A patty melt is an American grilled hamburger consisting of a ground beef patty topped with melted swiss cheese and caramelized onions between two slices of griddled bread.
Description and ingredients
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.
The burger consists of a ground beef patty topped with melted cheese (traditionally Swiss cheese) and usually with caramelized onions between two slices of griddled bread. The bread is typically caraway-seeded rye or marbled rye, though sourdough or Texas toast are sometimes substituted in some regions, including the Southern U.S. Patty melts are typically made without condiments or garnishes.
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 does not fall apart while being eaten. 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; it was on the menu at Tiny Naylor's in the early 1950s.
Home cooking
Home cooks typically make patty melts in a cast-iron skillet or pan in steps by separately grilling the patties, caramelizing the onions, assembling the burger, and then grilling it as for a grilled cheese sandwich.