assembled burger sandwich on a cutting board from the side

This Cheesy Patty Melt is a true handheld delight! It’s got homemade burger patties topped with three types of melty cheese, caramelized onions, bacon, and a diner sauce using the new Primal Kitchen Squeeze Ketchup! Serve with a side of french fries for the perfect burger lover’s meal.

Post Sponsored by Primal Kitchen

Why You’ll Love This Cheesy Patty Melt

Have you ever been to a diner and heard the sizzle of juicy beef in a large skillet? Just the thought of it makes my mouth water!

This melty sandwich isn’t like regular burgers. It’s full of melted cheese, topped with sweet onions, and sandwiched between toasted thick-cut bread slices. It’s a classic choice at any diner that’s even better at home!

While traditional patty melts were served on slices of rye bread, you can use the bread of your choice. Anything tastes just right with this recipe’s special sauce. The cooking process for this diner classic is simple yet rewarding, no matter how you customize it.

a stack of patty melt halves with a knife stuck in the middle

Cheesy Patty Melt Ingredients

The patties for this recipe combine ground beef, sliced bacon, gouda, jack, and cheddar cheese, salt, pepper, and garlic powder. 

You’ll top them with a diner sauce made out of ketchup, dijon mustard, mayonnaise, pickled jalapenos, and hot sauce, as well as some delicious caramelized onions.

So, grab your thick-cut bread and some french fries and let’s get rolling!

The melts and fries sitting on a serving platter.

How to Make Cheesy Patty Melts

First, we need to form our beef patties. Portion your ground beef out into 1/3 pound sections, then use your hands to loosely form them into squares.

Place the formed patties onto a tray and set them in the fridge for about 30 minutes. We want to give them a little bit of time to set up so they don’t just fall apart when you cook them. No one likes crumbly burger patties!

Prepare the Toppings

Next, the diner sauce. 

We have Primal Kitchen to thank for this incredible sauce. We’re using Primal Kitchen Squeeze Bottle Ketchup, Primal Kitchen Dijon Mustard, and Primal Kitchen Mayonnaise which all come together to create a sweet, spicy, and rich sauce for our Cheesy Patty Melt.

We finish the sauce off with diced pickled jalapeños and a drizzle of hot sauce, because who doesn’t love some extra spice?! 

diner sauce being spread over an assembled sandwich

Now it’s time for the bacon and onions! Preheat your grill to medium-high heat around 350ºF. Then add on a cast-iron skillet or plancha and allow it to preheat for a couple of minutes. Add the bacon onto the skillet and cook until crisped to your liking. Pull it off and let it cool for a few minutes.

Big bacon lover? Check out my Bacon Stuffed Lobster Tails, Bacon Wrapped Shrimp Skewers, or Bourbon Bacon Chicken Wings!

eight slices of bacon cooking on a large plancha

In the same cast iron skillet, add the sliced white onion. Sauté for 25-30 minutes or until softened and browned with a slightly crisped edge. I know. Half an hour might feel like a long time to wait, but perfectly caramelized onions take this Cheesy Patty Melt to the next level, so be patient. It’s worth it.

Now that all of your Cheesy Patty Melt toppings are ready to go and the patties are chilled, it’s time to cook the burger patties.

Grill Your Patties

Add the patties into the hot skillet. Let them cook for a couple of minutes on the first side just until they begin to caramelize.

Next, flip the patties over and gently “chop” the meat. The goal here is not to actually slice up the burger patties. We’re merely creating a larger surface area on the patties so you get a crispier texture all around.

Cook the patties for another couple of minutes, then flip them back over.

burger patties topped with cheese cooking on a large plancha

Lastly, to finish off the patties for the Cheesy Patty Melt, top them off with some of the sautéed onions followed by the shredded cheddar, gouda, and jack cheese. Do this before you pull them off the grill so that the cheese will melt. It is a patty melt, so we want it to, well, melt! 

Pull the cooked patties off of the skillet and let them cool for a couple of minutes.

Looking for more killer burger recipes? Check out my Steakhouse Smash Burger, Chorizo Smash Burgers, or Surf and Turf Butter Burger!

Burgers, Assemble!

