Name: Chopped Cheese (New York Bodega Recipe)
Prep time: 5 min
Cook time: 15 min
Total time: 20 min
Ingredients: 1 lb ground beef (85% lean); 1 tbsp adobo (Healthy Rican); 1 tsp sazon (Healthy Rican); 1 tsp onion powder; 1 tsp garlic powder; 1/2 tsp ground oregano; 6 slices American cheese; 2 cups iceberg lettuce (thinly sliced); 1 tomato (thinly sliced); 4 kaiser rolls (can use pan sobao or Cuban bread); 1/2 cup mayonnaise; 1/4 tsp pickle brine; 2 tbsp ketchup; 1 tbsp dijon mustard; 1/2 tsp onion finely diced; 1 tsp paprika; 1/2 tsp onion powder; 1/2 tsp garlic powder

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A chopped cheese sandwich can be found at bodegas across New York, especially in Hispanic neighborhoods. It is made with seasoned chopped meat, melted cheese and topped with lettuce, tomatoes, and special sauce also known as bodega sauce. This New York City favorite is easy to make at home with just a few simple ingredients. Let’s dive in to this New York bodega recipe!

What is a chopped cheese?

A chopped cheese is kind of like a cheeseburger but the beef is chopped up and it’s served in a hoagie, kaiser roll or pan sobao. It is said that this bodega-style sandwich originated at Hajji’s Deli in East Harlem in the 1990s. This bodega can be found on the corner of First Avenue and 110th Street and is now called Blue Sky Deli.

The chopped cheese gained popularity when Rahim Mohamed also known as Ocky started creating uncommon versions of chopped cheese at his bodega Red Hook Food in Brooklyn, NY. Ocky makes chopped cheese sandwiches with anything from pop tarts and honey buns to mozzarella sticks and hot cheetos! Sometimes customers request even request a chopped cheese made in a Jamaican beef patty. The possibilities are endless when you get a chopped cheese “the Ocky way!”

Ingredients for making a chopped cheese sandwich:

Ground beef
Adobo, Healthy Rican
Sazón, Healthy Rican
Onion powder
Garlic powder
Ground oregano
American cheese
Iceberg lettuce
Tomato
Kaiser rolls or pan sobao
Special sauce, see recipe below

Bodega Chopped Cheese Recipe:

Making a bodega-style chopped cheese sandwich is easy to do at home. Plus, it comes together with just a few ingredients and in under 20 minutes!

Make the special sauce

You can’t make a chopped cheese without special sauce or bodega sauce. Here is how to make bodega sauce. This is basically a mixture of mayonnaise, ketchup, mustard, pickle juice and spices. The full recipe is down below. Add all of the ingredients to a small bowl. Stir everything until well combined. Transfer to a squeeze bottle if you want to drizzle. Keep the sauce refrigerated until it is ready for use.

Prepare the toppings

Rinse and thinly slice the lettuce and tomatoes. Set aside.

Cook the beef

Place a skillet over medium high heat. Brown your ground beef and remove any excess fat from your skillet. Add seasonings and stir to combine. I like to use adobo, sazon, onion powder, garlic powder, and oregano. I use Healthy Rican seasonings because they are free of harmful ingredients like MSG and dyes. Use my code: madewithsazon for 10% off your Healthy Rican order!

Top the beef with cheese, reduce heat to low and cover until it has melted. Chop the cheese into the meat until everything is well combined.

Assemble the sandwich

Load the cheesy beef onto your bread. You can use kaiser rolls, hoagies, or pan sobao which is basically a soft baguette. French or Cuban bread works great too. Top the meat with lettuce, tomatoes, and drizzle with special sauce. Enjoy!

What to serve with a chopped cheese sandwich?

You can serve a chopped cheese sandwich with any sides you would serve with a cheeseburger: french fries, onion rings, mozzarella sticks, potato chips, etc. Don’t forget a cold drink like a Cola Champagne, Malta, Snapple, or can of soda to complete the bodega experience. In the words of Ocky, “can’t forget the bev… neva, neva, neva!”

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Chopped Cheese (New York Bodega Recipe)

5 from 3 votes

Print Recipe Pin Recipe

Prep Time 5

Cook Time 15

Total Time 20

Servings 4 people

Ingredientes

Chopped Cheese

1 lb ground beef 85% lean
1 tbsp adobo Healthy Rican
1 tsp sazon Healthy Rican
1 tsp onion powder
1 tsp garlic powder
1/2 tsp ground oregano
6 slices American cheese
2 cups iceberg lettuce thinly sliced
1 tomato thinly sliced
4 kaiser rolls can use pan sobao or Cuban bread

Special sauce

1/2 cup mayonnaise
1/4 tsp pickle brine
2 tbsp ketchup
1 tbsp dijon mustard
1/2 tsp onion finely diced
1 tsp paprika
1/2 tsp onion powder
1/2 tsp garlic powder