Classic Patty Melt

March 30, 2022 by Beth Pierce 88 Comments

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This mouthwatering good Classic Patty Melt combines beef patties grilled to perfection with plenty of sweet melt-in-your-mouth caramelized onions, homemade thousand island dressing, and plenty of melted Swiss cheese. The flavor is even better than the old diners and dives that your parents took you to.

When I was a kid, the patty melt was a standard at the local dinners Mom and Dad took us to. I remember the sweet smell of the onions and beef searing on the grill. This recipe will bring back all kinds of wonderful memories and good times. You are going to love every ounce of this sandwich. You can prepare it with or without onions, but the true classic always comes with grilled onions. For even more fun diner nostalgia, serve with Beer Battered Onion Rings or Easy Baked Sweet Potato Fries.

Grilled onions and burger patties in a skillet.

How do you make a Classic Patty Melt?

Start by slicing some sweet onions. Next, grab a good-sized skillet and, over medium to medium-low heat, melt a few tablespoons of butter. Now add those onions and cook over the heat stirring every couple of minutes or so. However, do not stir them all the time, as you want them to brown up a bit. Once cooked to a golden brown and caramelized, remove them from the skillet and cover to keep warm.

Meanwhile, mix a little Worcestershire Sauce, salt, and pepper into the ground beef. Next, shape the beef into four burger patties and add to the skillet by scooting the onions over. Now cook those patties over medium-high heat until they are nicely browned on both sides and cooked through.

Then assemble the sandwiches to be grilled. First, spread each slice of bread with a little bit of thousand island dressing. Top each of the pieces of bread with a slice of Swiss cheese and position the cooked patties in the middle. Then add a heaping spoonful of the cooked onions to each patty. Next, bring the slices of bread together to form four sandwiches. Butter the tops of the sandwiches and place butter side down in the preheated skillet over medium/low heat. Now butter the tops of the sandwiches and cover the pan with aluminum foil but stay close by to check on them. Finally, once browned on the bottom, flip and brown the other side.

Old style diner patty melt with caramelized onions and Swiss cheese.

Recipe notes and helpful tips

Use bakery-quality sourdough bread, rye bread, or Texas toast.
If you have a well-seasoned cast-iron skillet, these melts cook up great in them.
Stir the onions but not too frequently. Every few minutes or so will do the trick, as you want those onions to soften and brown on the edges. It can take up to 30-40 minutes to caramelize onions.
Are you under time constraints? If so, use your favorite bottled thousand island dressing.
If you don’t like Swiss Cheese, try cheddar cheese or American cheese.
Preheat the pan before adding the hamburger patty and sear those juices in.
The melts are best served right out of the pan or off the grill while the cheese is melted, and the bread is warm, buttery, and toasty.

One of our favorite sandwich recipes that brings back old-world diner charm with grilled onions, Swiss Cheese, and a homemade thousand island dressing.

What is the difference between a cheeseburger and a patty melt?

A cheeseburger is a cooked patty that is topped with cheese and placed between a soft bun that may or may not be toasted. It may also be loaded with toppings like bacon, pickles, tomatoes, or lettuce. While a patty melt is a cooked patty that is topped with onions and cheese on rye bread, and then it is toasted on a griddle to melted perfection.

What bread is best for patty melts?

My two favorites are sourdough bread and rye bread. However, there are many more types of bread that are hearty enough for this sandwich, and they grill up well. You might like ciabatta, multigrain, whole wheat, pumpernickel, or white sandwich bread.

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