Below is a recipe for a pumpernickel patty melt sandwich. The written recipe is just below, but you can scroll down or continue reading for more info.
RECIPE
2 slices pumpernickel bread
Butter, oil or mayo, for toasting
1/3 lb ground beef
2 slices of cheese*
Seasoning**, as needed
Grilled onions, for topping, optional
Preheat a large nonstick*** skillet over medium-high heat. Spread one side of each bread slice with butter. Toast the bread, butter side down, until crisp. Set aside, crispy side up, until needed.
Shape your ground beef into a rectangular patty (or whatever shape your bread is) and season generously. The patty will shrink as it cooks, so you’ll want to go a bit larger than your bread when shaping it.
Cook patty over medium-high heat until very well-browned, about 3-4 minutes. I recommend cooking the patty all the way through, which lets you focus on getting a better crust.
Once the first side is well-browned, flip and cook for 2-3 more minutes, then add the cheese. Cook for another minute, or until the cheese is fully melted, then add to the bread, crispy side up. Add the second slice of bread, crispy side down. Serve immediately.
NOTES
* American cheese is ideal, but anything that melts well should work. If your cheese slice is on the larger side, you may only need one piece. If using shredded, you can use however much you want.
** I like to use an all-purpose seasoning, but just salt and pepper should work fine. Garlic and onion powder, and ground cayenne would also be great here.
*** You don’t need nonstick for this, but it definitely helps. If your pan isn’t nonstick, trying looking up nonstick tips for your pan (stainless steel, cast iron, etc.)
I will note that nonstick isn’t great for getting a crust on the patty. If you don’t mind the extra dishes, a different pan would be preferable for that step.
ADDITIONAL INFO
This pumpernickel patty melt isn’t exactly healthy, but sometimes you don’t care about healthy. If you’re looking for something delicious and gratuitous, this is the recipe for you.
People seem to agree that, if nothing else, a patty melt needs grilled onions. While I don’t like food elitism, I do think they contribute a lot to this sandwich. That being said, some people don’t like onions, so use what you like.
Does that mean I have less of a reason to make them part of the recipe? Probably. Did I conveniently forget about them until the last second, despite using them in the example picture? A strong possibility. Either way, if you want to know how to grill onions, you’ll need to look elsewhere.
WHAT YOU’LL NEED
Despite being an incredible sandwich, this recipe is quite simple. You only need bread, ground beef or other meat, cheese, and some seasoning. And maybe grilled onions.
BREAD
You’ll want to use something thick and dense here. If you try using grocery store sliced white, it simply won’t hold up; you’ll have cheeseburger bread soup.
I used ground beef, but something like pork would also work. I guess turkey and chicken would work, but it wouldn’t be quite the same.
For the cheese, I recommend sliced American. You know the one. Anything will work, but for the best melt and gooey texture, you won’t find anything better.
HOW TO MAKE PUMPERNICKEL PATTY MELT
The first thing to do is toast your bread. I like butter or mayo, but oil works too. You can toast both sides, but I like to toast only one side.
After toasting, have the toasted side “in” the sandwich with the soft sides out. No holding a slab of scratchy greasy bread, but you still get the toastiness from the other side.
After toasting the bread, you’ll cook the burger patty. Some people will scoff, but I would cook this well; at least until you have a great crust on both sides. You can try for a good crust and medium-rare, but it’s not worth the hassle for me.
Towards the end of cooking, you’ll place your cheese on top to get it melted. This should only take about a minute, so don’t add it too early. If it’s not melting very well, you can add a splash of water and cover for 30-60 seconds. This will probably lessen the crunch of your burger crust, so use as a last resort.
This recipe makes one mighty large sandwich, but if you need more, I recommend a light soup or salad. If you aren’t feeling that, a side of kettle chips sounds pretty darn good too.
And that’s it for this recipe! Below I have links to my Pinterest, my recipe archive, and anything I think is worth checking out. Thanks for reading :)
Easy roasted brussels sprouts: https://sometimesdinner.wixsite.com/sometimesdinner/post/easy-pan-roasted-brussels-sprouts-sometimesdinner
Pinterest: https://www.pinterest.com/sometimesdinner/
My recipe archive: https://sometimesdinner.wixsite.com/sometimesdinner
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