Beef and Bean Patty Melts

 

You may recall me showing you a delicious casserole the other day called Beef and Beans.  Oh my but it is some good.   Just in case you missed it, that's a picture up there at the top of this  post, and you can find the recipe here.  This may not be a very pretty dish, but it is certainly one of the most delicious dishes you could ever want to eat. Economical, easy and tasty.  You can't get much better than that.

 

Well, after what I show you today . . . you may want to double that recipe the next time you make it, because I have a real winning sandwich to show you here today, and it involves using the leftovers from Beef and Beans.

 

Because there are only two of us we normally have leftovers when I bake a casserole unless it is a very tiny one or we are lucky enough to have someone here at the house to enjoy it with us . . . and this was the case the other day after I had baked Beef and Beans.   I could have just reheated the leftovers and they would have been really delicious that way, but . . .

 

I got to thinking about the baked bean sandwiches that we used to eat back home  the day after an especially tasty feed of homemade beans.  Oh my they were so good . . . mashed cold beans spread between two slices of buttered bread with a few thin slices of raw onion . . . oh boy . . . were they ever tasty.   A real favourite!



And then I got to thinking about patty melts . . . and how good they are and then . . . I thought to myself, why not combine the two ideas and create a delicious sandwich, using the leftover Beef and Beans???   Why not indeed!!  I heated some of the leftovers up and spread it on the un-buttered side of two slices of thick white bread.   Then I topped them with some thinly sliced raw onions and some slices of strong cheddar cheese.   I topped them with another slice of buttered bread, buttered side out and then toasted them like you would a grilled cheese . . .



The end result was one of the most delicious toasted sandwiches we have ever eaten.  So delicious.   So easy.    So good that it is one I will repeat . . .I love it when that happens and I am able to turn my leftovers into something which is every bit as delicious as the original meal.  I do hope that you will make the Beef and Beans . . . and that when you do, you have enough leftover to make one or two of these tasty sarnies!



*Beef and Bean Patty Melts*
For one
Printable Recipe

This may well be the tastiest patty melt you have ever eaten!  You will want to make sure you have leftovers from my Beef and Bean recipe, in fact I suggest you double the recipe when you make it!

Softened butter
two thick slices of sturdy white bread
about 1/2 cup of the leftover Beef and Bean Casserole
or enough to cover the bread in it's entirety
(Even better if you have managed to save some of the bacon from on top)
sliced strong cheddar cheese to cover the beef and beans
very thinly sliced raw onions



Warm up your beef and bean mixture in the microwave so that it is not cold.  Butter the two slices of bread on one side.  Place one slice buttered side down in a heavy skillet.  Spread the side facing up with the beef and bean mixture.   Top with thinly sliced onion and cheese to cover.  Place the other slice of buttered bread on top, butter side up. 

Grill over medium low heat, until the bottom side of the sandwich is crisp and golden brown.  Do not be in a hurry.  Carefully flip over and brown the other side in like manner, until the sandwich is golden brown all over the filling is nice and hot and the cheese has melted.

Serve immediately, cut into diagonals and topped with a pickle if desired.