A melt sandwich is a type of sandwich

Sandwich

A sandwich is a food item, typically consisting of two or more slices of :bread with one or more fillings between them, or one slice of bread with a topping or toppings, commonly called an open sandwich. Sandwiches are a widely popular type of lunch food, typically taken to work or school, or...

 consisting of bread

Bread

Bread is a staple food prepared by cooking a dough of flour and water and often additional ingredients. Doughs are usually baked, but in some cuisines breads are steamed , fried , or baked on an unoiled frying pan . It may be leavened or unleavened...

, some sort of filling, and a layer of cheese

Cheese

Cheese is a generic term for a diverse group of milk-based food products. Cheese is produced throughout the world in wide-ranging flavors, textures, and forms....

, sometimes grated. The sandwich is then grilled

Grilling

Grilling is a form of cooking that involves dry heat applied to the surface of food, commonly from above or below.Grilling usually involves a significant amount of direct, radiant heat, and tends to be used for cooking meat quickly and meat that has already been cut into slices...

 or fried

Frying

Frying is the cooking of food in oil or another fat, a technique that originated in ancient Egypt around 2500 BC. Chemically, oils and fats are the same, differing only in melting point, but the distinction is only made when needed. In commerce, many fats are called oils by custom, e.g...

 until the cheese is melted. It may be served as an open face sandwich

Open sandwich

An open sandwich, also known as an open face/faced sandwich, Ulrich Sandwich, bread baser, or tartine, consists of a single slice of bread with one or more food items on top.- In various countries :...

 or a closed face one.

One common filling is tuna

Tuna

Tuna is a salt water fish from the family Scombridae, mostly in the genus Thunnus. Tuna are fast swimmers, and some species are capable of speeds of . Unlike most fish, which have white flesh, the muscle tissue of tuna ranges from pink to dark red. The red coloration derives from myoglobin, an...

, with mayonnaise

Mayonnaise

Mayonnaise, , often abbreviated as mayo, is a sauce. It is a stable emulsion of oil, egg yolk and either vinegar or lemon juice, with many options for embellishment with other herbs and spices. Lecithin in the egg yolk is the emulsifier. Mayonnaise varies in color but is often white, cream, or pale...

; the result would then be a tuna melt sandwich. Other popular choices are ham

Ham

Ham is a cut of meat from the thigh of the hind leg of certain animals, especiallypigs. Nearly all hams sold today are fully cooked or cured.-Etymology:...

, roast beef, chicken

Chicken sandwich

A chicken sandwich or chicken burger is a boneless, skinless, breast of chicken on a hamburger bun topped with condiments and trimmings. Invented by Chick-fil-A in 1964, the chicken sandwich has become a popular American food choice....

, turkey, and a hamburger patty, which is known as a patty melt

Patty melt

A patty melt is a type of sandwich consisting of a hamburger patty, pieces of sautéed or grilled onion, and Cheddar or Swiss cheese between two slices of bread...

. It is the filling that establishes the melt sandwich as a variation of the grilled cheese sandwich.

Patty melts were a staple of the traditional U.S. diner

Diner

A diner, also spelled dinor in western Pennsylvania is a prefabricated restaurant building characteristic of North America, especially in the Midwest, in New York City, in Pennsylvania and in New Jersey, and in other areas of the Northeastern United States, although examples can be found throughout...

 and were commonly found on menus as far back as the 1950s and possibly the 1940s.

See also

• Croque-monsieur
  Croque-monsieur
  A croque-monsieur is a hot ham and cheese grilled sandwich. It originated in France as a fast-food snack served in cafés and bars...
  
  
• Gerber sandwich
  Gerber sandwich
  Gerber sandwich or "Famous Gerber sandwich" is an open faced sandwich made in St. Louis, Missouri. The Gerber consists of a half section of Italian or French bread, spread with garlic butter, and topped with ham, Provel or Provolone cheese and seasoned with a sprinkling of paprika and then...
  
  
• Grilled cheese sandwich
• Horseshoe sandwich
  Horseshoe sandwich
  The horseshoe sandwich originated in Springfield, Illinois. This open-faced sandwich begins with thick-sliced toasted bread, and most often hamburger patties, or ham. Other meat is also used, such as deep fried pork tenderloin, grilled or fried chicken breast, and fried fish filets. There is also...
  
  
• Hot Brown
  Hot Brown
  A Hot Brown Sandwich is a hot sandwich originally created at the Brown Hotel in Louisville, Kentucky, by Fred K. Schmidt in 1926. It is a variation of traditional Welsh rarebit and was one of two signature sandwiches created by chefs at the Brown Hotel shortly after its founding in 1923...
  
  
• Monte Cristo sandwich
  Monte Cristo sandwich
  A Monte Cristo is a fried ham and cheese sandwich. The cheese used is Emmental or Gruyère.-Description:The sandwich can differ regionally. Regional variations may include sliced turkey along with the ham and cheese. Traditionally, the sandwich is dipped in its entirety in egg batter and fried...
  
  
• Open sandwich
  Open sandwich
  An open sandwich, also known as an open face/faced sandwich, Ulrich Sandwich, bread baser, or tartine, consists of a single slice of bread with one or more food items on top.- In various countries :...
  
  
• Panino
  Panino
  Panini are small, filled, bread rolls, which are sometimes toasted. They are Italian in origin, but now found in other countries.In Italy, panino is the word for a sandwich made with a bread roll. Sandwiches there are customarily made from a roll or loaf of bread, typically a ciabatta or a rosetta...
  
  
• Parmo
  Parmo
  Parmo or Parmesan, a food dish originating in Middlesbrough, is popular in the North East of England, North Yorkshire and especially in the Teesside area, Hartlepool and Darlington. It typically consists of deep-fried chicken in bread crumbs topped with a white béchamel sauce and cheese...
  
  
• Sandwich toaster
  Sandwich toaster
  A sandwich toaster is used to make toasted sandwiches. It can be either a cooking utensil designed to be used over hot coals, or an electrical appliance....
  
  
• Tuna fish sandwich
  Tuna fish sandwich
  A tuna fish sandwich, a tuna salad sandwich, or tuna sandwich, is a type of sandwich usually made with tuna salad and includes ingredients such as mayonnaise and celery...
  
  
• List of sandwiches