Vegan Patty Melt

1. Stage

Cut the onion into half moons: Cut off the ends of the onion and peel back the skin. Slice it lengthwise from root to end. Then thinly slice each of the halves so that you have half moons. Use your hands to break them up. Finely dice 1 tablespoon of the onion for the sauce and set it aside.

2. Stage

Cook the onions: Add the oil to a large skillet over medium heat. Once it is shimmering, add the onions and stir to coat them in oil. Cook them until they are translucent and golden brown, stirring frequently to keep them from burning, about 15 minutes. (If needed, adjust the heat so that they don’t brown too much.) Add the apple cider vinegar in the last minute and stir to deglaze the pan.  Remove the onions from the heat and set aside. Leave the pan to cool.

3. Stage

While the onions are cooking, make the sauce: In a small bowl, whisk together the vegan mayonnaise, ketchup, dill relish, pickle juice, reserved diced onion, garlic powder, paprika, salt, and pepper. Set aside.

4. Stage

Cook the plant-based patty: Wipe out the pan you used to cook the onions.  Using your hands, flatten the patties a little and shape them to fit your bread.  For a mustard-grilled patty, spread a dollop of Dijon mustard on one side of the patty before placing it mustard-side down in the pan to cook.  Cook the patties according to the package instructions. You can shorten the cook time by 1 minute on the second side since the patties are thinner; it’s okay if they are a little pink in the center. Remove the patties and let the pan cool a bit before wiping it out.

5. Stage

Toast the bread and cheese: Place a slice of vegan cheese on each piece of rye bread.  Place the pan over medium heat and add the butter. Once it melts, add the pieces of bread cheese side up. Lower the heat to medium-low, cover, and cook until the cheese starts to melt, about 5 minutes.

6. Stage

Assemble the sandwich: Remove the cover and assemble your sandwiches. On 2 slices of bread, stack 1/4 cup caramelized onions, one tablespoon of Thousand Island sauce, the cooked patty, and a few pickle slices (if using). Place the remaining 2 pieces of bread on top.  Turn the heat up to medium and use a spatula to press down your patty melt and let it cook for a few more minutes, or until the cheese fully melts and the bread is toasty but not burnt.

7. Stage

Serve: Remove the sandwiches from the pan and cut them in half. Serve with more vegan Thousand Island dressing.  You can store extra dressing or caramelized onions in a sealed container in the fridge for up to 5 days. Love the recipe? Leave us stars below!