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Home » Recipes » Burgers and Sandwiches

Published: Feb 6, 2020 · Modified: Jan 17, 2023 by Amanda McGrory-Dixon

Cheeseburger Sub With Special Sauce

Jump to Recipe

Meet your new favorite party food! Perfectly toasted, soft rolls are filled with tender ground beef, melted cheddar cheese, a homemade special sauce and all your favorite toppings to make this cheeseburger sub recipe. Whether you serve these burger-inspired sub sandwiches at a watch party, tailgate or just a casual gathering, everyone is sure to love them.

A cheeseburger sub on brown paper with fries on the side and a beer with a plate of toppings.
Jump to:
  • Why You Need to Make This Recipe
  • Ingredients
  • What Is Special Sauce?
  • Step-by-Step Instructions
  • Topping Options
  • How to Serve
  • Perfect Pairing
  • Looking for More Party Food?
  • 📖 Recipe

Why You Need to Make This Recipe

I mean no disrespect to burgers, but sometimes it's fun to change it up. A good burger piled high with toppings is always satisfying. The same can be said about a toasted sub sandwich.

So why not bring the two together to make one fun party dish? No one in their right mind would turn down a juicy burger or sub sandwich, especially when slathered with this delicious homemade special sauce, and these subs are completely customizable to suit everyone's individual taste. Guaranteed crowd-pleaser? Yes, please!

Plus, these subs couldn't be easier to make. Rather than firing up the grill, crumbled beef quickly cooks on the stove, which is great if you plan on serving these subs during chilly weather, and we don't have to worry about taking the time to form perfectly shaped burger patties. When we're talking about casual gatherings, it doesn't get better than quick and easy.

Bonus: Love a good party sub? You should also try my Buffalo chicken sub!

Ingredients

As usual, let's first chat ingredients. Here's everything we need to make both 0ur special sauce and cheeseburger subs.

  • Mayonnaise
  • Sweet relish
  • Garlic cloves
  • Apple cider vinegar
  • Paprika
  • Onion powder
  • Hot sauce
  • Worcestershire sauce
  • Salt and pepper
  • Ground beef
  • Olive oil
  • Sub rolls
  • Cheddar cheese
  • Melted butter
  • Additional desired toppings
Looking down on a cheeseburger sub with fries and splatters of the special sauce.

What Is Special Sauce?

Of course, most people hear special sauce and think McDonald's. This is not a copycat McDonald's special sauce recipe.

Rather, this is simply a burger sauce I created and love. Sure, there's a bit of classic Americana inspiration in the recipe name, but I just want to set expectations that this isn't meant to be the same thing as the McDonald's sauce. While my sauce is mayo based with sweet relish, it also contains fresh garlic and my own spice combination to give it a unique flavor.

And don't feel like you can only use this special sauce on these subs. Besides your standard burger, you can even use this sauce as a dipper for all sorts of appetizers. Fried mushrooms, zucchini fritters, corn cakes -- you name it. They'd all be great to dip in this sauce.

Step-by-Step Instructions

Get ready for one simple recipe. We start by making our special sauce, which is as easy as mixing mayonnaise, sweet relish, garlic, spices and flavorings. And for easy entertaining, feel free to take care of this step days ahead.

Now we move on to our subs. We cook our ground beef in a large skillet and add a little garlic in the end for an extra delicious flavor boost. From here, we drain our cooked beef and then divide it among sub rolls.

Browning the ground beef in a cast-iron skillet.
The buns filled with ground beef and cheddar before broiling.

I like my burgers with melted cheese, so to get that same effect, we top with cheddar or your preferred cheese and place under the broiler for about a minute.

As a bonus, this perfectly toasts our cheeseburger subs. Of course, you can always skip this step, but I think we can all agree melted cheese is best, so I’m not sure why you would. But you do you.

After broiling, we slather on that delicious homemade special sauce with our desired toppings and enjoy one tasty cheeseburger sub. See? How quick and easy was that?

Now let's serve these subs with some fries and a Big Mac salad for extra burger goodness and devour.

Topping Options

For the photos, I kept it classic: shredded iceberg lettuce, tomato slices, red onions and special sauce. But don’t feel like you have to stop there. You have so many topping options with this sub.

  • Bacon or my bourbon bacon jam
  • Fried egg
  • Caramelized or fried onions
  • Avocado slices or guacamole
  • Fresh jalapeno slices
  • Queso
  • Sauteed mushrooms
  • Potato chips
  • Tropical pico de gallo or chipotle-roasted tomato salsa
  • My authentic Texas chili or Colorado-style pork green chile

And those are just a few options. Feel free to get creative and add your own twist.

A close-up shot of the cheeseburger sub with a beer in the background.

How to Serve

You have two options here. These subs work well as a main entree served whole, or you can cut them in half for an appetizer.

For a cute presentation, you can wrap them in parchment paper and tie them with some rustic string. Or you can keep it simple and place them on a tray unadorned. Your call.

Perfect Pairing

I based these pairings off your standard toppings, so these could vary depending on what you add to your sandwich. That said, for a standard cheeseburger sub, I love a double IPA. The bitter hops and the sharp cheddar balance each other nicely, and the caramel-like malt works great with the rich beef. Plus, all those bubbles cut through the fat to keep our palate refreshed.

