Mustarding Up The Creativity Of The Patty Melt - Colonel Mustard Extra Oomph Patty Meltdowns

Ah, the humble and tasty Patty Melt. I hadn't thought of one of those for years until Colonel Mustard mentioned them recently. Who doesn't like a nice hunk of ground beef on bread, especially when the bread is grilled, Swiss cheese is oozing nicely all over the cow and married to some sweet, brown caramelized onions?

This recipe is adapted from Bon Appetit, but in homage to the Colonel, I have kicked up the PM by adding thyme, Dijon and some capers to the onions, and a smear of Dijon on the bread along with a slice of a good heirloom tomato. But BA provided the bomb in the form of mayo on the outside of the bread to make it glowingly golden and tasty.

Nostalgic and super yummy! I may do Chili Sizes next! Mangia!

Colonel Mustard Extra Oomph Patty Meltdowns

Adapted from Bon Appetit - The BA Patty Melt

SERVINGS: MAKES 4

Caramelized Onions

2 tbsp. vegetable oil

2 large onions, thinly sliced

3 thyme sprigs

2 tbsp. capers

2 tbsp. Dijon mustard

1 tsp. salt

2 tsp. crushed red pepper

Patties And Assembly

1 pound ground beef chuck (20% fat)

2 tbsp. Worcestershire sauce

1 tsp. salt

¼ tsp. freshly ground black pepper

8 slices seeded rye bread (I didn’t have any, but I had a ton of Dudley’s bread from a recent trip, used Garlic Sourdough instead)

8 ounces Swiss cheese (such as Emmenthal), thinly sliced

4 thin slices tomatoes

8 tsp. mayonnaise

8 tsp. Dijon mustrd

Preparation

Caramelized Onions

Heat oil in a medium skillet over medium heat and cook onions, thyme sprigs, salt and pepper, stirring often and adding water as needed to prevent burning, until deep golden brown and very soft, 20–25 minutes. Stir in capers and mustard and set aside.

Patties And Assembly

Gently mix beef, Worcestershire sauce, salt, and pepper, in a medium bowl. Divide into 4 portions and shape into patties about ¼” thick and roughly the same dimensions as the bread you're using.

Heat a large skillet, preferably cast iron, over medium-high heat. Cook patties, pressing gently, until browned but still pink in the center, about 2 minutes per side. Transfer to a plate.

Wipe out skillet and reduce heat to medium. Spread 1 tsp. Dijon each on 4 slices of bread and spread 1 tsp. mayo on each of the other 4 slices. Top 4 slices of bread with cheese, then carmelized onions, then tomato slices and then beef patties. Close up sandwiches and spread each top with 1 tsp. mayonnaise. Place in pan, mayonnaise side down, and weight with a foil-covered heavy pan. Cook until bottom slice is golden brown, about 3 minutes. Remove weighted pan and spread the top of each sandwich with 1 tsp. mayonnaise. Flip and weight again. Cook until other side is golden brown and cheese is melted, about 3 minutes.

Do Ahead: Patties can be formed 8 hours ahead. Cover and chill.