Categories
Main Dish

Stop, chop and (hoagie) roll into this week’s fabulous sandwich

The chopped cheese is a regional favorite in New York, and although this version is far from perfect as an “authentic” recreation, it’s still an easy and delicious sandwich, with perfectly cooked ground beef and veggies and lots of melty cheese.

I inadvertently jumped into the middle of a food controversy this week.

Well, really, it was Joey’s fault. He found a video recently of someone making a sandwich called a “chopped cheese,” and because it looked delicious, we decided we needed to give it a try in our own kitchen.

Upon doing some digging, I came upon a 2016 New York Times article by Eli Rosenberg, outlining the debate amongst some New Yorkers about the traditional dish and specifically whether you can make a gourmet version of the sandwich and still call it a true “chopped cheese.”

“The sandwich, also called a chop cheese—ground beef with onions, topped by melted cheese and served with lettuce, tomatoes and condiments on a hero roll,” Rosenberg writes, “has long been a staple of bodegas in Harlem and the Bronx.”

At a normal price point of $4 to $5, that’s a great, cheap meal in New York City.

Now, regardless of any controversy, and knowing we skipped some of the traditional ingredients, Joey and I pushed forward with making our own version of a chopped cheese sandwich. These were so good, we’ve already made them twice.

This recipe was inspired by a video by online creator “Grillnation,” but Joey definitely tweaked everything into its final version.

Print

Chopped Cheese Sandwich

The chopped cheese is a regional favorite in New York, and although this version is far from perfect as an “authentic” recreation, t’s still an easy and delicious sandwich, with perfectly cooked ground beef and veggies and lots of melty cheese.
Course Main Course
Keyword bell pepper, black pepper, cheddar cheese, chop cheese, chopped cheese, fresh mushrooms, garlic salt, ground beef, hamburger, hoagie roll, hot sandwich, minced garlic, New York City, onion powder, paprika, provolone, red pepper flakes, sandwich, sliced cheese, yellow onion

Ingredients

  • 1 tablespoon oil we used canola
  • 1 bell pepper any color, sliced
  • 1 small yellow onion sliced
  • 1 to 1 1/2 cups fresh mushrooms sliced
  • 1 pound ground beef
  • 1 teaspoon garlic salt
  • 1 teaspoon onion powder
  • 1/2 teaspoon paprika
  • 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
  • 1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes optional
  • 4 to 6 cloves garlic minced
  • 4 to 8 slices cheese we used cheddar and provolone
  • 4 hoagie buns toasted

Instructions

  • In a large skillet, heat the oil over medium heat. Add in the bell pepper and onion and saute until they are soft.
  • Add in the mushrooms, and continue to saute for a couple minutes until they start to cook down.
  • In a small bowl, combine the garlic salt, onion powder, paprika, black pepper and red pepper flakes.
  • Split your ground beef into four even parts and flatten each portion to around 1/4-inch thick. Season one side of the patties with half of your seasoning mixture.
  • Move your veggies to one side of the pan and place the four patties, seasoning side down, into the skillet. Season the patties with the remaining seasoning mixture.
  • Using your spatula, chop the patties so that they’re in large chunks but still mostly together. Once the patties are nicely browned (it should cook fairly quickly, since the patties are thin), carefully flip them over to the other side.
  • While the second side cooks, add the minced garlic to the veggies in the pan to give it just a little color.
  • When the patties are almost done, place one to two slices of cheese on each patty. Add an equal portion of the vegetables on top of the cheese, and then scoop the patties onto a toasted hoagie.
  • Serve immediately with your favorite burger condiments and fixin’s.

This does reheat pretty well, so if you don’t need four portions when you initially make the chopped cheese, you can always refrigerate the leftovers for later.

The New York Times notes that while the origins of the chopped cheese aren’t completely known, it likely got its start from someone trying to recreate a Philly cheesesteak with some slightly less expensive ingredients.

Regardless, this sandwich makes for a darn good meal, and it’s just enough different from a normal hamburger to break from the routine. Plus, it comes together quickly—and cheaply—which is a nice bonus.

I’m sure any New Yorker who might stumble upon my column would say that I in no way re-created the iconic sandwich in my own kitchen, and they’d probably be right. After all, there’s a lot of flavor that gets imparted from a well-used grill in a small restaurant, but until I manage to travel to the Big Apple to try the real thing, this will just have to do.

