Chopped Cheese Sandwich
By Emma Collins
A chopped cheese sandwich is a delicious New York creation that combines the flavors of a cheeseburger with chopped beef and caramelized onions. The sandwich features seasoned ground beef cooked on a hot grill, mixed with melted American cheese, and served on soft bread. Ideal for a quick lunch or casual dinner, it's both satisfying and easy to prepare, making it a popular choice in bodegas across the city.
Ingredients
- •500 g ground beef (7% fat)
- •0.25 tsp paprika
- •0.13 tsp ground cumin
- •0.13 tsp garlic powder
- •1 tsp salt
- •0.17 tsp ground turmeric
- •pepper (to taste)
- •vegetable oil
- •0.5 brown onion cut in medium pieces
- •6 sheets American cheddar
- •3 long soft rolls hoagie/hero roll or brioche/potato bread
- •butter (to toast the bread)
- •0.25 head iceberg lettuce (in fine slices)
- •0.5 tomato in thin slices
- •mayonnaise (to taste)
- •ketchup (to taste)
Instructions
- 1
Mix the ground beef with the spices, salt, and pepper, and set aside.
- 2
Preheat a cast-iron skillet over high heat.
- 3
Once it's smoking hot, add vegetable oil and the onion, mixing constantly until slightly golden.
- 4
Remove the onion, ensuring the pan is still very hot, add more oil, and place the ground beef on top.
- 5
Use a dish or burger press to weigh down the meat and let it become golden for a couple of minutes without moving it.
- 6
Start chopping the meat with a spatula inside the pan until you have small pieces.
- 7
Add the onion back in, mix everything together, and place the sheets of cheese on top.
- 8
Give the cheese 30 seconds to melt, then mix once again and remove from the heat.
- 9
Toast the bread on the inside and outside in a pan over medium heat with a bit of butter.
- 10
Spread mayonnaise on the base of the bread, then add ketchup, lettuce, and tomato, seasoning with salt.
- 11
Add the meat from the skillet on top and close the bread.
- 12
Optionally, wrap the sandwich in aluminum foil and let it rest for a couple of minutes.
