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Learn how to make my chopped cheese sandwich featuring seasoned ground beef, American cheese, and toppings stuffed in a hoagie roll. It’s ready in just 10 minutes.
Are you a huge 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 with it 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.
Table of Contents
Why I love this 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 it 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.
If you love delicious sandwich recipes, try my Mexican torta, Italian beef sandwich, and hot honey chicken sandwich next.
★★★★★ 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
Key Ingredients
- 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 also quite dry.
- Butter. To fry the hamburger.
- Onion. Finely chopped to mix into the beef.
- Kosher salt and black pepper. To taste.
- Garlic powder. Adds some garlic flavor without needing actual garlic.
- American cheese. Traditional chopped cheese sandwiches use American cheese, but any you have on hand will work. I’ve tried it with Pepper Jack cheese and gooey mozzarella cheese.
- Shredded lettuce, mayo, ketchup, hoagie rolls, and tomatoes. Must-have chopped cheese fix-ins.
How to make a chopped cheese
I’ve included step-by-step photos below to make this recipe easy to follow at home. For the full printable recipe instructions and ingredient quantities, scroll to the recipe card at the bottom of this post.
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 cast iron skillet or pan over medium-high heat. Add butter, saute 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 sauteed 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!
Arman’s recipe tips
- Use other bread, including a baguette, crisped-up hot dog buns, or sub rolls.
- Switch out the beef for 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 hamburger.
While controversial, Blue Sky Deli (Hajji’s Deli) is the true inventor of this iconic NYC staple. However, every bodega and sandwich shop
More delicious ground beef recipes
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.
Notes
- Use other bread, including a baguette, crisped-up hot dog buns, or sub rolls.
- Switch out the beef for 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.
Easy and tasty! My family all approved.