Patty Melts with Mushrooms, Onions, Swiss and Cheddar

Everybody needs a good patty melt every once in a while! These are just as easy as a regular burger and give you a whole lot more flavor. Sauteed mushrooms and onions pair with two kinds of cheese for a super-melty sandwich and the crisp crust takes it over the top. 

Ingredients (makes 4 sandwiches):

Sauce:

1/3 cup Thousand Island salad dressing

1/3 cup mayo (You’ll need more mayo to assemble the sandwiches)

Veggies:

2 Tablespoons olive oil, divided

1 large onion, sliced

8 ounces mushrooms, sliced

Patties:

1 pound ground chuck

2 teaspoons ketchup

1/4 cup beef broth

Salt and pepper to taste

Sandwich assembly:

8 slices rye bread

4 slices Swiss cheese

4 slices cheddar cheese

4 Tablespoons mayo

Directions:

Sauce: Combine the Thousand Island and 1/3 cup mayo in a small bowl and refrigerate until ready to assemble the sandwiches.

Veggies: Heat 1 Tablespoon of oil in a large pan. Add the sliced mushrooms and cook about 5 minutes on medium or until the mushrooms are soft. Remove to a bowl.

Add the remaining Tablespoon of oil to the skillet. Add the sliced onions and cook on medium for about 10 minutes, until soft and translucent. Some browning is fine. Remove to a bowl.

Remove the skillet from heat but keep it handy.

Patties: Mix the ground chuck, ketchup, beef broth, salt and pepper in a mixing bowl and combine thoroughly. Shape into four patties.

Heat your skillet back up over medium heat and cook the chuck patties about 4 minutes per side. Remove the patties to a plate and wipe out your skillet.

To assemble: Lay out 4 slices of rye bread and spread with some of the sauce. Add one patty, 1 slice of Swiss cheese, 1 slice of cheddar, some of the mushrooms and some of the onions. Lay out the next four slices, spread some sauce on them and put them on the patties sauce side down.

Coat the outsides of the sandwiches with the 4 Tablespoons of mayo. Heat your skillet back up to medium low and cook the sandwiches about 4 minutes per side until the outsides are crusty and golden and the cheese inside is melted.

Savory Bacon, Sausage, Cheese and Egg Breakfast Biscuits

There is nothing better than a good breakfast, and these biscuits have it all. If you want a hearty ‘heat-and-eat’ breakfast, skip the eggs in these biscuits from heaven and just stash them in the fridge or freezer. I think these would make a fabulous Father’s Day breakfast.

Ingredients (makes 6):

3 cups biscuit mix (like Bisquick®)

½ teaspoon garlic salt

1 cup buttermilk

1-2 Tablespoons regular milk

4 green onions, diced

6 slices of bacon, cooked crisp and crumbled (if you use the microwave ready kind, you don’t have to clean a skillet)

8 fully cooked breakfast sausage links, diced (any kind will do, I’m using turkey)

2 cups shredded cheddar cheese, divided

6 eggs

Directions: Preheat oven to 375 degrees F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper and set aside.

In a large mixing bowl, combine the biscuit milk and garlic salt. Stir in the butter milk and just enough regular milk to make thick dough.

Stir in the green onions, bacon, sausage and 1 cup of the cheddar. Dump out onto a floured work surface and form into a rectangle about 1 inch thick. Cut into six squares.

Place the biscuits on the lined baking sheet and make an indentation large enough for an egg in the center of each one. Sprinkle with the remaining cheese and bake for 8 minutes.

Pull the biscuits out and push down the indentations one more time (the back of a spoon is great  for this) to make sure they are deep enough to hold an egg. Crack one egg into the center of each biscuit. Return to the oven for 10-12 more minutes or until the egg whites are set and opaque.