Patty Melts with Secret Sauce

Make a patty melt with secret sauce next time you’re craving some seriously indulgent comfort food! A thin ground beef patty is layered with caramelized onions, two types of melty cheese, and a tangy secret sauce.

A variation of the classic cheeseburger, the patty melt is a diner menu staple. Served on buttered rye bread instead of a bun, the patty melt is pan fried until golden brown and melty. It’s hearty, comforting, and delicious!

This patty melt starts with thin, oblong, ground beef patties. The thinner the better – you’ll want to leave room for plenty of caramelized onions, two types of cheese, and a tangy sauce on top. Rye bread is the classic bread choice, slathered to the edges with plenty of butter.

Ingredients and substitutions

• Ground beef – I suggest using 85/15 or 90/10 ground beef. Higher fat ground beef makes this sandwich extra greasy and your patties will shrink significantly. Readers have also used ground turkey for a lighter variation.
• Rye bread – This is the classic bread of choice for a patty melt, but Texas toast or white sandwich bread make good alternatives.
• Cheeses – I used a combination of swiss cheese and cheddar cheese. You’re welcome to use all swiss or all cheddar if you prefer.
• Worcestershire sauce – Can be substituted with soy sauce or steak sauce if needed for allergy reasons.
• Onions – You’ll need two large onions for this recipe. If that seems like a lot – don’t worry. They cook down significantly during the caramelizing process.
• Oil – I used olive oil, but any cooking oil you have on hand will work in this recipe.
• Salt & pepper – Add flavor to your sandwiches.

Secret sauce ingredients

• Mayonnaise – Necessary as the base of the sauce. Feel free to use your favorite brand – I prefer Duke’s mayonnaise.
• Ketchup – Necessary as the base of the sauce. Feel free to use your favorite brand.
• Dijon mustard – Can be substituted with yellow mustard.
• Pickle juice – Any type of pickle juice works in this recipe. I usually use dill pickle juice, but a bread and butter pickle juice also works. It can also be substituted with apple cider vinegar or white vinegar.
• Seasoning – Garlic powder and paprika are added for flavor.

Ingredients

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