Once upon a time on a beautiful spring day, the Kiddo, Hubby and I were helping Dad with a few chores around the farm – tilling the garden, pruning the trees – burning the dead wood – all the usual farm chores. Physical work, and helping out around the farm is good for the soul.
Dad decided his farm hands needed a good lunch, so he cooked up his Patty Melts piled high with slow-grilled sweet onions on buttery sourdough bread. Yum! While we have eaten Patty Melts before, usually at a road side diner, nothing was as wonderful as Dad’s Patty Melts. We were in heaven. So much so that for the next several months, we had patty melts once a week. Yeah, they are that darn good! I will admit, eventually our love-affair with the patty melt grew cold, so we don’t have them as often these days. It’s really more me that decided scale back the Patty Melt obsession – my guys could live on burgers and pizza every night of the week if I let them.
It’s time to declare a Patty Melt Day. Yeah, a half-pound of grilled delights!
Patty Melts with Grilled Onions on Sourdough
Grilled Onions
1 Large Onion, peeled and sliced into thin rings
2 Tablespoons butter + enough soft butter to lightly butter bread
Patty Melts
1 lb Lean Ground Beef
1 lb Ground Chuck (for added flavor)
8 Tablespoons Mayonnaise
8 Slices White Cheddar Cheese or Monterey Jack Cheese (any mild white cheese will do – Pepper Jack is also good if you want to kick it up)
8 Slices of Sourdough Bread
Salt & Pepper to Taste
Mix the meats together until well incorporated. Be sure to use FRESH, never frozen beef for superior flavor and best results. Set aside until ready to form the patties.
Place 2 tablespoons of butter in a medium size skillet over low heat to melt. Peel and slice onion into very thin rings. Place in skillet and sauté until tender and golden brown. This should be done over low to medium-low heat to allow onion to caramelize without becoming crispy, about 20-30 minutes. Stir occasionally. What starts out as a huge skillet of thin onion rings with gently cook down to the perfect amount of grilled toppings for the patty melts.
Divide ground beef into 4 equal half-pound portions. Form each portion into an oblong patty. These should be a little larger than the sourdough bread.
Salt and pepper both sides. Heat griddle to medium-high heat. Sear meat, flip and sear other side, maybe 2 minutes per side. Reduce heat to medium and continue to cook until just done, about 6-8 minutes per side. Remove patties and wipe griddle clean.
Lightly butter 4 slices of sourdough bread. Place on griddle over medium heat, buttered side down. Spread 1 tablespoon of mayonnaise on each slice of bread. Place cooked patties on top of mayonnaise. Place 2 slices of cheese on top of patties (Make sure entire patty is topped with cheese). Place ¼ of the sautéed onions on each patty. Spread 1 tablespoon of mayonnaise on remaining 4 slices of sourdough bread. Place on top of patties, mayonnaise side down. Lightly butter top of bread.
Grill until bread is golden brown, flip and grill other side until golden. Remove from griddle and place on individual plates. Slice each burger in half for easy handling and serve with seasoned French fries.
These are awesome with curry fries and home-made rich chocolate malts.
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