Patty Melt

• servings: 5 servings
• active time: 5 minutes
• total time: 35 minutes

Ingredients

1 ½ pounds ground chuck (80/20 blend)

salt and pepper

2 large yellow onions (, thinly sliced)

2 Tablespoon oil

1 Tablespoon butter

10 slices good quality sourdough bread (or Rye bread*)

10 large slices Monterey Jack or Swiss Cheese

5 Tablespoons butter (, softened, for buttering bread)

1/2 cup mayonnaise

¼ cup ketchup

2 Tablespoons pickle relish (, or diced dill pickles)

1 heaping Tablespoon yellow mustard

1 teaspoon white vinegar

1 teaspoon garlic powder

1/2 teaspoon paprika

salt and pepper (, to taste)

Directions

Burger Sauce: Add sauce ingredients in a bowl and mix to combine. Set aside.

Caramelize Onions: Heat a cast iron skillet over medium heat. Add 1 Tablespoon butter and 1 Tablespoon oil and once melted, add onions then season with salt and pepper. Cook, stirring frequently, until golden brown and caramelized, about 20 - 25 minutes. Add a splash of water as needed, if the onions seem to be drying out. Remove to plate and set aside.

Form Burger Patties: Divide meat into five patties (4.8 oz each) and shape each into thin patties, roughly the same shape as the bread slices. Handle the meat as little as possible. Season patties generously on both sides with salt and pepper.

Cook Patties: Heat a flat-top griddle or cast iron pan over medium-high heat. Grease with 1 tablespoon oil. Add burger patties and cook for 3-4 minutes, flipping once, until medium-rare (I like to cook them to medium rare/slightly pink inside, as they will cook more as they rest, and in the patty melt). Remove to plate to rest.

Assemble Patty Melts: Wipe griddle/pan clean. Reduce pan heat to medium-low. Butter one side of each piece of bread. Place buttered side of bread face down in hot pan. Top with a slice of cheese, beef patty, a spoonful of onions, drizzle of burger sauce, another slice of cheese, and top slice of bread (butter side facing up). Cook for a few minutes, until bread is toasted on the bottom. Gently flip and cook on opposite side until golden, and cheese is melted.

Serve with leftover burger sauce for dipping, if desired.

Nutrition

• Calories: 896 kcal
• Total Fat: 50 g
• Saturated Fat: 21 g
• Unsaturated Fat: 24 g
• Trans Fat: 2 g
• Cholesterol: 135 mg
• Sodium: 984 mg
• Total Carbohydrate: 72 g
• Dietary Fiber: 4 g
• Total Sugars: 8 g
• Protein: 38 g