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Bon Appétit

The BA Patty Melt

3.9

(294)

Image may contain Food and Burger
Christopher Testani

You may ask yourself, Does this sandwich really need mayonnaise? The answer is yes. A swipe of mayo, not butter, on the bread encourages that gorgeous exterior. This is part of BA's Best, a collection of our essential recipes.

Recipe information

  • Yield

    Makes 4 Servings

Ingredients

caramelized onions

2

tablespoons vegetable oil

2

large onions, thinly sliced

patties and Assembly

¼

small onion, finely chopped

1

pound ground beef chuck (20% fat)

1

tablespoon ketchup

½

teaspoon garlic powder

1

teaspoon kosher salt

¼

teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

1

tablespoon vegetable oil

8

slices seeded rye bread (preferably Levy’s)

4

ounces aged sharp cheddar, thinly sliced

4

ounces Swiss cheese (such as Emmenthal), thinly sliced

8

teaspoons mayonnaise

Preparation

  1. caramelized onions

    Step 1

    Heat oil in a medium skillet over medium heat and cook onions, stirring often and adding water as needed to prevent burning, until deep golden brown and very soft, 20–25 minutes. Set aside.

  2. patties and assembly

    Step 2

    Gently mix onion, beef, ketchup, garlic powder, salt, and pepper, in a medium bowl. Divide into 4 portions and press each between 2 pieces of parchment or waxed paper until about ¼” thick (you want them roughly the same dimensions as the bread you're using.)

    Step 3

    Heat oil in a large skillet, preferably cast iron, over medium-high heat. Working in 2 batches, cook patties, pressing gently, until browned but still pink in the center, about 2 minutes per side. Transfer to a plate.

    Step 4

    Wipe out skillet and reduce heat to medium. Top 4 slices of bread with cheddar, then beef patties, caramelized onions, and Swiss cheese. Close up sandwiches and spread each top with 1 tsp. mayonnaise. Place in pan, mayonnaise side down, and weight with a foil-covered heavy pan. Cook until bottom slice is golden brown, about 3 minutes. Remove weighted pan and spread the top of each sandwich with 1 tsp. mayonnaise. Flip and weight again. Cook until other side is golden brown and cheese is melted, about 3 minutes.

    Step 5

    DO AHEAD: Patties can be formed 8 hours ahead. Cover and chill.

Nutrition Per Serving

Calories (kcal) 870 Fat (g) 61 Saturated Fat (g) 23 Cholesterol (mg) 145 Carbohydrates (g) 41 Dietary Fiber (g) 5 Total Sugars (g) 7 Protein (g) 41 Sodium (mg) 1290
Explore Bon AppétitSandwichOnionVegetableGround BeefBeefMeatSwiss CheeseCheeseQuickEasyWeeknight MealsMainNut-FreeSearDinner
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Reviews (294)

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  • Yes, it looks like there are a lot of ingredients here. They're all in your pantry though, and there aren't any unfamiliar techniques. Getting those onions nice and caramelized lends so much sweetness and flavor, which balances the sandwich as a whole. Be patient with them.

    • alex_delany

    • New York City

    • 10/31/2017

  • Wait wait before you read my review - is that THE DELANEY (Brad's nemesis) who commented/reviewed this recipe? Haha! He's not wrong - with the exception of sepcific cheese and bread - the ingredients are staples. And this is an easy straight forward recipe. So make it once like it calls for. And then make it with substitutions. Lamb and feta, or chicken and parm instead of beef and swiss. Or some other bread. Maybe homemade sourdough in the year of Corona?

    • Anonymous

    • Southlake Texas

    • 4/27/2020

  • No T.I. dressing=no good.

    • Anonymous

    • Mars

    • 9/16/2020

  • Wowza. Delicious. Every ingredient is necessary, agree with Delaney on this - however, I added a few dashes of Worcestershire and did pepperjack cheese for extra ~flair~ Thank you for making our first patty melt experience a new staple in the “beef night” routine.

    • Sarah Jason

    • Nashville, TN

    • 8/5/2021