While they cool, slather a few slices of bread with the Primal Kitchen Mayonnaise. Place the pieces of bread over the flames to toast them until they turn golden brown and slightly crispy. 

finished cheesy patty melt being sliced and held

Finally, assemble your Cheesy Patty Melts! Top one side of toasted bread with a spoonful of Diner Sauce and then layer on one or two patties. Next, add a couple of bacon slices, an extra drizzle of burger sauce if desired, and then the top piece of toast. Now your patty melt sandwich is ready to go! 

large platter on a table in front of a grill filled with cheesy patty melt sandwiches, fries, and ketchup

Cheesy Patty Melt

This Cheesy Patty Melt is made up of juicy, crispy burger patties, three types of cheese, caramelized onions, bacon, and diner sauce. 
Author:Derek Wolf
5 from 2 votes
Prep Time: 30 minutes
Cook Time: 50 minutes
Total Time: 1 hour 20 minutes
Course: Main Course
Cuisine: American
Servings: 4 people

Ingredients 

Beef:

  • 3 lbs Ground Beef 80/20
  • 1 lb of Sliced Bacon
  • 1 cup Shredded Cheddar Cheese
  • 1 cup Shredded Gouda Cheese
  • 1 cup Shredded Jack Cheese
  • 1.5 tbsp Kosher Salt
  • 1.5 tbsp Black Pepper
  • 1.5 tbsp Garlic Powder

Onions:

  • 1 White Onion large thinly sliced
  • 1 tsp Kosher Salt
  • 1 tsp Black Pepper
  • ½ tsp Garlic Powder

Diner Sauce:

  • 2 tbsp Primal Kitchen Ketchup
  • 2 tbsp Primal Kitchen Dijon Mustard
  • 2 tbsp Primal Kitchen Mayonnaise
  • 1 tbsp Pickled Jalapeños diced
  • 1.5 tsp Hot Sauce

Sandwich:

Instructions 

  • Begin by loosely forming ⅓ lb squares of ground beef, set onto a tray and place in the fridge to firm for 30 minutes. In another bowl, mix together all the ingredients (making sure to use those Primal Kitchen sauces) for your Diner Sauce and set that in the fridge until you are ready.
  • Preheat your grill to medium high heat (around 350F) adding a cast iron skillet/plancha to the grill 2 minutes before cooking.
  • First, add your bacon to cook on the skillet. Cook until done to your liking, then pull off and let cool. Next, add the thinly sliced white onions. Saute the onions for 25-30 minutes until they become crispy, browned and soft. Pull the onions off once done and set to the side.
  • Next, pull your burger patties out of the fridge and add to the skillet. Cook for 2 minutes on the first side or until they begin to caramelize. Flip the patties over and gently “chop” the meat so that the ground beef patties loosen up and get a larger surface area. Cook for 2 minutes, then flip the patties back over. Mix together your three types of cheeses, top each patty with some onions, cover with a handful of cheese and let melt. Pull the patties off and let cook for 2 minutes. While the patties cool, add some Primal Kitchen Mayonnaise to each side of your toast, then cook your bread over the flames to a nice golden brown.
  • Start assembling your patty melt with a spoonful of the Diner Sauce on the bottom piece of, 1-2 patties, bacon slices and more sauce for the top piece of toast. Serve and enjoy!

Video

Nutrition

Calories: 2021kcal | Carbohydrates: 33g | Protein: 107g | Fat: 160g | Saturated Fat: 64g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 17g | Monounsaturated Fat: 62g | Trans Fat: 4g | Cholesterol: 443mg | Sodium: 5538mg | Potassium: 1478mg | Fiber: 4g | Sugar: 7g | Vitamin A: 990IU | Vitamin C: 4mg | Calcium: 975mg | Iron: 10mg

Derek Wolf

Derek is the driving force behind Over the Fire Cooking. He started cooking with live fire in 2016 and decided to start a social media page so his friends and family could follow the journey. Fast forward to today and Over the Fire Cooking has spread across multiple platforms with millions now following Derek's fire cooking journey. He's a southern fellow who enjoys everything from classic BBQ to Central and South American inspired dishes. Whatever he's cooking up, it's guaranteed to be so freakin' delicious!

5 from 2 votes

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  1. 5 stars
    I made this for the first time today and my husband and I were blown away!! This recipe far exceeded my expectations! I will never make a patty melt any other way.