Patty Melts

My mom would be so proud that I now like patty melts. She used to make them when we were growing up and none of the kids would eat them because we couldn't stand rye bread. As I've aged, I have really changed in terms of what tastes good to me. I like to enjoy these every now and then. I find patty melts to be very filling on their own, but I imagine you could serve these with something light on the side.

Patty Melts
Serves: 4
Adapted by: http://www.deepsouthdish.com/2010/07/classic-patty-melt.html

Ingredients
1 to 1 1/2 pounds lean ground sirloin or beef of your choice (1 pound is plenty for 4 patty melts)
1 large vidalia or yellow onion, sliced
1 tablespoon canola oil
1 tablespoon of butter, plus softened butter for the slices of bread
4 slices reduced fat swiss cheese, or your favorite kind of sliced cheese from the deli
8 slices of marble rye bread
garlic salt and pepper, to taste

Directions
-Spray a baking sheet with nonstick cooking spray. Shape meat into oval shaped patties and place in freezer for 15 minutes.
-In a large skillet or cast iron skillet, heat the oil and butter over medium high. Add onion and cook about 5 minutes, or until softened.
-Reduce heat to medium and continue to cook until onions are fully caramelized. Remove onions from cast iron skillet and keep warm in the microwave.
-Sprinkle the oval patties with garlic salt and pepper.
-Return heat to medium high and cook patties until mostly cooked through. Flip, scatter onions on top and place cheese slice on top of those. Cover the pan with a lid and finish cooking the burgers.
-Butter one side of each slice of bread and in a medium skillet, cook on medium until the bread is well browned.
-Place a patty melt in between two toasted pieces of bread and serve.

Enjoy! :)