With these griddled mushroom melts, you won't miss the patty

I love a patty melt, which is why this recipe for Mushroom Patty Melts was one of the first I developed for the Eat Voraciously newsletter, back in May 2021. I was inspired by my go-to diner order of a patty melt, fries - or coleslaw and pickles - and an Arnold Palmer, which I often had, on good days and bad, when I lived near Du-par's in Los Angeles.

After I published the recipe for the griddled sandwich, I got lots of emails thanking me, including one from Diane Smith Rigaux of New Orleans who wrote: "I made your patty melt made with mushrooms, and it was divine. Thank you!"

But I also got plenty of emails pointing out that a patty melt without a patty was a misnomer. Fair enough. As I wrote back in 2021: "This recipe is a bit of a cheat, because it sidesteps the traditional 'patty' for meaty, crispy mushrooms." You could, of course, add a patty to it if you wanted! (I agree with the commenter who provided these instructions.)

One commenter complained that "onions don't caramelize in 10-15 minutes." That's usually true, but in this case, if you cook onions and mushrooms, seasoned with salt, in melted butter in a cast-iron skillet over high heat, they will very quickly lose their moisture and begin to brown. If your pan has hot spots, and the onions or mushrooms start to burn, you can add a splash of water to even everything out. It's another cheat, but I promise, it works! On the other hand, if you're not comfortable cooking over high heat, lower the heat as much as you'd like and let the onions and mushrooms cook for 20 to 40 minutes.

I love when readers tweak my recipes to suit their tastes and the ingredients they have on hand. "I made this on Thursday, the day the recipe was emailed to me. My wife and I both thought that the sandwich was exceptionally good! A few deviations from the recipe: Used salted butter instead of unsalted butter. Used regular mushrooms. Used iodized table salt. I forgot to add Worcestershire (or Soy) sauce. I forgot to serve pickles. I'll have this many more times, hopefully truer to the recipe," a fan wrote.

As I noted when I first published the recipe, any mushrooms work here. But if you have access to wild mushrooms or a farmers market stand with plump specimens, use those. If I had unlimited resources, I would make this with chanterelles or porcinis. But even grocery store button mushrooms, spiked with Worcestershire, make a great sandwich alongside the caramelized onions, cheese and crispy, griddled bread. I think pickles on the side are necessary, to cut through the richness in each bite, but if you'd rather serve it with a salad or fries or coleslaw, do that!

Mushroom Patty Melts

The patty melt is a diner classic, but it doesn't have to be so meaty. This version puts deeply caramelized mushrooms and onions front and center. (You can add a beef patty, too, if you want.) A splash of Worcestershire sauce lends acidity and rounds out the flavors. Use your favorite cheese and bread, but don't skimp on the butter, which ensures the best flavor and a crispy exterior. The sandwiches are best if eaten the day they are made.

TOTAL TIME:: 30 mins
SERVINGS 4

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• 6 tablespoon (3 ounce) unsalted butter, divided
• 2 tablespoon olive oil
• 10 ounce mushrooms, such as cremini mushrooms or baby bella, sliced
• 1 large yellow onion, halved and thinly sliced
• 1/8 teaspoon fine salt
• 4 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
• 8 slice rye bread or another bread of choice
• 8 slice Swiss cheese or Gruyère cheese, or more as desired
• Pickles, for serving (optional)

Steps

In a large (ideally 12-inch wide cast iron) skillet over high heat, melt 2 tablespoons of the butter. Add the olive oil, mushrooms, onion and salt. Fry, stirring frequently, until the onions and mushrooms caramelize and crisp, 10 to 15 minutes, adjusting the heat as necessary if they start to burn. Remove from the heat and stir in the Worcestershire.

Assemble the sandwiches: Lay 4 slices of bread onto a flat surface. Place at least 1 slice of cheese on each slice of bread. Top with a quarter of the onion-and-mushroom mixture, followed by at least 1 slice of cheese and the remaining slice of bread.

Wipe the skillet out and place over medium heat. Melt the remaining 4 tablespoons of butter, and fry the sandwiches, in batches if necessary, until the cheese has melted evenly and both sides are crisp, 2 to 3 minutes per side. Slice in half and serve hot, with pickles on the side, if desired.

(COMMENT, BELOW)