Satisfy your cravings without breaking your diet with this Keto Chopped Cheese Sandwich-a low-carb twist on the NYC bodega classic! This recipe delivers all the comforting, cheesy goodness you love while keeping it keto-friendly. It is ready in just 25 minutes.
What is a Chopped Cheese?
New York City is the original home of plenty of fascinating, delicious dishes, but nothing holds a candle to the iconic chopped cheese sandwich. It’s the bodega classic with seared adobo-seasoned ground beef and chopped onions, gooey American cheese, and lettuce-tomato-mayo on a soft hero roll. Now you can make this easy, cheesy sandwich without booking a flight to the Big Apple.
The chopped cheese is basically a hamburger on a hero roll, featuring seasoned ground beef, American cheese, and toppings such as lettuce and tomatoes. The “chopped” part refers to the finely chopped hamburger meat before the cheese is added on top.
While controversial, Blue Sky Deli (Hajji’s Deli) is the true inventor of this iconic NYC staple. However, every bodega and sandwich shop would have a similar version.
Why This Recipe Works
- Quick. It’s easy to make.
- Authentic.
- Easy to customize.
Ingredients for Keto Chopped Cheese
Here's what you'll need to make this keto-friendly chopped cheese:
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- Yellow Onion: Onions are a classic chopped cheese ingredient and an easy way to add flavor to such a simple sandwich. Yellow onions are preferred for their availability and cooking versatility.
- Lean Ground Beef: The ground beef is what makes a chopped cheese a chopped cheese. Beef. Either lean or standard ground beef works (85/15 or 90/10). In an actual bodega or corner store, they often use pre-formed hamburger patties that are chopped on the grill with a spatula. Using ground beef will help you skip the step of forming patties, but if that’s what you have on hand, use it!
- Adobo Seasoning: A seasoning mix commonly found in food from countries with people of Spanish descent, made from a blend of salt, black pepper, garlic powder, oregano, and turmeric. The chopped cheese originated in East Harlem, and naturally, their largely Latinx population gravitated toward foods and flavors that echoed their home-cooked favorites. It’s the perfect combo of flavors to create an insanely savory sandwich. Not all store-bought adobo seasonings are created equally! Some have a higher salt content than others. Start with 2 tsp. as written but if you feel like the chopped beef needs a little more flavor, feel free to amp it up with an extra 1/2 tsp. Seasonings. Kosher salt, black pepper, and garlic powder.
- American Cheese: The cheese is half of this sandwich’s namesake, so it’s important to get this right. It’s all about the melt factor. Mild, creamy, and salty, American cheese is hands-down the best melting cheese for an indulgent, comfort-food sandwich.
- 12" Hero Roll: A shareable hero roll is sturdy enough to hold the hearty fillings, soft enough to not scrape the roof of your mouth, and chewy enough to provide contrast with the creamy, cheesy. A kaiser roll is also a popular option. Bread Options for a Chopped Cheese: The hero is the standard choice, but a kaiser roll is always a great backup option.
- Iceberg Lettuce: While not typically my first choice when it comes to sandwich greens, iceberg lettuce is the absolute best choice for chopped cheese. A rich sandwich like this is begging for a healthy dose of crunch.
- Tomatoes: Is it really a deli sandwich without tomato? I think not. Skip the behemoth beefsteak tomatoes for this and go with something smaller like a vine-ripe tomato.
- Mayonnaise: Despite the creamy beef filling, this sandwich definitely benefits from a little mayo smeared on both sides of the bread. Try to get coverage all the way to the edge of the bread for an evenly lubricated bites.
- Keto-Friendly Buns: These replace the traditional hero roll to keep the carb count low.
Step-by-Step Instructions
Here’s how to make a keto chopped cheese sandwich:
- Preheat the skillet. The pan is hot enough when a few drops of water added to the pan bead up instead of immediately evaporating.
- Cook the onions: Cook some onions with a bit of oil until they’re just beginning to soften, but if they’re browning, you can throw in a couple tablespoons of water.
- Cook the ground beef: Now it’s time for the ground beef and adobo seasoning. Use a wooden spoon to break the beef into small pieces. Alternatively, you can use a pound of pre-formed, completely thawed burger patty if you’ve got that on hand. Cook the beef until it develops a deep brown color, with some pieces developing a darker crust.
- Melt the cheese: Spread the beef evenly in the pan and top with cheese slices. Put a lid or baking sheet on the skillet and let the cheese melt for a bit, then stir until it's completely melted.
- Prepare the buns: Halve the buns and lightly toast them lightly. Spread one side with mayonnaise. Place each roll on a sheet of parchment paper. Remove some of the bread from the rolls to give yourself room for plenty of stuffings.
