American patty melts

  • Portion size: Serves 4
  • Hands-on time 30 min
  • Difficulty: easy

Debbie Major’s American-inspired recipe for a cheese-toastie-hamburger-hybrid is the ultimate lunchtime treat.

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Ingredients

  • 4 tbsp olive oil for frying
  • 2 large onions, thinly sliced
  • ½ tsp granulated sugar
  • 500g British beef mince
  • 8 x 1cm thick slices good quality white bread
  • 150g mature cheddar, thinly sliced
  • Enough soft butter to spread on 8 slices of bread
  • Dill pickle cucumbers (or other whole gherkins) to serve
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Method

  1. Heat 2 tbsp of the olive oil in a large non-stick frying pan over a medium heat. Add the onions, sugar and some salt and pepper, then fry, stirring often, until soft and nicely caramelised (15-20 minutes). Spoon into a bowl, then wipe the pan clean. 
  2. Meanwhile, mix the beef mince with plenty of sea salt and freshly ground black pepper. Divide the mixture into 4 and shape each piece into a thin square patty that is slightly longer and wider than the bread slices. Set aside. 
  3. Heat the remaining 2 tbsp olive oil in the frying pan and increase the heat to high. Add 2 of the patties and fry for 2-3 minutes on each side until nicely browned on the outside and cooked to your liking. I like them slightly pink in the centre as they’re juicier like this. Lift onto a plate and repeat with the remaining patties. Wash the pan clean and return it to a low-medium heat for 2-3 minutes. 
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  5. Meanwhile, butter one side of each slice of bread. Put 4 of the slices, buttered-side down, on a work surface and top each one with some of the onions, a slice of cheese, then a beef patty. Top the patty with another slice of cheese and the remaining onions. Top each stack with the remaining slices of bread, butter side facing up. 
  6. Put 2 of the sandwiches into the hot pan and weigh them down with another frying pan. Cook for 3-4 minutes until crisp and golden, then flip them over and repeat. Slide onto a chopping board, then repeat with the other 2 sandwiches. Cut in half and serve with the dill pickles. 

Nutrition

  • 861kcals Calories
  • 61.1g (28.1g saturated) Fat
  • 40.7g Protein
  • 35.3g (7.6g sugars) Carbs
  • 3.7g Fibre
  • 1.5g Salt

Quick wins & tips

Spread a little chutney onto one of the slices of bread (step 4) before layering with the onions, cheese and patty.

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