Description
Harlem’s legendary Chopped Cheese Sandwich brings street corner culinary magic to your kitchen. Melted cheese, ground beef, and bodega-style seasonings create a quick, flavor-packed meal that connects New York City’s urban cuisine with home cooking.
Ingredients
Scale
Meat:
- 0.5 pounds (0.23 kilograms) ground beef (85% lean recommended)
Vegetables:
- 1 small onion (thinly sliced)
- 1 small green bell pepper (thinly sliced)
Cheese and Bread:
- 4 slices American cheese
- 2 small sub rolls or hero rolls (split)
Cooking and Seasoning:
- 1 tablespoon vegetable oil
- Salt (to taste)
- Pepper (to taste)
Condiments (Optional):
- Mayonnaise
- Mustard
- Ketchup
- Hot sauce
Instructions
- Sear ground beef in a hot skillet with vegetable oil over medium-high heat for 5-7 minutes, breaking it into crumbles and seasoning with salt and pepper until thoroughly browned.
- Slide beef to one side of the skillet and add sliced onions and bell peppers to the opposite side, sautéing until vegetables become tender and slightly caramelized, approximately 5 minutes.
- Integrate beef with cooked vegetables, using spatula’s edge to chop and blend ingredients together, continuing to cook for an additional 2-3 minutes to enhance flavor profile.
- Simultaneously, crisp split rolls under broiler or in toaster oven until edges turn golden and surface appears lightly toasted.
- Customize roll interiors with preferred condiments like mayonnaise, mustard, ketchup, or hot sauce for enhanced taste dimensions.
- Distribute chopped beef mixture evenly across toasted rolls, ensuring consistent coverage.
- Crown each sandwich with melting American cheese slices while beef remains piping hot, allowing cheese to soften and slightly drip over meat mixture.
- Immediately serve sandwiches while temperature remains warm and cheese maintains gooey consistency.
Notes
- Choose lean ground beef for a healthier version that reduces excess grease while maintaining rich flavor.
- Drain excess fat after cooking to make the sandwich less oily and more digestible.
- Chop ingredients finely and consistently to ensure even distribution of meat and vegetables in every bite.
- Prep Time: 10 minutes
- Cook Time: 20 minutes
- Category: Lunch, Snacks
- Method: Sautéing
- Cuisine: American
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 2
- Calories: 500
- Sugar: 2g
- Sodium: 800mg
- Fat: 30g
- Saturated Fat: 12g
- Unsaturated Fat: 16g
- Trans Fat: 1g
- Carbohydrates: 38g
- Fiber: 2g
- Protein: 25g
- Cholesterol: 80mg