![]() Patty melt sliced to show layers of fried onions, cheese, and beef patty | |
Type | Burger |
---|---|
Place of origin | United States |
Serving temperature | Hot |
Main ingredients | Seeded rye bread, hamburger patty, grilled onions, North American-style Swiss cheese |
Variations | Sourdough bread, Texas toast, Thousand Island dressing, American cheese |
A patty melt is an American grilled hamburger consisting of a ground beef patty topped with melted cheese and caramelized onions between two slices of griddled seeded-rye bread.
The patty melt is variously described as a variant of the traditional American cheeseburger, topped with fried onions and served on sliced bread instead of a traditional bun, or as a variant of a grilled cheese that includes a hamburger patty and fried onions. [1] [2] [3]
The sandwich consists of a ground beef patty topped with melted cheese (traditionally Swiss cheese) and usually with caramelized onions between two slices of griddled bread (typically caraway-seeded rye or marbled rye, though sourdough or Texas toast are sometimes substituted in some regions, including the Southern U.S.) [1] [4] It is typically made without condiments or garnishes. [5]
Like a grilled cheese, the patty melt maintains its structural integrity when eaten, as all ingredients are grilled at the same time and assembled while still hot, which melds the grilled bread, hamburger patty, cheese, and onions into a single unit that doesn't fall apart while being eaten. [1]
Sandwiches calling for hamburger patties to be placed into two slices of bread, rather that into a bun, date to the mid-1800s and were referred to as hamburger sandwiches. [6] It is unclear when the patty melt was invented, but it was most likely the mid-20th century, either during the Great Depression or the postwar economic boom. Several culinary writers have suggested that Los Angeles restaurateur Tiny Naylor may have invented the patty melt sometime between 1930 and 1959, depending on the source; [7] [8] [9] it was on the menu at Tiny Naylor's in the early 1950s. [10] Even if Naylor did not invent the sandwich, it is agreed that he and his family helped popularize the sandwich in their restaurants and in restaurants where they worked, which included Tiny Naylor's, Du-par's, and Wolfgang Puck's Granita. [11]
Home cooks typically make patty melts in a cast-iron skillet in steps by separately grilling the patties, caramelizing the onions, assembling the sandwich, and then grilling it as for a grilled cheese sandwich. [10] [6] Gentleman's Quarterly called it "the great indoor burger". [6]
According to New York Times food writer Pete Wells in 2024, the sandwich is "virtually unknown" outside of the United States; Wells theorizes that the amount of space on a flattop grill required to grill onions, patty, and bread at the same time has restricted its appeal outside of typical short-order restaurants. [1] It is typically on the menu of diners, coffee shops, and lunch counters, but in the early 2020s it started to appear on some upscale menus. [1]
A hamburger, or simply a burger, is a dish consisting of fillings—usually a patty of ground meat, typically beef—placed inside a sliced bun or bread roll. The patties are often served with cheese, lettuce, tomato, onion, pickles, bacon or chilis with condiments such as ketchup, mustard, mayonnaise, relish or a "special sauce", often a variation of Thousand Island dressing and are frequently placed on sesame seed buns. A hamburger patty topped with cheese is called a cheeseburger.
A cheeseburger is a hamburger with a slice of melted cheese on top of the meat patty, added near the end of the cooking time. Cheeseburgers can include variations in structure, ingredients and composition. As with other hamburgers, a cheeseburger may include various condiments and other toppings such as lettuce, tomato, onion, pickles, bacon, avocado, mushrooms, mayonnaise, ketchup, and mustard.
The grilled cheese is a hot cheese sandwich typically prepared by heating slices of cheese between slices of bread with a cooking fat such as butter or mayonnaise on a frying pan, griddle, or sandwich toaster, until the bread browns and the cheese melts.
The McChicken is a chicken burger sold by the international fast food restaurant McDonald's. It consists of a toasted wheat bun, a breaded patty, shredded lettuce and mayonnaise.
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A&W is a fast-food restaurant chain in Canada, franchised by A&W Food Services of Canada, Inc.
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A patty is a flattened, usually round, serving of ground meat or legumes, grains, vegetables, or meat alternatives. Patties are found in multiple cuisines throughout the world.
A chicken sandwich is a sandwich that typically consists of boneless, skinless chicken breast or thigh, served between slices of bread. Variations on the "chicken sandwich" include chicken on a bun, chicken on a Kaiser, hot chicken, or chicken salad sandwich.
A breakfast sandwich is any sandwich filled with foods associated with breakfast. Breakfast sandwiches are served at fast food restaurants and delicatessens, sold in supermarkets, or commonly made at home. Different types of breakfast sandwich include the bacon sandwich, the egg sandwich, and the sausage sandwich; or various combinations thereof, like the bacon, egg and cheese sandwich. The breakfast sandwich is related to the breakfast roll.
When In-N-Out Burger first opened in 1948, the company only provided a basic menu of burgers, fries and beverages. The foods it prepared were made on-site from fresh ingredients, including its french fries which were sliced and cooked to order. Unlike other major competitors in the hamburger fast food restaurant business, as the chain has expanded over the years, it has not added products such as chicken or salads to its menu since 1976 and has never changed its preparation methods.
McDonald's Corporation is the world's largest chain of fast food restaurants, serving around 68 million customers daily in 119 countries. McDonald's traces its origins to a 1940 restaurant in San Bernardino, California, United States. After expanding within the United States, McDonald's became an internat ional corporation in 1967, when it opened a location in Richmond, British Columbia, Canada. By the end of the 1970s, McDonald's restaurants existed in five of the Earth's seven continents; an African location came in 1992 in Casablanca, Morocco.
A steak sandwich is a sandwich prepared with steak that has been broiled, fried, grilled, barbecued or seared using steel grates or gridirons, then served on bread or a roll. Steak sandwiches are sometimes served with toppings of cheese, onions, mushrooms, peppers, tomatoes, and in some instances fried eggs, coleslaw, and french fries.
A hamburger is a specific type of burger. It is a sandwich that consists of a cooked ground beef meat patty, placed between halves of a sliced bun. Hamburgers are often served with various condiments, such as dill relish (condiment), mayonnaise, and other options including lettuce, tomato, onion, pickles, and cheese.
The Big N’ Tasty is a hamburger sold by the international fast food chain McDonald's. It is designed to compete with the Whopper sandwich. A similar variation called the Big Tasty, without the center "N'", which was first released in Saudi Arabia, is sold outside the United States in parts of Europe, South America, South Africa, The Middle East, and Taiwan.
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Bondiola sandwich or bondipan is a sandwich made with thick slices of pork shoulder. They are commonly sold by street food vendors and restaurants in Argentina. The meat consists of slices of roasted or cured pork shoulder and it is usually served on crispy brioche bread. It can be topped with a variety of condiments and vegetables.