“I grew up in Iowa and my dad used to take me to get these all the time! I’ve missed them so!”

This recipe elevates the classic patty melt with a flavorful secret sauce featuring bacon and relish. The combination of juicy seasoned beef, melty cheeses, and tangy sauce on toasted rye bread makes for a truly satisfying sandwich.

Ingredients:

For the patty melts:

For the secret sauce:

Instructions:

1. Form the patties: Divide the ground beef into 3 equal portions. Gently form each portion into a flattened patty, roughly the same shape and size as your rye bread slices.
2. Season the patties: Season both sides of each patty generously with onion powder, garlic powder, salt, and black pepper to taste.
3. Cook the patties: Heat a skillet over medium-high heat. Cook the patties until they are cooked through and no longer pink in the center. Remove the cooked patties from the skillet and set aside.
4. Prepare the secret sauce: While the meat is cooking, in a small bowl, mix together the mayonnaise, chopped bacon pieces, ketchup, sugar, and relish until all the ingredients are well incorporated. Set the sauce aside.
5. Wipe and heat skillet: Wipe the skillet used to cook the meat clean with a paper towel. Reduce the heat to medium.
6. Butter the bread: Butter one side of each slice of rye bread generously with softened unsalted butter.
7. Assemble the bottom layer: Place three slices of the buttered bread in the skillet, buttered side down.
8. Add cheese and patty: Top each slice of bread in the skillet with 2 slices of provolone cheese, followed by one cooked meat patty, and then 2 slices of cheddar cheese.
9. Add sauce and top bread: Spread a little bit of the prepared secret sauce on the non-buttered side of the remaining three slices of rye bread. Place these slices, sauce side down, on top of the cheese and patty stacks in the skillet.
10. First flip: Cook the patty melts until the bottom slices of bread are well toasted and the provolone cheese has begun to melt. Carefully flip the patty melts over with a spatula.
11. Toast the other side: Continue cooking the patty melts on the other side until the bread is nicely toasted and the cheddar cheese is melted and gooey.
12. Serve: Once both sides of the bread are toasted and the cheese is melted, remove the patty melts from the skillet and serve them immediately.

Enjoy your delicious Patty Melts with Secret Sauce! They are perfect on their own or with your favorite side.