Mexican Chopped Cheese
This Mexican chopped cheese sandwich has all the components that make the original so great. The ground beef, cheese and toasted bread are all there. But we’re going to supplement and ground beef with chorizo for extra flavor. Also, the shredded lettuce and tomatoes have been subbed for mashed avocado and pico de gallo.
If you aren’t familiar with the chopped cheese it’s a sandwich born out of the bodegas in New York City. Specifically, the Blue Sky Deli is credited with creating the original sometime during the 90’s. Like most creations, it was born from necessity with trying to create an easy and inexpensive meal to feed the masses. It drew it’s inspiration from many cultures and wound up being a marriage between a cheesesteak and cheese burger. You can read more about the history here.
Equipment Needed
You really only need a couple items to get the job done.
- Griddle/Flattop – I love my Weber Griddle and recommend to it everyone if you don’t already have one. Of course you could do this in a cast iron skillet if you want to do it inside.
- Spatula Set – All serious griddle owners need a good set of griddle tools to go along with the griddle.
Tips to get the best Mexican Chopped Cheese Sandwich
This sandwich is pretty straight forward but here are a handful of tips to get the most of your effort.
- Medium High Heat – We really want to get good caramelization so we need that heat. Make sure the meat and onions are sizzling when they hit the cooking surface.
- Toast the bread – Pro tip! Use the oil released from the beef and chorizo to toast the bread for an extra dimension of flavor.
- 80/20 Beef – The higher fat percentage is really necessary here to make sure the meat doesn’t get dried out.
- Napkins – This sandwich is messy so make sure you have something to clean off your face!
Other Recipes You May Like
- Spicy Thai Basil Chicken on the Griddle
- Bourbon Peppercorn Cream Sauce
- Bourbon Honey Bacon Jam – Easy to make. Ultra addicting.
Mexican Chopped Cheese
Ingredients
- 1 pound ground beef (80/20)
- 8 ounces choirizo
- 1/2 onion rough diced
- 1/4 pound pepper jack cheese
- pico de gallo
- avocado mashed
- bread rolls
- oil/salt/pepper
Instructions
- Set up griddle/flattop for medium high heat.
- Once preheated, spread out a thin layer of oil and then place the ground beef, chorizo and onions on the griddle. Season with salt and pepper.
- After about 2 minutes the food should start caramelizing. Then, using a spatula, break up the beef and chorizo and start combining together with the onions. Keep breaking up large pieces and continue cooking.
- Once the beef and chorizo is cooked most of the way through, push the beef, chorizo and onions close together and layer on the cheese. Once the cheese starts to melt, mix in with the meat/onion mixture until well combined.
- Split the bread and toast the inside using the oil released from the meat for extra flavor.
- Once toasted, assemble the sandwich with the mashed avocado, chopped meat/cheese mixture and top with pico de gallo.
