Combine the best cheeseburger with a gooey grilled cheese & you get a Patty Melt! It’s the tastiest sandwich you’ll ever put in your mouth!
Take the classic American burger we love, elevate the ingredients, and treat yourself to an amazing patty melt! Seasoned, savory ground beef, caramelized onions, and melted Swiss cheese on grilled, buttered rye bread make this the best Patty Melt Recipe of all time!
Not Just a Cheeseburger on Sliced Bread
I used to think a patty melt was just a burger on sandwich bread. I was SO wrong!
A great patty melt is a fabulous combination of a meaty burger (with ground beef, bread, and onion) prepared like a gourmet grilled cheese (we like Swiss cheese on rye). The result is a hearty, quick, and delicious sandwich that you’ll add it to your regular dinner rotation!
Other Recipes to Serve with Recipe Title
- Any grilled cheese sandwich begs for a warm, comforting soup like this Creamy Tomato Bisque.
- These Parmesan Rosemary Potato Chips are an easy homemade twist on regular chips – you’ll love them!
Ingredients
Patties: A great patty melt starts with a patty made from 85/15 ground beef.
Toppings: if an excellent patty melt starts with a great patty, it ends with great bread! This recipe calls for rye bread, but you could also use rye & pumpernickel swirl. Other toppings include Swiss cheese slices and caramelized yellow onions.
Seasoning: Give this grilled cheeseburger combo some unsalted butter, salt & pepper, and Worcestershire sauce for the classic Patty Melt flavor.
How to Make a Classic Patty Melt
STEP ONE: Start by caramelizing the onions. Heat butter in a large skillet over medium-low heat (so as not to burn the delicate onion). Cook for a half hour or until the onions are tender and translucent, stirring often.
STEP TWO: While the onions are caramelizing, mix the Worcestershire, salt, pepper and ground beef in a large bowl. Divide into fourths and make large, thin patties. Melt the butter in a large skillet on medium-high, then add the patties and cook for 3-4 minutes on each side.
STEP THREE: Assemble the sandwiches – a piece of bread, a slice of Swiss, a scoop of caramelized onions, a cooked beef patty, another slice of Swiss, and a second piece of rye. Repeat until they’re all assembled. (Yes, my patties are small for the giant pieces of rye I got this time.)
STEP FOUR: Melt the remaining butter in a large skillet over medium. Grill the sandwiches in the skillet, 2-3 minutes on each side, until the rye is well-browned and the Swiss is melted. Eat ’em while they’re hot!
Tips for Success
- Lightly toast the rye bread with the butter and cheese in the oven or toaster oven while cooking the burgers, making the final step go even faster!
- Shaping the hamburger patties into bread-sized squares makes the most of every delicious bite! If your rye bread is wide, you may want to use a spatula to smash the patties thinner as they cook so they cover the bread slice.
- When cooking onions, add a bit of water or beef juice to help them caramelize into a beautiful brown color and sweet taste.
What’s the Difference Between a Cheeseburger and a Patty Melt?
We all know a classic cheeseburger is made of ground beef, a soft white bun, American cheese, and a variation of standard, cold condiments – pickles, onions, lettuce, mayo, mustard and ketchup.
A classic Patty Melt is warm through and through. It is also made of a ground beef patty. Still, instead of American cheese squares and sliced raw onion, a Patty melt has Swiss cheese and caramelized onions that are grilled together in a skillet with buttered rye or sourdough bread.
What’s on the Whataburger Patty Melt?
Whataburger is famous for its patty melt, and for good reason – it’s great! They make the Whataburger patty melt with ground beef, grilled onions, Monterey Jack cheese, and their creamy pepper sauce. However, at 940 calories, 61g of fat, and 1760g of sodium, our RealHousemoms Patty Melt recipe is a healthier option (739 calories, 41g of fat, 1039g of sodium). But it is every bit as fabulous! And if the sauce if your favorite part, here’s a creamy pepper sauce recipe you can whip up at home.
Other Hearty, Hot, Handheld Sandwich Recipes
- Grilled Pesto Chicken Sandwich
- Luau Chicken Sandwich
- Steak & Onion Panini
- Kentucky Hot Brown Sliders
- Fish Filet Sandwich with Homemade Tartar Sauce
*This post was originally posted on 08/10/2018
Equipment
Ingredients
Caramelized Onions
- 2 tablespoons unsalted butter
- 1 large yellow onion thinly sliced
- salt and black pepper to taste
Burger Patties
- 1.25 pounds ground beef
- 5 dashes Worcestershire sauce
- ¾ teaspoon salt
- ¼ teaspoon black pepper
- 2 tablespoons unsalted butter
Sandwiches
- 8 slices Swiss cheese
- 8 slices rye bread or rye/pumpernickel swirl bread
- 2 tablespoons unsalted butter
Instructions
Caramelized Onions
- Heat butter in a large skillet over medium-low heat. Add the onions and cook, stirring occasionally, for 30-40 minutes, until very tender. Season to taste with salt and pepper.
Burger Patties
- When the onions are about halfway done, get started on the patties.
- Combine ground turkey, Worcestershire sauce, salt and pepper in a large bowl and mix until just combined. Divide the mixture into 4 even parts and make large, thin patties (you want to try and get them about the size of your bread).
- Heat a large skillet over medium-high heat and melt the butter. Add the patties and cook 3-4 minutes, then turn over and cook another 3-4 minutes, until patties are just cooked through. (They’ll continue to cook off the heat and are also going back in the pan as part of the sandwiches.)
Sandwiches
- Place a piece of Swiss cheese on a slice of bread. Top with one of the patties then a scoop of caramelized onions. Add another slice of Swiss cheese and then the top slice of bread. Repeat for the remaining sandwiches.
- Heat a large skillet over medium heat and melt the butter. Add the sandwiches (work in batches if needed) and cook for 2-3 minutes, until well browned and the cheese is melted. Flip the sandwiches over and cook on the other side until well browned and the cheese is melted. Serve immediately.
Noel says
Looks like the beef turned turkey in the final directions…has anyone made it both ways…which do you prefer?
Penny says
I love your recipes! My tastebuds are similar to yours I think! I swear I have so many of your recipes printed or saved!! Thanks for sharing your knowledge, experience and great recipes!
Real Housemoms JK says
Thanks so much Penny!