While Philadelphia has its Philly cheesesteak, NYC's bodegas boast another hoagie roll sandwich known as Chopped Cheese or Chop Cheese for short. Toasted hoagie rolls, stuffed with chopped ground beef burger, caramelized onions, and gooey melted American cheese. The sandwich is then topped with lettuce and tomatoes. It's like a burger, only fancier!
My two adult children have become quite the foodies and are always sharing new food ideas with me. So when my son recently asked if I could make chop cheese for dinner, he had my attention.
After a little research, I learned that in New York, preparing a chopped cheese is quite the production. The louder and more obnoxious you can be while chopping the burger patty the better! If you have a bbq griddle, this is the time to use it, it's on my list of wants for sure!
For New Yorkers, chop cheese is the ultimate comfort food just like Chicago style hot dogs comfort us Chicagoans! Although I'd been to New York, I was too busy stuffing my face with pizza and hot dogs and totally missed the whole "bodega culture." Luckily, Scotty gave me detailed instructions on how to prepare a proper chop cheese, so here goes!
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๐ Why You'll Love This Recipe
- If you're looking for easy dinner ideas, this sandwich is a great choice!
- Similar to hamburgers, chopped cheese sandwiches can be customized to each individual's personal preference.
- You can make a chopped cheese sandwich spicy by adding diced serranos at the same time you add the chopped onions.
- Since we can't fly to New York every time we crave this yummy sandwich, using this chopped cheese recipe to make it at home only makes sense, am I right?
๐ What You Need For This Recipe
๐ Ingredients & Substitutions
- Ground Beef: I prefer my chopped beef burgers on the greasy side so I use ground beef with 15%-20% fat. However, if you want to go leaner, go for it!
- Seasoning: The only seasoning you need are salt and black pepper. If you'd like, you can add a little garlic powder too.
- Hoagie: Chop cheese is usually served on a hoagie roll. Resist the temptation to serve it in a hamburger bun!
- Cheese: My son insists on using Kraft American cheese, which is traditional. However, I give you permission to use cheddar, pepper jack, or whatever cheese you prefer. Shhh, ๐คซ what he doesn't know won't hurt him! Each sandwich will have 2 slices of cheese, so you'll need 8 slices for four sandwiches.
- Condiments: A classic chopped cheese has mayo and ketchup. Sometimes, hot sauce is also added.
- Veggies: Juicy sliced tomatoes and shredded lettuce are added to the sandwich just before serving it.
๐ฅช How to Make A Chop Cheese Sandwich
Step 1: Dice yellow onion, slice tomatoes, and shred the lettuce. Set aside until needed.
Pro Tip: Most chopped cheese recipes call for iceberg lettuce, but I prefer to use romaine lettuce which is more nutritious. We need all the nutrition we can get with this high calorie sandwich. ๐ฌ
Step 2: Spread ยฝ tablespoon of butter on the inside of each hoagie roll. Grill in a large skillet until golden brown. Plate until needed.
Step 3: Divide the meat into four 6-ounce portions and shape each portion into an oval. Season generously on both sides with salt and pepper. Place one portion into a hot cast-iron skillet and smash with the back of a spatula (similar to smash burgers). Cook over medium high heat for a few minutes.
Step 4: Flip the flattened patty to the other side and top with a quarter of the diced onions. Now begin chopping the burger patty as you mix in the onions. Continue doing this for a few minutes until the meat has crispy edges and the onions are grilled.
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Pro Tip: If you prefer, you can sautรฉ the diced onion first until caramelized and move them to the side of the pan while you fry the patty, then mix them in with the chopped meat.
Step 5: Top meat with 2 American cheese slices. Turn off the heat and allow the cheese to melt.
Pro Tip: At this point you can either mix the cheese in with the meat and onion mixture, or just allow the cheese to melt over the meat. This is a whole other point of contention. Some insist that the cheese needs to be chopped in, hence "chopped cheese," while others say to allow the cheese melt on top. I tried it both ways and prefer to melt the cheese on top.
Step 6: Slather mayo and ketchup on the toasted hoagy roll. Add the patty and top with shredded lettuce and sliced tomatoes. Season with salt and pepper and serve.
๐คท๐ปโโ๏ธ Recipe FAQs
Chopped cheese and a Philly cheesesteak are two different sandwiches. The main difference is that chopped cheese is made with ground beef burger while cheesesteak is made with thinly sliced beef, preferably ribeye.
Besides the chopped beef patty, chopped cheese also has tomatoes, lettuce, and grilled onions. Philly cheesesteak, on the other hand, usually has grilled onions, provolone cheese or Cheez Whiz. Sometimes grilled bell peppers and mushrooms are also added.
