Whataburger Patty Melt
Two patties, Monterey Jack, grilled onions and a creamy pepper sauce on buttered Texas toast: the diner patty melt rebuilt to run through a drive-thru, Whataburger's own.
Grilled Cheese & the Melt
Tuna Melt
Mayo-bound canned tuna under cheese, griddled until the two fuse. The cooked member of the cold-salad family, descended from tuna rarebit, named in print by 1966 but cooked long before that.
Patty Melt
Assembled cold, then cooked all at once: a thin patty, Swiss, and jammy onions griddled between rye until both faces lacquer. A burger that took the grilled cheese's method.
Panini (American Style)
Italian-inspired pressed and grilled sandwich; became ubiquitous in American cafes 2000s. American versions often include non-Italian fil...
Croque Monsieur (American Bistro)
American bistro interpretation: ham and Gruyère with béchamel on toasted bread, broiled; upscale brunch staple.
Grilled Cheese
A grilled cheese is timed against itself: the cheese has to go molten before the crust passes bronze and turns bitter. Three ingredients, two faces, almost no margin.