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This Patty Melt Casserole is everything you love about a classic patty melt baked into an awesome casserole that is easy to make and even more fun to eat. This is one recipe you’ll find yourself making again and again!
Table of Contents
Growing up I could never understand why my dad loved Patty Melts so much. Whenever we went out for dinner {which was rare} you could count on him to order one from the menu.
Fast forward 40 years and now I find myself loving them too. I can never decide if it is because every time I eat one, I think of him or if my taste buds have changed. Probably a case of a little of both.
Either way, this Patty Melt Casserole is the bomb! Casseroles are a dinner staple at my house {especially this Chili Tater Tot Casserole} because they can be made quick, you can get other things done while they are baking and I think they taste just as fabulous the next day.
How to make a Patty Melt Casserole
- Begin by buttering all of the bread on one side. This will create the awesome buttery and crispy “crust”, so don’t skip this step.
- Place half of the bread buttered side down in a 9×13 pan. If the bread doesn’t fit perfectly, then just cut it to fit. The main thing is to be sure that it fills the bottom of the dish.
- Now add half of the cheese. I used Swiss cheese but Provolone would also be delicious.
- Next, add the cooked hamburger to the top of the cheese layer. Spread it out into an even layer.
- Now add the sauted onions to the top of the hamburger. To get them to cook quickly, add a tablespoon of water to the onions at a time and let it evaporate. Keep doing that step over and over until your onions are a beautiful brown color.
- The next layer is thousand island dressing. This dressing will keep the casserole nice and soft on the inside. I used a store bought version.
- Follow by the other half of the cheese. Adding a layer on both the top and bottom of the casserole helps keep the bread in place and adds awesome flavor. Plus an awesome cheese pull.
- Finally add the final layer of buttered bread, top with foil and bake in a 400 degree oven for 20 minutes. Remove the foil and continue to bake uncovered for about 10 minutes or until the top is nice and golden brown. The cheese will also be melted. The only thing left to do is dish up one of the sandwiches onto your plate and eat up!
They have all of the flavors of a traditional Patty Melt but you are making 6-8 at the same time. Aren’t casseroles awesome?
Expert Tips
- Make sure you add enough butter to the bread so that it will toast the bread when baked. Because we aren’t grilling it, this is how we are getting the great texture.
- Precook the ground beef and onions before adding them to the casserole. The Patty Melt Casserole will only be baking for about 20-30 minutes, so we need to be sure everything is cooked through.
- Use a thicker cut of bread. Using a little thicker cut of bread gives you a really great casserole. It also allows both the bread on the top and bottom to be substantial.
- Add enough thousand island dressing to be sure the entire casserole is covered. This not only gives it great flavor but also keeps everything super moist.
- Keep the bread in the same pattern on both the top and bottom crust. This allows you to serve up an actual sandwich to everyone.
Storage and Reheating
Store: Store leftover patty melt casserole in the refrigerator {covered tightly in plastic wrap} for up to 4 days.
Reheat: This casserole is best heated in the oven but can also be microwaved. To reheat in the oven, preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Place the amount of casserole you want to heat up in an oven safe dish and cover in foil. Bake for 15-20 minutes or until heating through.
Do you love casseroles? Try these recipe…
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Patty Melt Casserole Recipe
Ingredients
- 1 ½ pounds ground beef, I used 93% lean
- 1 ½ Tablespoons steak seasoning
- 1 Tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
- 1 onion, medium, thinly sliced
- 12 slices bread, I used Artisan, but rye is traditional
- ¼ cup butter
- 18 slices Swiss cheese
- ¼-½ cup thousand island dressing
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 400°.
- Begin by cooking your burger through and removing any grease. Once cooked through, add the steak seasoning and Worcestershire sauce. Stir to combine, remove from pan and set aside.
- Then using the same pan {over medium high heat} add a tablespoon of oil and the sliced onions. Cook until they are soft and lightly browned. To speed up the process, add a tablespoon of water after a few minutes of cooking. Allow the water to evaporate and continue to add a tablespoon at a time {waiting to add more until fully evaporated} until you get the right color and consistency.
- Butter one side of all slices of bread. Put half of the bread {butter side down} into the bottom of a 9×13 pan. If the bread doesn't fit perfectly then you can cut it down so that the entire bottom of the pan is covered.
- Next, add half of the slices of cheese on top of the bread. I cut the cheese down as needed to get a nice even layer. On top of the cheese, add the cooked and seasoned ground beef. Spread it out into an even layer. Add the sauted onions to the top of the ground beef. Spread out into an even layer. Next, add the thousand island dressing and spread it out into an even layer. Add the other half of the sliced cheese onto the thousand island dressing. Then top with other half of the butter bread {buttered side up}. If the bread doesn't fit perfectly then you can cut it down so that it covers the top of the casserole.
- Cover with foil and bake for 20 minutes. After 20 minutes remove the foil and continue to bake for about 10 minutes or until the bread is golden brown. Remove from the oven and serve.
- Store leftovers in the refrigerator and heat in the oven for the crispy texture.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
