This easy vegan chopped cheese sandwich tastes just like the New York City favorite! Ready in under 45 minutes and a hit for vegans and omnivores alike!
If you have ever been to New York City and didn’t opt for the pizza, then you may just have had a chopped cheese sandwich. Luckily, you can now have it veganized! This vegan chopped cheese sandwich tastes just like the original!
If you have never been to NYC and had a chopped cheese though, you may have no idea what a chopped cheese is or why you even may want to consider it, but trust us you definitely want to try this.
A chopped cheese sandwich, sometimes also called a chop cheese, is a sandwich that can be found in bodegas throughout most of the boroughs. It is made on a hot grill with beef, onions, and cheese, then served with lettuce, tomatoes and your favorite condiments on a roll.
And now today we are showing you how to veganize it.
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Frequently Asked Questions:
Can I make this vegan chopped cheese Top 8 Allergen Free?
Yes-ish!
You need to use a vegan meat that is safe for you to eat for your allergens. Beyond Meat and Lightlife are two that are soy and gluten free and would be useable in this recipe.
You also need to choose a safe for you vegan cheese option. You can take a look at a few here.
And lastly, the roll. Most rolls contain gluten, but you could use gluten free bread or buns. While not the same, you could also use lettuce wraps for this recipe.
Can I prep this vegan chopped cheese ahead?
Yes for the meat mixture. You can make the caramelized onions and meat mixture; however, avoid any of the other steps until you are ready to eat. Let cool completely and store in the figure for 4-5 days.
Do I have to use a cast iron or stainless steel pan?
Technically, no. However, these are best for caramelizing onions. The build up at the bottom of these plates is what makes caramelized onions to delicious and nonstick skillets won’t allow that to build up.
Do I have to use vegan burgers or can I use meatless crumbles?
You can use either. Depending on the restaurant you go to in New York City there is a mix. We chose to use vegan burgers but we have also tried this using Gardein meatless crumbles and it worked just as well.
What vegan cheese are you using?
We are using Tofutti cheese slices in the photos as we have found that they melt very well. However, you can use whatever vegan cheese option you like.
What are the best onions to use for vegan chopped cheese?
Yellow or sweet onions are the best onions for caramelizing.
However, no matter what onions you have they do all caramelize so feel free to play around in the kitchen.
WHAT OTHER VEGAN RESTAURANT COPYCAT IDEAS COULD I MAKE?
It’s fun to make copycat restaurant creations at home. More often than not, they taste even better than in a restaurant because they are made fresh.
Luckily, we have a few more ideas for you. Don’t see one you want? Leave a comment below and let us know what recipe we should copycat next.
- Copycat Chick-fil-a Vegan Chicken Biscuit
- Copycat P.F. Chang’s Lettuce Wraps
- Vegan Mexican Pizza (Taco Bell copycat)
- Copycat Chick-fil-a Vegan Chicken
- Copycat Chick-fil-A Veggie Wraps
Pin this vegan chopped cheese for later:
Vegan Chopped Cheese Sandwich
Ingredients
- 1 1/2 lbs sweet onions, thinly sliced (about 4 medium onions)
- 1/4 cup oil
- 1 tsp salt
- 4 vegan burgers (ones that thaw first are best)
- salt and pepper to taste
- 4 hoagie rolls, toasted if desired
- 4 slices vegan cheese cheese
- sliced tomatoes
- shredded lettuce
- mayo or ketchup (sub with favorite condiments)
Instructions
- Add oil to a large cast iron or stainless steel skillet over medium heat. Add thinly sliced onions and toss them to coat with oil. Add 1 tsp salt then stir one more time.
- Cook the onions, stirring and scraping up the bottom of the pan every 5 minutes with a wooden spoon. Cook for 25-35 minutes. Around 20 minutes onions will start to smell caramelized. Around 30 minutes onions should be blonde in color and thickened. Cook longer for a deeper caramelized flavor or remove once to your liking. Turn down heat if you notice they are cooking too quickly or burning.
- Add the burgers to the pan and salt and pepper to taste. Begin chopping until they are a crumbled like texture. Cook 10 minutes or according to the packaged instructions. Should reach 165 degrees F.
- Once crumbled and heated through, add four slices of cheese on top. Add skillet lid and remove from heat. Let sit for about 3-4 minutes or until cheese has melted.
- Add 1/4 of the mixture to a hoagie roll with lettuce, tomatoes and your favorite condiments.
- Serve and enjoy!
Notes
Let’s see your creations!
Share to Instagram and tag us @makeitdairyfree so we can see and share it!
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