Somewhere between a burger and a grilled cheese lives the patty melt, and it’s better than both. Slow-cooked onions go sweet and jammy, the Swiss pulls into long strings, and the rye toasts up in butter until the edges crackle. HAAAAAM-Burger does all the seasoning work — USDA Certified Organic, small batch, no fillers, no anti-caking anything.
Why this works
Two slices of Swiss instead of one is the trick nobody tells you: the bottom slice melts into the onions and glues the whole thing together, while the top slice seals against the bread so nothing slides out when you cut it. And because the patties are thin and seasoned on both sides, every bite gets the full HAAAAAM-Burger flavor instead of just the crust.
Skillet Patty Melt with HAAAAAM-Burger
A diner-style skillet patty melt with jammy caramelized onions, melty Swiss, and buttery rye bread, seasoned with HAAAAAM-Burger organic hamburger seasoning.
Ingredients
- 2 large yellow onions, halved and thinly sliced
- 3 Tbsp unsalted butter, divided, plus 4 Tbsp softened for the bread
- 1½ lbs ground beef (80/20)
- 1 Tbsp + 1 tsp HAAAAAM-Burger organic seasoning
- 8 slices rye bread
- 8 slices Swiss cheese
Instructions
- Melt 2 Tbsp butter in a large cast iron skillet over medium-low heat. Add the sliced onions and cook, stirring every few minutes, for 20–25 minutes, until deeply golden and jammy. If they start to stick, add a splash of water and scrape the bottom. Transfer to a bowl and wipe the skillet.
- While the onions cook, divide the ground beef into 4 portions. Shape each into a thin oval patty roughly the size and shape of your bread slices — they will shrink, so go a little bigger. Season both sides generously with the HAAAAAM-Burger blend, using all of it.
- Return the skillet to medium-high heat with the remaining 1 Tbsp butter. Cook the patties 2–3 minutes per side for a good crust and medium doneness. Set aside on a plate.
- Butter one side of each bread slice with the softened butter. Build each sandwich butter-side-out: bread, a slice of Swiss, a patty, a quarter of the onions, a second slice of Swiss, bread.
- Wipe the skillet and set it over medium-low. Cook the sandwiches one or two at a time, 3–4 minutes per side, pressing gently with a spatula, until the bread is deep golden and the cheese has fully melted. Lower the heat if the bread browns before the cheese gives.
- Let each sandwich rest 1 minute, then cut on the diagonal and serve hot.
Chef’s hint: Add salt only if needed — kosher or sea salt adds a nice finish, so use it sparingly. A dash of crushed red pepper goes a long way to customize your heat level.