions and cook, stirring often, until starting to soften. Reduce heat to medium-low and continue to cook, stirring often, until deep golden. This might take approximately 20- 25 minutes or more. Set aside.
Beef Patty
Add ground beef, Worcestershire, garlic powder, salt, and pepper in a medium bowl. Lightly mix them to form about 2 patties, like the shape of bread and lightly flatten. Add butter in a skillet over medium heat. As soon as butter heats up add the patties. Cook beef patties for about 2-3 minutes per side or until patties are cooked to desired doneness. Remove and set on a plate.
Assemble patty melt by topping the bread with cheese, patty, and caramelized onions. And finally another slice of cheese and another slice of bread. Add butter to the skillet. As soon as butter melts add the sandwich. Brown for about a minute then use a large spatula to press down on the sandwich. Turn the sandwich on the other side and cook for another minute or so or until brown and cheese melts. Remove, slice in half and serve at once.
Patty Melt
Ingredients
- 4 tablespoons (56g) unsalted butter
- 1 whole large onion , halved and sliced
- ¾ pound (340.19) ground beef
- 1 teaspoon (5g) Worcestershire sauce
- 1 teaspoon (3g) garlic powder
- salt and fresh ground black pepper
- 4 slices rye bread
- 4 slices Swiss cheese
Instructions
- In a medium skillet over medium heat, add butter. As soon as butter melts add onions and cook, stirring often, until starting to soften.
- Reduce heat to medium-low and continue to cook, stirring often, until deep golden. This might take approximately 20- 25 minutes or more. Set aside.
- Add ground beef, Worcestershire, garlic powder, salt, and pepper in a medium bowl. Lightly mix them to form about 2 patties, like the shape of bread and lightly flatten.
- Add butter in a skillet over medium heat. As soon as butter heats up add the patties. Cook beef patties for about 2-3 minutes per side or until patties are cooked to desired doneness. Remove and set on a plate.
- Assemble patty melt by topping bread with cheese, patty, and caramelized onions. And finally another slice of cheese and another slice of bread.
- Add butter to the skillet. As soon as butter melts add sandwich. Brown for about a minute then use a large spatula to press down on the sandwich. Turn the sandwich on the other side and cook for another minute or so or until brown and cheese melts.
- Remove, slice in half and serve at once.
Tips & Notes:
- Can You Make Patty Melt Ahead of Time? Yes, you can. Just wrap and freeze the beef patties and reheat when ready to assemble. Or you can assemble the patty melt in advance, wrap in foil and pop in a resealable freezer bag. It keeps in the freezer for up to a month.
- How Do You Reheat a Patty Melt? Turn on the oven at 375 F and place the wrapped patty melt in a baking sheet and reheat for 15-20 minutes, while unwrapping the sandwich on the last 5 minutes for a crisp exterior. Feel free to reheat it too in a skillet on a stovetop.
- Please keep in mind that nutritional information is a rough estimate and can vary greatly based on products used.
Nutrition Information:
Becky says
Imma, you are the Queen of Delicious Food! I feel so lucky to have your super recipes at my fingertips (!) plus your vast knowledge of culinary technique. Thank you so much! Now, for the ooey-gooey…!
imma africanbites says
Thank you, Becky, for the wonderful words! I’m so happy this was a hit for you.
Cletu says
You had me at ooey-gooey. I am making this for lunch. Will come back and let you know how ooey gooey it is.
ImmaculateBites says
Yes! Can’t wait to hear how it works out for you.