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My chopped cheese sandwich is made with seasoned ground beef and melted American cheese in a hoagie roll. It’s quick and easy to make and tastes like it’s from a New York Bodega!
Are you a fan of New York City’s chopped cheese sandwich? I grew up eating this as a special weekend treat, and now I can make it at home, just as tasty as any Bodega or sandwich shop.
If you aren’t familiar with a chopped cheese, it’s basically a hamburger on a hero roll, featuring seasoned ground beef, American cheese, and toppings such as lettuce and tomatoes. The “chopped” part refers to the finely chopped hamburger meat before the cheese is added on top. I’ll demonstrate this both in the recipe card and the recipe video.
Why I love this chopped cheese recipe
- Quick. You can prepare it in just 10 minutes, including the prep and cooking time.
- It’s easy to make. This is the kind of sandwich I like to make for my family on busy weeknights… and it’s SO fun to eat.
- Authentic. It tastes EXACTLY like the ones you’d find in a bodega or sandwich shop (trust me, I ate a LOT of chopped cheese).
- Easy to customize. I mean, it is an elevated hamburger, so do as you please.
Key Ingredients
Find the printable recipe with measurements below.
- Beef. Either lean or standard ground beef works (85/15 or 90/10). Do not use extra-lean ground beef, as I’ve found it to be a little flavorless and quite dry.
- Butter. To fry the hamburger.
- Onion. Finely chopped to mix into the beef.
- Seasonings. Kosher salt, black pepper, and garlic powder.
- American cheese. Traditional chopped cheese sandwiches typically use American cheese, but any type of cheese you have on hand will work.
- Chopped cheese fix-ins. I’m keeping things classic with shredded lettuce, mayo, ketchup, hoagie rolls, and tomatoes.
How to make a chopped cheese
Step 1- Prep. Start by dividing the buns from the middle and toasting them. Spread some mayonnaise on both sides.
Step 2- cook the ground beef. Place a skillet or pan over medium-high heat. Add butter, sauté onions, and push them to the side with a spatula. Add the ground beef patty to the pan. Season it with salt, pepper, and garlic powder. Heat both sides for 2-4 minutes. Slowly break the patty, mix with sautéed onions, and cook until there is no pink beef in the middle.
Step 3- Chop the meat and add cheese. Divide the meat into four equal portions. Cover each portion with American cheese and cook until the cheese melts.
Step 4- Assemble. Transfer each portion to toasted buns, top with tomatoes and shredded iceberg lettuce, and serve!
★★★★★ REVIEW
“This was the best chopped cheese sandwich recipe! I didn’t make any changes, and the results were fabulous. Going to try it in different buns.” – Mel
Recipe variations
- Use other bread, including a baguette, crisped-up hot dog buns, or sub rolls.
- Replace the beef with ground turkey, ground chicken, or ground pork.
- Use hamburger patties instead of making the ground beef mixture from scratch.
- Other cheese options include mozzarella cheese, Pepper Jack, and provolone.
Storage instructions
Chopped cheese tastes the best when made fresh, but you can make the meat filling in advance:
To Store: Place leftover cooked beef in an airtight container and store in the fridge for up to 5 days.
To Freeze: Place the filling in an airtight container or ziplock bag and store in the freezer for up to two months.
Frequently asked questions
No, not even close! A Philly cheesesteak features sliced beef cooked with sliced cheese (often provolone). Chopped cheese is essentially a deconstructed version of a hamburger.
While controversial, Blue Sky Deli (Hajji’s Deli) is the true inventor of this iconic NYC staple. However, every bodega and sandwich shop would have a similar version.
More easy sandwich recipes
If you tried this Chopped Cheese recipe, please leave a star rating and comment. It helps others thinking of making this.
