Griddled Patty Melt with Caramelized Onions
A ground beef patty and melted Swiss pressed between buttered rye, griddled like a grilled cheese so every bite is crisp on the outside and molten in the middle.
- Serves
- 4
- Prep
- 15 min
- Cook
- 30 min
- Written
Method
-
Melt the butter in a skillet over medium-low heat and cook the onions, stirring occasionally, until deeply golden and jammy, 20 to 25 minutes. Set aside.
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Divide the beef into 4 oval patties about the length of the bread and season both sides with salt and pepper.
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Wipe out the skillet, raise the heat to medium-high, and sear the patties until deeply browned, about 3 minutes per side, then set aside.
-
Butter one side of each slice of rye.
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{“Build each sandwich butter-side out” => “bread, a slice of cheese, a patty, a portion of caramelized onions, another slice of cheese, bread.”}
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Griddle over medium-low heat, pressing gently with a spatula, until the bottom is deeply browned, about 4 minutes.
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Flip and griddle the second side until browned and the cheese has fully melted, about 4 minutes more.
-
Cut in half and serve while the cheese is still pulling.
Notes
The patty gets seared hard and hot first, then finished by the residual heat while the sandwich griddles — cook it through on the flattop instead and the bread burns long before the middle catches up.
Two skillets speed this up: one holding heat for the onions while the other sears patties. No rye on hand, a hearty sourdough griddles just as well, though the diner argument is stronger with rye.