The first chop cheese sandwich originated in East Harlem, New York, in a bodega called Blue Sky Deli, known as "Hajji's" to the locals. However, the popular hero roll sandwich is also popular in the Bronx and Brooklyn.
There are some stories on the web that attribute the origin of the chopped cheese sandwich to dagha yamneeya (ุฏูุฉ ูู
ููุฉ) which is a Yemeni dish prepared with ground beef, liver or chicken hearts, tomatoes, onions, chili peppers, potatoes, and Middle Eastern spices. This mixture is fried in a pan and served with pita bread.
Chopped cheese is made with a toasted hero roll, chopped ground beef patty, melted American cheese, grilled onions, and topped with shredded lettuce and sliced tomatoes. It is usually served with mayo, ketchup, and occasionally, hot sauce. Don't even think about adding mustard!
๐ฉ๐ผโ๐ณ Pro Tips
- Wrapping the chopped cheese sandwich in foil or sandwich deli paper not only gives the sandwich a more authentic look, but also forms the shape of the sandwich and helps to keep the sloppy ingredients from falling out.
- To make this chopped cheese recipe spicier, you can either add sliced Serranos or hot sauce. Another option is to mix the hot sauce in the mayo, or use cayenne to season the ground beef instead.
๐ Related Recipes
If you enjoy this chopped cheese recipe, you may also be interested in the following recipes...
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๐ Recipe
The Ultimate Chopped Cheese Sandwich
Equipment
- 1 spatula
Ingredients
- 2 tablespoon unsalted butter
- 4 hoagie buns
- 1ยฝ teaspoon sea salt
- ยพ teaspoon black pepper
- 1ยฝ lbs ground chuck (15% fat)
- 1 medium yellow onion (diced)
- 8 slices American cheese (or favorite cheese)
- ยผ cup mayonnaiseย
- 2 cups shredded lettuce
- 8 slices tomatoes
Instructions
- Dice yellow onion, slice tomatoes, and shred lettuce. Set aside until needed.ย
- Spread ยฝ tablespoon of butter on the inside of each hoagie roll. Grill in a large skillet until golden brown. Plate until needed.
- Divide the meat into four 6-ounce portions and shape each portion into an oval. Season generously on both sides with salt and pepper. Place one portion into a hot cast-iron skillet and smash with the back of a spatula (similar to smash burgers). Cook over medium high heat for a few minutes.
- Flip the flattened patty to the other side and top with a quarter of the diced onions. Now begin chopping the burger patty as you mix in the onions.ย Continue doing this for a few minutes until the meat has crispy edges and the onions are grilled.
- Top meat with 2 American cheese slices. Turn off the heat and allow the cheese to melt.
- Slather mayo and ketchup on the toasted hoagy roll. Add the patty and top with shredded lettuce and sliced tomatoes. Season with salt and pepper and serve.
Notes
- If you prefer, you can sautรฉ the diced onion first until caramelized and move them to the side of the pan while you fry the patty, then mix them in with the chopped meat.
- Most chopped cheese recipes call for iceberg lettuce, but I prefer to use romaine lettuce which is more nutritious. We need all the nutrition we can get with this high calorie sandwich.
- To make the sandwich spicier, you can either add sliced serranos or hot sauce. Another option is to mix the hot sauce in the mayo, or use cayenne to season the ground beef instead.
- You can either mix the cheese in with the meat and onion mixture, or allow it to melt over the meat. Some insist that the cheese needs to be chopped in, while others say to allow the cheese melt on top. I tried it both ways and I prefer to melt the cheese on top.
- Wrapping the chopped cheese sandwich in foil or sandwich deli paper not only gives the sandwich a more authentic look, but also forms the shape of the sandwich and helps to keep the sloppy ingredients from falling out.
Elisa says
No seasoning on the beef?
Hilda Sterner says
Hi Elisa, I'm not sure how you missed it, but the directions, recipe card, and ingredients list shows salt and black pepper as the seasoning used in this recipe. I hope that helps, thanks!
Patricia says
Made these tonight for my family and got a room full of 5 star reviews...Excellent and simple
Hilda Sterner says
Hi Patricia,
I'm so glad to hear that your family enjoyed this recipe. Thanks for coming back and reviewing the recipe!
Brooklyn Chick says
I think they use sazon to season the meat in the bodegas. I haven't found that listed in any of the chopped cheese posts on Pinterist.
Hilda Sterner says
Thanks, Brooklyn, I didn't find that to be the case when I was doing research for that post. I'll have to give it a try and see how that changes the taste. Thanks for the tip!
Matt says
All the ingredients in a good cheeseburger, but better than a cheeseburger!
Hilda Sterner says
Haha, I know what you mean Matt. It's like magic! Thank you for the review!