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picture of a chopped cheese sandwich on a white plate in a bun
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4.64 from 11 votes

Chopped Cheese Sandwich

The best chopped cheese sandwich recipe — seasoned ground beef chopped on a hot griddle, smothered in melted American cheese, and served on a toasted hero roll. NYC bodega style, ready in 25 minutes.
Prep Time10 minutes
Cook Time15 minutes
Total Time25 minutes
Course: Appetizer, Main Dish
Cuisine: American
Keyword: cheesy, hamburger, party food, sandwich
Servings: 4 sandwiches
Author: Courtney O'Dell

Ingredients

Instructions

  • Cut your onions and peppers.  For this application, I diced my onions into large dice and cut the green peppers into ½” diced squares. 
  • Melt the butter and saute your onions and pepper until the onions are translucent and the green peppers are softening. 
  • Add your hamburger patties to the griddles and season them with salt, pepper, and garlic powder. Let them sear on one side for two minutes before you use the side of your spatula or griddle scraper to chop the meat into small pieces. Try to keep the meat from each patty separated from the other patties so you can keep your servings the right size.
  • Once your meat has been chopped, combine it with some of the onions and peppers so that they can finish cooking together. Spread the chopped meat, onion, and pepper mixture around the griddle surface to ensure the maximum surface area gets brown and crispy.
  • Once everything is cooked, and getting brown and delicious, arrange your meat mixture in the shape of your hoagie roll and put two slices of American cheese on top and let melt.
  • Once the cheese is melted, and bubbling on the edges, add it to your hoagie roll and top with condiments. Traditional accompaniments include shredded iceberg lettuce, sliced tomatoes, ketchup, and mustard. 

Notes

No flat top? A large cast iron skillet (12"+) works great. Cook the onions and peppers first, set aside, then sear the patties two at a time. Combine and melt the cheese with a lid instead of a basting dome.
Cheese melt trick: Splash a few drops of water on the hot griddle around the meat and cover with a basting dome or lid immediately. The steam melts the cheese in 30–45 seconds - this is how the bodegas do it.
Beef ratio matters: Use 80/20 ground beef or pre-formed patties with similar fat content. Anything leaner than 85/15 will taste dry.
To store: Refrigerate leftover beef filling in an airtight container for up to 4 days, or freeze for up to 2 months. Always toast rolls and assemble fresh - assembled sandwiches get soggy.
To make ahead: Cook the beef and vegetables up to 3 days in advance. Reheat in a skillet, melt fresh cheese on top, and assemble right before serving.

Nutrition

Serving: 1g | Calories: 503kcal | Carbohydrates: 18g | Protein: 31g | Fat: 34g | Saturated Fat: 17g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 13g | Trans Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 134mg | Sodium: 1306mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 5g

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