This Patty Melt Recipe is the perfect burger on the stove in the wintertime. I’m going to show you how to make one just like the restaurant – maybe better!

There are as many different ways to make hamburgers as there are burger joints (probably more). When I told you a few posts back how to make the best stovetop burgers in the world I gave you a great recipe to make tasty, huge, bistro type burgers at home. But if you’re like me you like all kinds of burgers. Every kind of restaurant has it’s place, and sometimes I’m in the mood for a family restaurant, sometimes a diner, certain chains are ok – and I’m a big fan of good Coney Island restaurants. Nearly all of those types of restaurans have a “patty melt” you can order that is just “to die for”. The reason that so many things taste so good at these “diners” is the years of use and abuse the grill in the back has taken. It’s well broken in and very well “seasoned”. It’s like your grandma who had a cast iron skillet she used for 50 years, you’d rather use that any day than a new one from the store. I’m going to cook my burgers in a new teflon coated pan – but I’ll show you how to make them taste like your favorite diner in this “patty melt recipe”!

Ingredients needed for “patty melt”:

• About 1lb fresh ground chuck
• 3 slices bread (we used white, but have used wheat, rye, italian, etc…)
• 6 slices cheese (3 american, 3 swiss)
• 1 small onion sliced julienne (long slices with the grain about 1/8″ wide)
• salt to taste

My “patty melt recipe” makes 3 burgers, mainly because you’ll take the 1lb of ground chuck and make 3 balls out of it and flatten down between 1/4-1/2″ thick. Each one with be about 4-5″ in diameter and you’ll only be able to fit about 3 in a large skillet. Once you place the patties in the pan, turn the heat up to high, then salt the patties (do not cover). While the, cut the onion and get out your cheese. This should take about 5 minutes, and you should have some grease in the pan now starting to drain from the burgers. While these burgers cook, in between flipping and moving the onions around make your toast so it’s ready. Flip the burgers and salt again Place the onion around the burgers in the grease as shown in the picture. Separate and chop them up a bit in the grease with your spatula, flatten them one time with your spatula. Turn the heat down to med-high. Cook an additional 5 minutes moving the onions around a bit with your spatula every minute or so. Flip one last time and they will be done in just a minute or two. About 2-3 minutes after the burgers stop leaking blood and the fluid (leaving the burger is clear) they are done. If you are blackening the patties or don’t have any grease left in your pan either the heat is up too high or you cooked the burgers way longer than necessary.

Now pile up the onions with your spatula, and dividing them into 3 sections, place them on top of the burgers. Turn the heat down to medium. Place the Swiss cheese slices on top of the onions. Put one piece of toast on top of that and flip each with your spatula so the burger is facing up. Place the american cheese slices on top and the remaining toast slices on top of those. Cook each side about 90 seconds – 2 minutes until brown, be careful not to burn depending on how hot medium on your stove is.

The reason these patty melts taste so good is that you cook the onions in the grease while they cook giving the burgers a great flavor, and also that you brown and crisp the toast in the remaining fat in the pan and don’t use butter (like grilled cheese). True – this is NOT good for you, but what “diner” food is? I would not eat these all the time, but they are GREAT in the winter months when I can’t fire up the grill! If you want true americana – make some homemade french fries with these and they whole family will love you for this delicious meal!

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