Patty Melt

Active Time:

35 mins

Total Time:

35 mins

Servings:

Swiss cheese, a burger patty, sweet caramelized onions, and mustard tuck into rye bread before being griddled to perfection for this satisfying sandwich. The onions have a splash of acidity and depth thanks to the Worcestershire and apple cider vinegar, which helps balance the richness in the rest of the sandwich. Adding water as the onions caramelize provides a little steam to the cooking onions, and helps to scrape up the flavorful brown bits from the pan, both of which speed up the caramelizing process. Swiss cheese and rye bread are traditional in a patty melt but feel free to swap in whatever cheese and bread you have on hand for your own variation.

Frequently Asked Questions

What’s the difference between a patty melt and a cheeseburger?

Both patty melts and burgers involve ground beef and cheese between two pieces of bread; however, burgers have buns and patty melts use sliced bread. A patty melt can also be thought of as a cross between a grilled cheese and burger, with the burger inside and the grilled cheese on the outside.

Notes from the Food & Wine Test Kitchen

Adding more butter before flipping the patty melt prevents the butter from burning as the sandwich cooks and prevents the first side of bread from soaking up all the butter and leaving none for the second side.

Make ahead

Making a big batch of these caramelized onions means you can use them for this sandwich, and for others. Refrigerate the onions in an airtight container for up to one week and/or freeze for up to six months.

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Ingredients

6 tablespoons unsalted butter, divided
2 medium yellow onions, thinly sliced (about 4 cups)
1 garlic clove, thinly sliced
1 1/2 teaspoons kosher salt, divided
Water, as needed
2 teaspoons apple cider vinegar
1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
1 pound ground beef, such as 85/15 ground round
1/2 teaspoon black pepper
1 tablespoon canola oil
2 tablespoons yellow mustard, divided
8 (1-ounce) seeded rye bread slices, lightly toasted
8 (1-ounce) Swiss cheese slices, cut in half

Directions

Melt 2 tablespoons of the butter in a medium-size cast-iron skillet over medium. Add onions, garlic, and 1/2 teaspoon of the salt. Cover and cook, stirring occasionally, until softened and translucent, about 5 minutes. Uncover and cook, stirring often, until golden brown and soft, 15 to 20 minutes, adding 1 tablespoon water at a time, as needed, if onions are looking dry. Remove skillet from heat, and stir in vinegar and Worcestershire. Transfer caramelized onions to a small bowl, and set aside. Wipe skillet clean.
While onions cook, divide ground beef into 4 portions. Press each into a flat, 1/4-inch-thick patty (just larger than the size and shape of the bread). Sprinkle evenly with pepper and remaining 1 teaspoon salt.
Heat oil in cleaned cast-iron skillet over medium-high. Cook 2 patties at a time, pressing gently, and flipping once, until browned on both sides but still pink in the center or to desired doneness, 3 to 5 minutes total. Transfer to a plate. Repeat cooking process with remaining patties.
Wipe skillet clean; reduce heat to medium-low. Spread 1 1/2 teaspoons of the mustard on each of 4 bread slices; top with 2 cheese halves, 1 patty, 1/4 cup caramelized onions, 2 more cheese halves, and remaining bread slices. Melt 1 tablespoon of the butter in skillet. Place 2 sandwiches in hot butter; cook (with another skillet on top of sandwiches to weigh them down) until golden brown and cheese is melted, about 2 minutes per side, adding 1 tablespoon butter to skillet when flipping to the other side and checking occasionally to prevent burning. Repeat cooking process with remaining 2 tablespoons butter and 2 sandwiches.