Chopped Cheese Recipe
Video
Ingredients
- 4 hoagie buns hot dog buns work
- 1/4 cup mayonnaise
- 1 tablespoon butter
- 1 small onion thinly sliced
- 1 1/4 pounds ground beef lean or standard
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 teaspoon pepper
- 8 slices American cheese
- 1 cup lettuce chopped
- 1 large tomato thinly sliced
Instructions
- Halve the buns and lightly toast them lightly. Spread one side with mayonnaise.
- In a non-stick pan, add the butter. Once melted, add the onion and cook until fragrant. Push to one side.
- Add the ground beef and do not break apart. Season with salt, pepper, and garlic powder. Sear for 4 minutes, flip, and cook for a further 2 minutes.
- Slowly break apart the beef then fold through the onions. Once there is no more pink in the center, divide the portion of beef into four equal sized portions.
- Add 2 slices of the American cheese over each portion and cook for 2 minutes, until gooey and melted. Use a spatula to "chop" the cheese into the meat mixture.
- Transfer each portion into the hoagie buns, add shredded iceberg lettuce and sliced tomatoes.
Had the family around for a bbq so i gave these a try and they were a huge hit! Thanks for this.
These were super easy and a big hit with the fam.
Easy and tasty! My family all approved.
I didnt tried sandwich with grounf beef. For how long is the best to cook it?
AmericN cheese I Dont like so much. Maybe I put edamer. Still good?
Looks scrumptious 😋 thanks for sharing rec
Hi Armen, sending many warm thoughts as your fellow Australians come to terms with the awful act of last week. Like you, I cannot fathom and I can only say mental illness is such a problem in this world. Our hearts in the US here go out to all Australians and yes, I will herdyour advice and give my loved ones. Extra hugs. We’re thinking of you
Thank you, Beth xx
Test.
This was the best chopped cheese sandwich recipe! I didn’t make any changes and the results were fabulous. Going to try it in different buns.
Add some chopped jalapeños when you mix in the onions into your beef.
Excellent easy to make and great tasting. Will make it again for dinner sometime.
I saw a show with John Leguizamo and in a segment he featured a NYC bodega making a chopped cheese sandwich. I am a 67 year old Puerto Rican who never had the sandwich (honestly, the name turned me off) lol. Well I wanted to try it now that I actually know what it’s all about. I chose your recipe and it’s perfection! Next time I head into the city I’ll try it at a bodega. But this made me & my hubby really happy 😊 Since it was a brunch meal, my husband asked if I could add scrambled egg to his. He said it was fantastic.
Carla, you are too sweet 🙂
Really good! The ingredient list is missing how much garlic powder though
sounds really good, but I’d have to cook and drain the hamburger separately.
I made this tonight and it’s the best thing I’ve eaten in months. It’s now going to be weekly. Thanks so much for such a tasty meal. X
This was delicious. My whole family loved it (which is rare lol). Will make this again for sure!
Why aren’t these popular all over the USA?!! These sandwiches are fantastic! It’s a burger, but it isn’t. Much faster and easier than making a patty. One skillet does it all. I started with mayo and ketchup, then saw some Thousand Island dressing, and of course, had to try it too and it was perfect. This easily customizable to suit your tastes. I left the tomato off to suit mine and it was such a great meal. This could work for a midnight snack too because it didn’t take that long from start to finish. I used a hamburger bun because it’s what I had and while it worked, a bun that still has one side attached would have been preferred to contain the filling better. The next time, I will use a bolillo and then wrap it first in foil and let it sit a minute before consuming.
This is a New York City thing! It appears to have originated at a bodega in Spanish Harlem called Hajji’s. From there, it spread prolifically to other bodegas throughout the boroughs of the Bronx, Queens, and Brooklyn. This recipe looks pretty authentic, by the way…
Perfection. Flavorful, delicious.
Never heard of this chopped cheese. I’d say it’s more like chopped burger lol.
Nevertheless, I’ll give it a whirl!
Thanks Arman!
Can’t wait to try this … veganized! (Tofu crumbles in lieu of beef, cashew cheese, zero oil or butter, smoky legume spread instead of mayo … everything else same.)
Thanks for the inspiration.