I decided to make the Starfield sandwich because waiting patiently for Bethesda’s newest space RPG game clearly wasn’t enough for me. So if you want to make the Starfield sandwich yourself in all its deliciously messy glory while you wait for the Starfield release date, now’s your chance.
Ever since Bethesda’s first reveal, Starfield and sandwiches have been inseparable. The only Starfield image we had for quite some time was a picture of a sandwich on a table; then we learned that you could steal a whole space station’s worth of lunches and your PC’s own computational power as a Starfield sandwich bandit, only to find out recently that the Starfield economy might be completely broken due to the price of these stolen subs.
This is when I learned about the Patty Melt, an elusive bit of Starfield food that gave me an idea: what if I made the space sandwich myself? My cooking ability extends to throwing a pile of ingredients into a slow cooker and calling it a Thai Green Curry, so I knew this was about to get messy. It’s just meat, cheese, and bread though, so how hard could it really be?
Described as “a hamburger patty smothered in cheese and grilled on toast, usually served with a side of chipped potatoes,” the Patty Melt is a simple dish, so I decided to keep my rendition of the Starfield sandwich simple too. I encourage anyone that decides to follow in my chaotic cooking footsteps to make the sandwich however they desire, but I do have some advice from my first (and only) attempt later on.
You don’t need much to make the Patty Melt work either, but in an effort to get as close to the official image as possible, I used white bread, crinkle-cut fries, quarter-pounder beef burgers, butter, cheddar cheese, plain flower, and whole milk. I also picked up some OJ in an attempt to have Starfield’s “Orange Juice of Transcendence,” but I had no idea how to make it lower my health as I drink it without adding vodka, and I wasn’t about to do that at 12 in the afternoon – so regular orange juice had to do.
Starfield Patty Melt ingredients
Keep in mind that these ingredients aren’t set in stone. Use whatever bread, meat, cheese, and fries you want. I didn’t attempt a Starfield sandwich with vegan ingredients, but I don’t see why you couldn’t get a similar result.
- White bread
- Crinkle-cut fries
- Beef patties
- A block of high-strength cheddar cheese
- Butter
- Plain flour
- Whole milk
- Salt
- Pepper
- Cayenne
- Tomato ketchup
How to make the Starfield Patty Melt
First up is some simple prep: butter your bread, grate your cheese, and preheat your oven to whatever temperature your fries need. Also measure out how much whole milk, flour, and butter you need depending on serving size. To be perfectly honest, I eyeballed measurements for one serving and definitely overdid it, but it’s always better to have too much than too little, right?
Put your fries in the oven and start cooking your burger, I ended up pan-frying mine due to a lack of space, but you can cook the meat however suits you.
Melt butter in a separate pan, then slowly add your plain flour, mixing it until you have a roux.
Slowly add your whole milk to the roux in small portions, constantly mixing it to make sure that the milk and roux mixture has a smooth consistency, then bring this to a boil.
Once it’s boiled, turn the heat down low (and don’t turn it up again to keep the sauce’s consistency), mixing in your grated cheese and seasonings to taste. In my experience, the more cheese you put in, the better.
Finish cooking the burger patty and fries, then put your buttered white bread under the grill.
Once it’s golden brown, turn both slices over and butter just one slice – this double-buttered piece will go on top of your Patty Melt.
Finally, put your burger on the bread, smother this in cheese sauce, and add your double-buttered piece of bread on top. Then you can put the fries and ketchup on the plate.
Because I was stuck for choice, I ended up going with two smaller but thicker beef patties, but I’d recommend going with one bigger and thinner smash patty or something similar to give the sandwich more solid support.
Verdict on the Starfield Patty Melt
Despite my version of the Starfield Patty Melt being simple and messy, it was absolutely superb. It might be the joy of cooking something for yourself or the age-old combo of bread, meat, and cheese, but it was a sublime sandwich.
The beauty of the Patty Melt isn’t just in how easy it is though, it’s in the lack of flair. With only a few basic ingredients, you can customize the Starfield sandwich to your heart’s content with different bread, cheese, meat, and even some extras. Cheese sauce is a great way to get the “smothered” out of the sandwich’s description too, with any extra sauce making for a perfect topping on your fries.
I’m not a great cook, that much should be obvious from the above image, but the Patty Melt is a simple dish with some great key flavors, and it’s a hard one to screw up in terms of taste – visually though, I should be proof enough that it’s possible to get it very, very wrong. Don’t just take my word for it though – I implore you to try it yourself. Just be aware that it’ll probably be the only meal you’ll need to eat for a week.
If you just can’t wait for Bethesda’s space RPG, we’re already putting together a comprehensive Starfield walkthrough of every guide you’ll ever need, which we’ll keep updating up to launch and beyond. We also have the lowdown on every Starfield companion, so you can find someone to share that Patty Melt with.
Still looking for more? While a good Starfield wiki can be a handy source of information, our new Starfield Database goes further, offering you daily news, searchable databanks, and even interactive tools.
