Meaty, cheesy, and seriously mouth-watering, our Chopped Cheese Sandwich brings New York City street food vibes straight to your kitchen. As far as hot sandwiches go, this one is right up there with our favorite Roast Beef Sandwich and Baked Nashville Hot Chicken. Best of all, it’s as simple to make as it is delicious to eat — ready in 20 minutes, no takeout line required!
By chopping the ground beef instead of serving this sandwich burger-style, every bite is tender and loaded with gooey melted cheese and savory seasoned onions. Served on a warm hero roll with plenty of fresh lettuce, tomato slices, ketchup, and mayo, it’s the ultimate filling sandwich for a weeknight meal at home.
What is a Chopped Cheese Sandwich?
A chopped cheese sandwich is a New York City staple, originating in a Harlem bodega over two decades ago. It’s basically a deconstructed cheeseburger served on a hero roll instead of a hamburger bun, but the method of making it gives it the mouthwatering flavor and texture it’s known for.
Traditionally, a chopped cheese sandwich is made with pre-formed burger patties that are seared, seasoned with Adobo seasoning, and then chopped with sauteed onions and topped with American cheese. The melted cheese is then chopped into the burger mixture before being spooned onto a hero roll and topped with ketchup, mayo, lettuce, and tomato slices.
How to Make a Chopped Cheese Sandwich?
Ingredients
Process
- Place a skillet over medium heat. Melt butter. Add onions and sauté for 3 to 4 minutes, until browned around the edges.
- Move onions to the perimeter of the skillet and add oil.
- Add beef patties and sear for a minute or two on each side. Season with salt and pepper.
- Begin chopping the beef patties and onions together until the patties are finely chopped. Season with salt and pepper.
- Add adobo seasoning and stir together.
- Top ground patties with cheese slices and lower heat to medium-low.
- Allow the mixture to sit for a minute before chopping the cheese into the beef mixture. Once evenly incorporated, set aside.
- Place hero rolls, cut side up, and spread 1 1/2 tablespoons of mayo over each side (top and bottom). Drizzle 1 1/2 tablespoons ketchup over each hero roll top.
- Top each bottom roll with half the ground beef mixture and top with shredded lettuce and thinly sliced tomatoes.
- Gently press sandwich tops over tomato slices. Cut each sandwich in half and serve.
Tips for the BEST Chopped Cheese Sandwich
- Preformed beef patties cook quickly and evenly while being easier to chop than a bulk package of ground beef.
- Use fresh sliced American cheese, not prepackaged slices, for the best flavor and gooey, gooey melted cheese.
- While sauteeing the onions, be careful not to burn them. You want the edges to be lightly browned, not burnt. Keeping the heat to medium or medium-low and giving them a couple of stirs will help them cook without burning.
- While you don’t have to warm or toast the hero rolls, we highly recommend it! A warm or lightly toasted roll will better hold the filling and give this sandwich an extra touch of comfort and warmth.
- Hero rolls are the same thing as hoagie rolls (mostly a regional difference), but if you can’t find either, a Kaiser roll is a close second.
Can this Sandwich be Prepped Ahead of Time?
A chopped cheese sandwich is best served fresh, but you can prepare a few things ahead of time to make mealtime a little quicker and easier.
- You can make the beef, onion, and cheese mixture up to three days ahead. After chopping the ingredients together, let them cool and store them in an airtight container in the refrigerator. Reheat on the stove or in the microwave before adding to your hero roll.
- Lettuce and tomatoes can also be prepared up to three days in advance, so they’re ready to go when you assemble your sandwich.
What to Serve with a Chopped Cheese Sandwich?
This sandwich is almost so filling, sides aren’t required! But if you want to make a real meal out of it, we highly recommend:
- Homemade potato chips
- French fries
- Pickle chips
- Tomato soup
- Roasted cauliflower
- Macaroni salad
- Beer-battered onion rings
- Wedge salad
More Delicious Sandwich Recipes You Will Love!
Chopped Cheese Sandwich
INGREDIENTS
chopped beef patties
- 2 tablespoons unsalted butter
- 1/2 cup finely diced white onion (about 1/4 small onion)
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 16 ounces preformed beef patties (either 2 or 4 patties depending on size)
- 1 1/2 tablespoons adobo seasoning
- 4 slices American cheese
assembly
- 2 hero rolls split in half lengthwise and lightly warmed
- 6 tablespoons mayonnaise
- 3 tablespoons ketchup
- 1 cup finely shredded iceberg
- 1 thinly sliced vine ripe tomato
- salt and pepper to taste
INSTRUCTIONS
- beef mixture: Place a skillet over medium heat. Melt butter. Add onions and sauté for 3 to 4 minutes, until browned around the edges.
- Move onions to the perimeter of the skillet and add oil.
- Add beef patties and sear for a minute or two on each side. Season with salt and pepper.
- Begin chopping the beef patties and onions together until patties are finely chopped. Season with salt and pepper.
- Add adobo seasoning and stir together.
- Top ground patties with cheese slices and lower heat to medium-low.
- Allow mixture to sit for a minute before chopping the cheese into the beef mixture. Once evenly incorporated, set aside.
assembly
- Place hero rolls, cut side up and spread 1 1/2 tablespoons of mayo over each side (top and bottom). Drizzle 1 1/2 tablespoons ketchup over each hero roll top.
- Top each bottom roll with half the ground beef mixture and top with shredded lettuce and thinly sliced tomatoes.
- Gently press sandwich tops over tomato slices. Cut each sandwich in half and serve.
NOTES
- Preformed beef patties cook quickly and evenly while being easier to chop than a bulk package of ground beef.
- Use fresh sliced American cheese, not prepackaged slices, for the best flavor and gooey, gooey melted cheese.
- While sauteeing the onions, be careful not to burn them. You want the edges to be lightly browned, not burnt. Keeping the heat to medium or medium-low and giving them a couple of stirs will help them cook without burning.
- While you don’t have to warm or toast the hero rolls, we highly recommend it! A warm or lightly toasted roll will better hold the filling and give this sandwich an extra touch of comfort and warmth.
- Hero rolls are the same thing as hoagie rolls (mostly a regional difference), but if you can’t find either, a Kaiser roll is a close second.
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Looks great! Question: in the pics of the cut sandwich, is that an additional slice of cheese on the meat before the lettuce? The pics in the tutorial don’t seem to show that or in the recipe. Either way looks mouth watering!
Hi Michelle! You are correct, there are additional slices added to the sandwich. We went back and forth about whether or not that would be necessary and after we had already photoed it, we decided it was a bit too much, so no additional slices needed!
How many beef patties are needed? Photos show 4 patties but the description doesn’t state the quantity or what size of premade burgers (¼ lb. or ½ lb.). These look delicious! Excited to make them Ü
Hi Tracy! If you hit the “jump to recipe” button or scroll to the bottom, you will see the fully written recipe! The total amount of beef is 16 ounces :)