How to Make a Patty Melt

The patty melt is a classic diner food that combines elements of the burger, the Reuben and the grilled cheese. You can create authentic patty melts at home with good ingredients and plenty of butter.

Steps

Caramelizing Onions

1. Set two heavy skillets on your stovetop. Seasoned cast iron skillets are best, because they impart flavors similar to those in a dinner grill. Turn one burner to medium heat.
   
   
   
   
   
   
   


2. Cut an onion in half. Slice it into rings. A quarter of an onion per sandwich is required.
   
   
   
   
   
   
   


3. Melt two tbsp. of butter in the first skillet. You can also use olive oil or canola oil in place of butter.
   
   
   
   
   
   
   


4. Place your onion rings in the skillet. Stir them around until they are covered in oil or butter. Then, allow them to cook without stirring for 10 minutes.
   
   
   
   
   
   
   


5. Flip the onions onto the opposite side with a spatula. Let them cook without stirring on this side for 10 minutes.
   
   
   
   
   
   
   


6. Turn the onions again. Adjust the temperature to a low setting. Stir them occasionally until they appear caramelized, approximately 15 minutes.
   
   
   
   
   
   
   

Cooking the Patty

1. Place one-quarter lb. (113g) of ground beef in a bowl. You will need one-quarter lb. per patty melt.
   
   
   
   
   
   
   


2. Add salt, pepper, and a few dashes of Worcestershire sauce to the bowl and mix the ingredients together.
   
   
   
   
   
   
   


3. Find a rectangle shaped Tupperware container to use as your patty shaper. Grease it with cooking spray. Press the patty into the bottom of the rectangle container to form a patty that will cover your entire slice of bread.
   
   
   
   
   
   
   


4. Heat the other skillet to high heat. Add two tbsp. (28.4g) of butter or oil to the skillet when it is heated.
   
   
   
   
   
   
   


5. Flip your container upside down and pat it onto a plate. Your pressed patty should be ready to cook.
   
   
   
   
   
   
   


6. Add the patty to your heated skillet. Leave it until a crust starts to form, approximately two minutes later.
   
   
   
   
   
   
   


7. Flip the patty with a spatula. Give it two to three minutes to cook on the other side. When it is done, place it on a plate nearby.^[1]
   
   
   
   
   
   
   

Assembling the Patty Melt

1. Clean one of your skillets with a paper towel. Make sure there aren’t any burned bits that will change the taste of your sandwich.
   
   
   
   
   
   
   


2. Heat two tbsp. (28.4g) of butter on medium heat.
   
   
   
   
   
   
   


3. Assemble the sandwich. Stack in this order: piece of rye bread, slice of Swiss cheese, burger patty, caramelized onions, slice of Swiss cheese and slice of rye bread.
   
   
   
   
   
   
   


4. Add the sandwich to the skillet. Grill one side until it is golden brown. Remove it and place it on your plate.
   
   
   
   
   
   
   


5. Melt two more tbsp. (28.4g) of butter. Flip the sandwich and grill the other side in the butter.
   
   
   
   
   
   
   


6. Remove it when both pieces of bread are toasted golden brown and the cheese has melted.
   
   
   
   
   
   
   

Tips

• If the sandwiches aren't going to be immediately taken from the pan and eaten, turn off the heat and tent with tin foil to keep the sandwiches warm and keep them from drying out.


• Once assembled in the pan, give the sandwich a nice press with the spatula to make sure the cheese and other ingredients are properly combined.


• Swiss cheese can be replaced with American, Cheddar, or any other type of cheese desired.


• The sandwich needs a good, sturdy bread like Rye, but you can also experiment with other types - Rye/Pumpernickel marbled bread works particularly well and adds a nice flavor.


• For extra flavor, add Thousand Island dressing to the inside of the rye bread slices when they assemble a patty melt,^[2] or, alternatively, serve a dollop or small cup of dressing (or even ketchup) on the side for "dipping".


• You can also toast the bread on both sides for a sturdier sandwich - toast the bread by itself in the pan on one side, flip, and then add the ingredients to assemble in the pan. If the pan is not large enough to toast the tops and bottom at once, you can do them one or two at a time and place them with the cooked patties to stay warm while you do the remaining bread. It always tastes best to assemble in the pan as the final step.

Things You'll Need

• Onion


• Ground beef


• Butter/olive oil


• Swiss cheese


• Rye bread


• Worcestershire sauce


• Skillets


• Stove


• Spatula

Sources and Citations

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via Peter