- Assemble the sandwich: Fill the rolls with desired add-ins. Be sure to season with pepper though! For a classic presentation, tightly wrap the sandwiches in individual pieces of parchment and cut in half. Chopped cheese fix-ins.
Detailed Recipe
Ingredients
- 1 Tbsp. neutral oil
- 1 medium yellow onion, finely chopped
- Kosher salt
- 1 lb. lean ground beef
- 2 tsp. store-bought or homemade adobo seasoning
- 8 slices American cheese
- 2 (12") keto-friendly hero rolls
- 1/4 cup mayonnaise
- 2 cups shredded iceberg lettuce
- 2 vine-ripened or roma tomatoes, sliced
- Freshly ground black pepper
Directions
- Step 1: Heat a large stainless steel or cast-iron skillet over medium-high heat. Pour in oil and swirl to coat skillet. Add onion and cook, stirring occasionally, until beginning to soften, about 5 minutes. Add ground beef and adobo seasoning and cook, breaking up beef into small pieces with a wooden spoon, until beef is no longer pink, about 6 minutes.
- Step 2: Spread beef in pan and top with cheese slices. Reduce heat to medium. Cover skillet and cook until cheese slightly melts, about 2 minutes. Uncover and stir cheese into beef until completely melted and creamy.
- Step 3: Place each roll on a sheet of parchment. Scoop out some bread from each side of roll. Spread cut sides of each roll with 2 Tbsp. mayonnaise. Fill rolls with ground beef mixture, lettuce, and tomatoes; season with pepper. Tightly wrap sandwich in parchment and cut in half to serve.
Variations
- Spicy Chopped Cheese: Add pepper Jack cheese and jarred hot peppers.
- Taco Chopped Cheese: Add taco seasoning and pickled jalapeños.
- Buffalo Ranch Chopped Cheese: Add Buffalo sauce and ranch dressing.
Recipe Tips
- Additional Chopped Cheese Toppings: Make this your own by adding jarred hot peppers, sweet peppers, hot sauce, ketchup, and/or mustard.
- Bread Options for a Chopped Cheese: The hero is the standard choice, but a kaiser roll is always a great backup option.
Substitutions
- Make it vegetarian: Make this vegetarian by swapping the beef for your favorite plant-based ground beef.
Storage and Reheating
- How to store: Store chopped cheese components separately in airtight containers in the refrigerator for 3 to 4 days.
- How to reheat: Reheat ground beef filling in microwave 2 to 3 minutes, or until heated through. Heat roll in microwave to 10-15 seconds and build sandwich.
Serving Suggestions
Enjoy this handheld meal dipped in ketchup, more mayo, or spicy mustard but for the full experience, you’ll need to pop open a bag of your favorite chips and your favorite can of something fizzy. To enjoy this meal like a real New Yorker, serve it up on a front stoop (or porch), over the hood of your car, or while walking to an event you’re already 15 minutes late for.
Keto Sandwich Bowl: A Breadless Alternative
Easy Keto Sandwich Bowl is an alternative to a sub sandwich for those following a low-carb lifestyle. This keto recipe is customizable to the lunch meats, vegetables, and dressing you prefer. Many sub-shops have salads, but I didn’t want a salad with deli meat and cheese added. A salad in a bowl with the same fundamental ratios was the perfect solution.
A keto bowl is your favorite sandwich toppings that have been chopped, placed in a bowl, and coated with a delicious high fat / low carb dressing. Compared to a salad with the primary ingredient of lettuce and then toppings added.
Key Ingredients for Keto Sandwich Bowl
- Smoked deli ham: This is the main protein for this low-carb sandwich without bread.
- Parmesan Cheese: This ingredient is optional.
Customizing Your Keto Sandwich Bowl
This recipe is amazing because it’s customizable to your favorite sandwich ingredients.
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- Change the protein: If you don’t like ham, use turkey, pepperoni, roast beef, bacon, salami, or another favorite deli meat.
- Oil/Vinegar: This can be subbed for a different dressing such as ranch, a bit of mayo, mustard, etc.
Gluten-Free Considerations
The ingredients used in this sandwich bowl recipe are traditionally gluten-free. However, due to various food sensitivities as well as degrees, please make sure to check every ingredient of the exact products you use in your kitchen.
How to Make a Keto Sandwich Bowl
Chop ham, cheese, and veggies then put them in a bowl. Add olive oil, red wine vinegar, and Italian seasoning, and mix together. Dress the keto sandwich bowl. Enjoy! (This keto sandwich bowl tastes best after sitting for a few minutes so the oil/vinegar mixture can infuse all the other ingredients.
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