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Ahh the patty melt, your perfect late night dinner delight. I have long loved this dish, carmelized onions and swiss cheese co-mingle to deliver the perfect mix of concise sweetness. And while I often long for a patty melt, I do not often eat one. The butter soaked bread and gloriously fatty beef may elevate this cousin of the cheeseburger, but it also elevates my pant size. Not too long ago I set out to make a healthier version of my favorite bunless meatloaf version of this magical melt, and alas, after several close but no cigar attempts I struck gold! This recipe is delectable! I invited some friends and family over to be my taste testers for this last week and you know when I know it's good? When my sister totally stops talking and just eats! Let's just say she didn't utter a peep while getting down with my Patty Melt Mini Meatloafs, she was in love!
And what isn't to love about these magnificent minis? They are juicy, succulent, satisfying and present adorably!
What Do I Need
1 Large or 2 Small Yellow Onions
15 Ounces Mushrooms
2 T Butter
Olive Oil
7 T Beef Broth
2 Ibs Ground Turkey
2 Eggs (beaten)
2 t Salt
Pepper
1 Cup of Oats
1/3 Cup Milk
1 T Ketchup
1 T Mustard
2 - 3 T of Ground Pork
5 Slices of Swiss Cheese
Begin by cutting your onion in half and slicing, next cut your mushrooms into about 1/4" slices. In a medium to large pan heat a healthy drizzle of olive oil and your 2 tablespoons of butter over medium to high heat. When your butter is melted, add your onions and sauce for about 5 minutes, then add your mushrooms and sauce for another 5 - 10 minutes or until your onions are carmel in color, next add 4 T of beef broth, allow to simmer for a few minutes and then turn off and remove the pan from heat.
While your onion and mushroom mix cools, place your ground turkey in a medium sized bowl, add your 2 - 3 tablespoons of ground pork, your two beaten eggs, your oats, milk, ketchup and mustard, mix well.
On a baking sheet, create 5 meat mounds. They should be about 3"- 4" in diameter. After you have laid out your 5 mini loaves, you should have about 1/4 of your meat mixture left in your bowl.
Form each of your mini loaves into a kind of bird's nest, add 1 - 2 tablespoons of your mushroom & onion mix to each one, spoon an additional tablespoon of beef broth over each loaf. Use your remaining ground turkey and pork mix to cover the tops of each loaf. Bring up the sides to close the top off and then gently press into more of an almond shape.
Place in the oven for 30 minutes, remove and cover with aluminum foil for ten minutes, then top each loaf with a bit of your left-over mushroom and onion mix and serve!
Take Note: If you are curious as to why I added the pork here, it was to toss a little bit of fat to the mix, a key when working with turkey in a meatloaf. You could also add ground beef if you like. But trust me, a few tablespoons of wither of these meats tossed into the mix makes a giant impact on the juiciness that this recipe delivers! And it's such a small amount, you can still feel good about choosing a lean meat as your base.