The Patty Melt is an iconic sandwich comprised of a super-thin hamburger patty, swiss cheese, caramelized onions, all on grilled sourdough bread. But cooking super-thin burgers properly may be beyond your skill set, or can’t be done with the equipment you have. This recipe makes a sloppy joe version of the patty melt, with all the flavors that anyone can make!
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Why I Love This Recipe?
Patty Melts are one of my favorite flavors but it is usually disappointing when I get it at a restaurant. That said, I have a lot of trouble finding a good way to reliably and quickly make those thin, crispy hamburgers like Steak and Shake. It’s hard. You know what’s not hard, making Sloppy Joe’s. One of my favorite college restaurants was a Sloppy Joe place, and the simplicity of it was mind-blowing. I love easy!
Ingredients & Equipment
Ingredients
- Ground Beef: I like to use a nice lean ground beef, 90% or higher. Lean ground beef releases less grease during cooking, which makes a lot of sense for Sloppy Joe’s.
- Sandwich Bread: The tradional bread of the patty melt is sourdough, but I usually don’t keep it on hand. Other options include pumpernickel, rye, or marbled rye. If I can find it, I LOVE marbled rye. It gives a nice wow factor to the look of it, and the tang for the rye gives an awesome balance to the SECRET SAUCE!
- Yellow Onion: caramelized yellow onions are a hallmark of the patty melt. Slice them as thin as you can to make them melt in the mouth.
- Cheese: Swiss cheese is the traditional cheese of the patty melt , and it is delicious. Alas, my family doesnt like swiss cheese, so I have to substitute something else. I opt for muenster, provelone, or provel cheese (Saint Louis Style!) Any cheese with a bit of a tang to it that melts nicely is a good way to go.
- SECRET SAUCE: All patty melts have a sauce to them, otherwise its just meat, bread, and cheese. This is basically the sloppy of the Sloppy Joe, and it’s wonderful. It’s easy to make with 2 salad dressings, we ain’t fancy here.
- Mayonnaise: I grill sandwiches by slathering them in mayonaise, and it works like a charm.
Equipment
- Big Sautee Pan: Wide with high sides and a thick bottom. Somewhere to cook the onions, brown the beef, and mix in the sauce. If you want, after that you can clean it and cook the sandwiches in it for a one-pot meal preparation!
- Spatula: A saptula that is stiff enough to break up the ground beef. There is nothing more frustrating than trying to do that with a bendy spatula.
Cooking the Sloppy Joe Patty Melt
- Slice your onions. Slice them as thin as you can get to ge tthe right texture. I usually cut the onion in half vertically, and then slice thinly to make nice, paper thin onion strands. Set them aside. This step can be done ahead of time, but it will make your whole house smell like onions.
- Caramelize the onions. First, melt some 1Tbsp. butter over medium heat. Once its hot, toss in the onions. Stir them occasionally to loosen them up and cook them evenly. Once they start to brown, turn the heat down a smidge and keep it going until they are cooked how you like. Still white they will taste like soft onions, if they are proper brown they will taste super sweet.
- Brown the ground beef. Just toss it in the pan over medium heat and chop with a spatula. Keep turning and chopping until everything is nice a browned. Drain the grease.
- Make the SECRET SAUCE! (I don’t know why I am capitilzing it, but I’m having fun.) Combine one part one part Thousand Island Dressing, one part BBQ sauce. I know Im being vague with the BBQ sauce type, but everyone has their preference. Try mixing it first 1:1 at the Tbsp size to see if you like the taste.
- Build the Sandwich: I build my with the sloppy insides encased in a cheese envelope, this protects the bread from getting extra soggy while grilling!
- Bread
- Cheese
- Meat & Onions
- Cheese
- Bread
- Grill the sandwich! Slather mayonnaise onto the bread and grill the sandwiches. Mayonnaise grills up super fast, a lot faster than butter, and gives a nice crispy finish. It’s delicious and a recommend it to anyone who grills sandwiches!
Easy Sloppy Joe Patty Melt- with Secret Sauce
This recipe uses the flavors of a patty melt to deliver a delicious, classic sandwich; while removing the fickle step of making a proper smash burger.
Equipment
- Chef's Knife
- Cutting Board
- Large Sautee Pan
- Stiff Spatula
- Butter Knife
Ingredients
To Cook the Sloppy Joe
- 1 Sweet Onion Sliced thin or diced
- 2 Tbsp Butter
- 1 lb. Ground Beef 85% or leaner
To Make the SECRET SAUCE
- ½ Cup Sweet BBQ Sauce
- ½ Cup Thousand Island Dressing Kraft or Similar
To Assemble the Patty Melt
- 12 Slices Sandwich Bread Marbled Rye Preferred
- 12 Slices Cheese Swiss or similar
- ¾ Cup Mayonnaise
Instructions
Onions and Beef
- Caramelize the onion. Melt butter over medium heat and add the onions once it's sizzling. Stir every minute or two to help them cook evenly, and add a bit of salt half way through. They are ready when they start to turn soft and brown.1 Sweet Onion, 2 Tbsp Butter
- Add the ground beef. Brown the ground beef with the onions and chop it up as it browns. When everything is cooked through, drain off the grease.1 lb. Ground Beef
Make the SECRET SAUCE!
- Combine the Thousand Island Dress and BBQ sauce. Stir to combine. Add this to the cooked beef ¼ cup at a time until it's sauced to your liking.½ Cup Thousand Island Dressing, ½ Cup Sweet BBQ Sauce
Make The Patty Melt
- Heat a pan or griddle over medium-low heat. Spread mayonnaise on one side of two pieces of bread.12 Slices Sandwich Bread, ¾ Cup Mayonnaise
- Build the sandwich in this order: Bread, cheese, meat, cheese, bread. Toss it on the hot pan and brown it on both sides. Be careful, flipping it is tricky.12 Slices Cheese
Nutrition
Calories: 450kcal
Tried this recipe?Let us know how it was!
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