The Chew Grilled Cheese + Patty Melt = Grilled Cheese Hamburger Recipe

The Chew: Soda Shoppe

Clinton Kelly recalled his brief stint as a soda jerk just in time for The Chew’s Soda Shoppe episode. That’s where he got inspired to create a combination of a patty melt and a grilled cheese sandwich. Why choose when you can have both of them in one?

His advice was not to go nuts with the cheese, and you won’t need the extra calories with everything else going on in this recipe. Mario Batali got all judgy about using American cheese, but Daphne was more concerned about the amount of bread on these sandwiches.

Grilled Cheese + Patty Melt

Clinton’s secret for grilled cheese is using mayonnaise instead of butter, because mayo is less likely to burn. What do you think about this? I have always used butter, and I don’t mind that it makes a crispy burnt edge.

As for the burgers, choose an 80/20 meat because the extra fat will add flavor to the sandwich. “The fat melts as the burger cooks,” Michael Symon explained. “It helps baste the meat, and it’s what gives you all the juicy goodness.”

Make your patties slightly larger than the size of your bread, because they will shrink. If you need a grill press, you can improvise by wrapping a brick in aluminum foil.

The Chew: Grilled Cheese Hamburger Recipe Ingredients

• 16 slices American Cheese
• 16 slices White Bread
• 1 lb 80/20 Ground Beef (or Turkey)
• 1 sliced Beefsteak Tomato
• 6 large leaves Lettuce
• Salt & Pepper
• Mayonnaise

Toppings To Serve

• Ketchup
• Mustard
• Pickles
• Bacon
• Caramelized Onions

Clinton Kelly: Grilled Cheese Hamburger Recipe Directions

1. Preheat a griddle on medium.
2. Arrange eight slices of bread and top them with two pieces of cheese.
3. Top sandwiches with remaining bread. Spread mayo on the outside of the sandwiches.
4. Divide meat into four patties. Season to taste with salt and pepper.
5. Place sandwiches on the griddle, cooking until the first side comes out golden.
6. Flip and cook sandwiches until cheese melts and second side is golden.
7. Remove and reserve on a plate.
8. Put meat patties on the grill and cook two minutes per side, or until just charred.
9. Place each patty on top of a sandwich and top with desired condiments.
10. Top that with a second grilled cheese sandwich.
11. Slice and serve!

The Chew: Malt Shop Quiz

After trying their 1100-calorie sandwiches, Clinton and Michael quizzed the audience on soda shop codes. Do you know this lunch counter lingo? Here are some slang definitions.

• City Juice – water
• Frenchman’s Delight – pea soup
• First Lady – spare ribs
• Creep – draft beer
• Maiden’s Delight – cherries
• 55 – glass of root beer