New York Chopped Cheese Sandwich

Origin: North American, American Northeast

Method: Griddle or Flat top

I was first introduced to New York's signature sandwich, during a recent visit to Manhattan, and was instantly in love. The chopped cheese sandwich was a quick and inexpensive meal while touring around the city. Super flavorful chopped hamburger patties were topped with melted cheese, tomato slices and lettuce. It was like a Philly Cheesesteak's flavorful cousin.

What is a Chopped Cheese Sandwich

Also known as simply chop cheese, a New York Style Chopped cheese sandwich is a hot sub sandwich which developed a cult following in the boroughs of New York, especially The Bronx and the Harlem neighborhood in Manhattan. These quick and inexpensive sandwiches are popular in local bodegas and corner stores throughout New York. Authentic chopped cheese sandwiches typically consist of chopped ground beef topped with melted American cheese, lettuce and tomatoes and served on a deli or hoagie roll with mayonnaise, ketchup, or other assorted condiments.

Making a Chopped Cheese Sandwich

To make a traditional chop cheese sandwich you will need ground beef, hoagie rolls, tomatoes, onion, lettuce, and burger seasoning. You can also include your favorite burger condiments. Our personal favorite is garlic aioli.

What is the best meat for a Chopped Cheese Sandwich?

Just like with burgers, we find using a ground beef with a sufficient amount of fat content is key to making the best Chop Cheese Sandwich. This is especially true when you are making sandwiches on a griddle like a Blackstone or Cooking Steel. 85:15 ground beef has become our go to for this sandwich, but 80:20 works well too.

What is the best cheese to use on a New York Chop Cheese Sandwich?

Ask any local New Yorker, what cheese to use on a traditional and authentic chopped cheese sandwich and American cheese will almost unanimously be the answer. American cheese is to a New York chopped cheese, what Cheese Wiz is to a Philly Cheesesteak. So, if you want to stay authentic, there is really no substitute for the slices of processed cheese. That said, we often mix it up with different styles of American cheese, such as slices with Jalapeno, when we want to add a little kick to our bodega style sandwich.

Prep the sandwich

To prep the sandwich, slice your tomato and shred your lettuce. Shred the onion into a small bowl. We find shredding the onion and mixing in with the burger patties works best to help keep moisture in the meat and to keep the onions from burning on the griddle. Once the onion is shredded, season with about ½ teaspoon of salt. This well help draw out excess moisture from the onion. Mix and allow to sit for about 20 minutes. Drain the liquid from the onions and use a paper towel to press out additional moisture from the shredded onions.

Prepare the Burger Patties

To make the burger patties for the chop cheese combine the beef patties with the burger seasoning. We typically use our easy homemade burger seasoning, but you can use your favorite, or a simple SPG rub works well too. Next add in the shredded onion, and mix well to combine.

Next, form the meat mixture into about 6 equal sized balls, about 8 ounces each.

Cooking the Chopped Cheese on your Blackstone or Flat Top

Preheat your griddle of flat top to high heat, and oil well with an oil with a high smoke point, like avocado oil. Flatten the meatballs into thin patties and add to the grill.

Cook the patties for about 2-3 minutes then flip and season with some additional burger seasoning. The burgers should have a nice, caramelized crust at this point.

Cook for an additional 2 minutes then chop the patty with a heavy spatula, breaking the burger into small pieces.

Next, top the chopped ground beef with the American cheese. If desired, toast the hoagie rolls on the Blackstone or griddle. Once toasted, spread a layer of the garlic aioli on the inside of the hoagie or sandwich roll. Once the cheese has melted, carefully scoop the beef and cheese into the sandwich roll.

Check out our ever-growing list of the best Blackstone and griddle recipes here:

• Japanese Teppanyaki On Your Grill
• Fried Mashed Potato Cakes with Herbes de Provence Butter
• Flat Top Chicken Fried Rice
• Grilled Tiger Cry Beef
• Grilled Peaches with Amaretto Whipped Cream
• Spicy Double Smash Burger on Texas Toast
• St. Louis Slinger
• Mahi Mahi Tacos with Chipotle Crema and Mango Salsa

Finishing the sandwich

Top the New York beef sandwich with slices of tomato and shredded lettuce. Add any additional condiments as desired.

Be sure to check out more great sandwich recipes from around the globe:

• Uruguay's Chivito: The Ultimate Steak Sandwich
• Grilled Muffaletta: New Orleans Deli Sandwich
• Cajun Crawfish Po' Boy With Spicy Remoulade
• Wicked Good Grilled Tuna Fish Sandwich: Spicy Tuna Melt
• Louisville Hot Brown: Kentucky's Turkey Sandwich
• Smoked Philly Cheesesteak
• Brisket Burger Sliders with Horseradish Aioli
• Nashville Hot Chicken Sandwich
• Beef Tostada Burger with Bacon Patty

What to serve with a Bodega style Chopped Cheese Sandwich

Chop cheese sandwiches are typically served with chips or crispy French Fries. Additionally, you can mix it up with sides like a pasta salad, grilled corn salad, or bowl of Fire Roasted Tomato Soup.

Thank you for taking the time to visit our blog. If you tried and enjoyed our recipe, please share with others and please leave us a comment and review. We also love to see your pics so don’t forget to tag us @Carne_Diem_Culinary or To be notified of future recipes please follow us on Facebook, Instagram, or Pinterest, or sign up for our e-mail notifications. Until next time, Carne Diem!

📖 Recipe