A sizzling ground beef patty topped with gooey sharp cheddar cheese, caramelized onions, and a delicious tangy sauce, it’s the ultimate comfort food sandwich!
Comfort food means different things to everyone. It’s often a personal experience based on a sense of nostalgia and cultural background. I’ve realized that I have a comfort food for just about every mood and season. That’s not weird, right?
There’s something about buttery bread toasting on a flattop grill, next to a sizzling ground beef patty that awakens my senses and brings me back to my early 20s. Sitting around the yellow diner table laughing with friends into the wee hours of the morning occurred often. The familiar clattering of dishes, the friendly banter with waitstaff, and the occasional jukebox tune in the background created a comforting soundtrack of that moment in our lives.
Making these delicious patty melts brings me right back to those fun times with friends while making new memories with my family. These tasty sandwiches are perfect for a hectic weeknight dinner or for a relaxing weekend brunch. They’re filled with caramelized onions, lots of gooey cheese, and a thin ground beef patty topped with a delicious sauce and sandwiched between buttery toasted bread. Nothing but pure comfort food here friends!
What You’ll Need To Make This Diner Style Patty Melt:
Ground Beef: I like to use a lean 85/15 but feel free to use whatever your family prefers
Worcestershire Sauce: Adds a delicious umami flavor in the background
Seasonings: I keep it pretty simple with basics like salt, pepper, garlic powder, and parsley. We can’t get enough of my homemade Caramelized Onion Powder, but you can use plain onion powder as well.
Onions: Thinly sliced, caramelized onions make this sandwich sing!
Cheese: Sharp cheddar is perfection to me, but Provolone and Swiss are often used as well
Thousand Island Dressing: I have a homemade version that we prefer but store-bought will work just fine
Bread: We like thick sliced homemade bread or the Farmhouse Hearty White bread from
Pepperidge Farm
What to Serve With This Diner Style Patty Melt:
With a mouthwatering sandwich like this, I go all in and serve it with my Homemade Fried
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How To Make This Diner Style Patty Melt
Serves 6
Ingredients
2 ½ pounds lean ground beef
1 Tablespoon Worcestershire Sauce
1 Tablespoon dried parsley
2 teaspoons garlic powder
2 teaspoons Caramelized Onion Powder
¼ teaspoon salt
¼ teaspoon ground black pepper
1 medium onion, thinly sliced
6 slices sharp cheddar cheese
¼ cup Thousand Island Dressing
2 Tablespoons butter
6 slices thick white bread
Directions
In a large bowl, combine ground beef, Worcestershire sauce, and spices. Form into 6 thin patties.
To a large pre-heated cast iron skillet, add onion slices and a pinch of salt. Add a splash of water if needed. Stir the onion slices constantly and cook for approximately 15 minutes or until they become translucent and tender with a caramelized color. Remove onions from the pan and set aside.
Working in batches if needed, place burger patties into hot pan. Cook for approximately 5 minutes per side or until internal temperature is at least 160 degrees, or to your desired doneness. Remove cooked patties and set aside. Add cheese slices to the patties to allow them time to melt.
Reduce heat to low and allow the pan to adjust to temperature. Add 2 tablespoons of butter and place bread slices into pan. Toast bread slices for 1-2 minutes per side or until lightly toasted and golden brown.
Assemble the patty melt by placing the cheese-covered patty on one slice of the bread. Top with caramelized onions, homemade Thousand Island Dressing, and remaining slice of toasted bread.
If you enjoyed this recipe, please consider sharing it with someone who loves delicious, homemade food!
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