This piece first appeared in print on Feb. 23, 2023.

Spice Up Your Life is a weekly newspaper column written by Lindsey Young in south central Kansas. If you are interested in sponsoring this column, please contact us through the “Contact Lindsey” link at the top of the page.

Categories
Main Dish

Shredded cheese, potatoes make ‘grater’ casserole

If you need an easy, crowd-pleasing dinner, keep this recipe handy.

Glancing at my pantry this past week, I noticed a forgotten bag of Yukon gold potatoes nestled on the shelf.

I pulled it out, nervous for what I’d find, and discovered they were still mostly good but weren’t long for this world, so it was at that moment that I decided potatoes were on that evening’s menu.

Looking through my list of recipes to try, I remembered a simple one that was really just three awesome main ingredients: potatoes, hamburger and cheese.

You can’t go wrong with that combo, in my humble opinion.

The recipe calls for Russet potatoes, but my Yukons worked well, too. I probably used 10 to 12 of them, since they’re smaller, and it decreased my bake time by around 20 minutes, since they cook faster. I also used ground turkey instead of hamburger to make it a bit lighter.

This comes from the website “Genius Kitchen.” You can find it at https://www.geniuskitchen.com/recipe/hamburger-potato-cheese-casserole-187672. I changed up the seasonings just a bit in my version.

Print

Cheesy Hamburger Potato Casserole

If you need an easy, crowd-pleasing dinner, keep this recipe handy.
Course Main Course
Keyword casserole, ground beef, hamburger, potatoes

Ingredients

  • 5 large Russet potatoes sliced about 1/4-inch thick
  • 2 tablespoons onion powder
  • 4 tablespoons garlic powder
  • 1 pound ground beef or turkey
  • salt and pepper to taste
  • 2 cups milk skim is fine
  • 3 tablespoons butter
  • 3 tablespoons flour
  • salt and pepper to taste
  • 8 ounces sharp cheddar shredded (or cheese of your choice)

Instructions

  • Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.
  • In a large skillet, brown the hamburger/turkey. Drain off any excess fat, and mix in the onion powder, garlic powder, salt and pepper.
  • In the meantime, place a layer of potato slices in the bottom of a 2- to 3-quart casserole dish with a lid (it’s fine if the potatoes overlap a bit if you have lots).
  • Dump half the meat mixture on top of the potatoes and spread it evenly.
  • Place another layer of potatoes in the dish and cover with the remaining meat mixture.
  • Finish out with a final layer of potatoes.
  • Set the dish aside and make your cheese sauce (you can use the same skillet).
  • Melt the butter over medium-high heat. Add the flour to make a roux and stir for about a minute to cook the flour taste out.
  • Add the milk and salt and pepper and whisk to break up any clumps.
  • Reduce the heat to medium-low and continue to stir regularly to keep the milk from scalding. Once the mixture is thick and bubbling, remove it from heat (mine would not thicken to save my life, so I ended up adding quite a bit more flour, a little at a time, until I got a “sauce” consistency).
  • Add the cheese and stir until it is melted. Add salt and pepper to taste.
  • Pour the cheese sauce over top of the potatoes and meat. Shake the dish a bit to help work the sauce down into the entire dish.
  • Place the covered dish in the oven for about 1-1/2 hours, taking the lid off for the last 20 minutes, until the potatoes are fork tender and the top is browned.

This was a very simple recipe and reheated wonderfully as leftovers. If you’re cooking for picky eaters or kiddos, this is a great one to try. 

If you’re cooking for a more sophisticated adult palate, you might try adding some more spices to it. Crushed red pepper flakes, minced garlic and a real onion in place of powder, and even some basil or paprika could have taken this to a new level. It’s a pretty blank canvas.

I was just happy to not let a bag of potatoes go to waste, and it was a good reminder that I should peer into the back of my pantry more often. Who knows what other treasures lie within?

This piece first appeared in print on March 21, 2019.

Spice Up Your Life is a weekly newspaper column written by Lindsey Young in south central Kansas. If you are interested in sponsoring this column, please contact us through the “Contact Lindsey” link at the top of the page.

Exit mobile version