If wine is more your style, I'm partial to a cabernet sauvignon. This bold wine is a classic match with both beef and cheddar, and I love how a cab's savory notes pair with those big flavors. Plus, cabernet sauvignon has enough acidity to break through all the different toppings of our sub to keep everything balanced.

For a fun party treat, I hope you try this cheeseburger sub recipe. No matter what you choose for toppings, everyone is sure to love this party sandwich. Please let me know how you enjoyed this recipe in the comment section and don’t forget to sign up for my newsletter. You can also catch me on Instagram, Pinterest, Facebook and Twitter.

Cheers!

An aerial view of the cheeseburger sub with a plate of toppings and shredded lettuce scattered around it.
The cheeseburger sub with a beer and fries and special sauce on the brown paper.

Looking for More Party Food?

  • Soft beer pretzels with Oktoberfest cheese dip
  • Crab cake sliders with basil-avocado aioli
  • Jamaican jerk salsa
  • Ahi nachos with wasabi crema
  • Minted lamb burgers with tzatziki sauce

📖 Recipe

A cheeseburger sub with classic toppings on brown paper with a beer in the background.

Cheeseburger Sub With Special Sauce

Meet your new favorite party food! Perfectly toasted, soft rolls are filled with tender ground beef, melted cheddar cheese, a homemade special sauce and all your favorite toppings to make this cheeseburger sub recipe. Whether you serve these burger-inspired sub sandwiches at a watch party, tailgate or just a casual gathering, everyone is sure to love them.
5 from 20 votes
Print Pin Rate
Course: Burgers and Sandwiches
Cuisine: American
Prep Time: 10 minutes
Cook Time: 15 minutes
Total Time: 25 minutes
Servings: 4 people
Calories: 695kcal
Author: Amanda McGrory-Dixon

Equipment

  • Large skillet
  • Broiler-proof baking sheet

Ingredients

Special Sauce

  • ¼ cup mayonnaise
  • 1 tablespoon sweet relish
  • 1 garlic clove minced or grated
  • ½ teaspoon apple cider vinegar
  • ¼ teaspoon paprika
  • ⅛ teaspoon onion powder
  • Few dashes of hot sauce
  • Few dashes of Worcestershire sauce
  • Salt to taste

Cheeseburger Sub

  • 1 pound ground beef
  • 1 tablespoon olive oil
  • 1 teaspoon salt
  • ½ teaspoon pepper
  • ½ teaspoon paprika
  • 2 garlic cloves minced or grated
  • 4 6-inch sub rolls
  • 1 cup freshly grated cheddar cheese
  • 1 tablespoon melted butter
  • Additional desired toppings optional

Instructions

  • To make the special sauce, add the mayonnaise to a small bowl and stir in the remaining ingredients. Store in an airtight container in the refrigerator. You can do this up to a week in advance.
  • To make the cheeseburger subs, in a large skillet over medium heat, add the oil. Once the oil warms, add the ground beef and sprinkle with salt, pepper and paprika. Cook the beef, using a wooden spoon to break up the meat during the cooking process. Add the garlic and cook for 30 seconds, constantly stirring. Turn off the heat and drain the beef.
  • Divide the beef among four sub rolls. Top each with ¼ cup shredded cheddar. Place in the broiler until the cheese melts. This should only take about a minute, so keep a close eye to make sure the bread doesn't burn. Remove from the broiler and dress with special sauce and desired toppings. Lightly brush the sub rolls with melted butter. Enjoy!

Notes

  • As listed, this recipe is for whole sandwiches to make a meal. However, you can cut the subs in half and serve as an appetizer.
  • Nutritional information is only an estimate. The accuracy of the nutritional information for any recipe on this site is not guaranteed.

Nutrition

Serving: 1sub | Calories: 695kcal | Carbohydrates: 40g | Protein: 31g | Fat: 45g | Saturated Fat: 18g | Cholesterol: 128mg | Sodium: 662mg | Fiber: 6g | Sugar: 6g
Tried this Recipe? Pin it for Later!Mention @BurrataandBubbles or tag #burratandbubbles!

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    Recipe Rating




  1. Natalie says

    August 24, 2021 at 10:35 am

    5 stars
    This looks AMAZING! Yum! I know my family will love this so I'm saving the recipe to try. Thanks for the lovely dinner idea.

    Reply
    • Amanda McGrory-Dixon says

      August 25, 2021 at 10:15 am

      You are very welcome!

      Reply
  2. Lara says

    August 23, 2021 at 12:55 pm

    5 stars
    We made these over the weekend and they were a hit! The sauce is amazing!

    Reply
    • Amanda McGrory-Dixon says

      August 23, 2021 at 2:22 pm

      Thank you! That's great to hear!

      Reply
  3. Kayla DiMaggio says

    August 23, 2021 at 6:20 am

    5 stars
    Loved the hot sauce in this special sauce! It was unlike any sauce I had tried before!

    Reply
    • Amanda McGrory-Dixon says

      August 23, 2021 at 2:18 pm

      It really is tasty! Glad you agree!

      Reply
  4. The Sudden Cook says

    August 23, 2021 at 12:45 am

    5 stars
    The loook AMAZING! YES to burgers with melted cheese - I do hope to make this for the other half 🙂

    Reply
    • Amanda McGrory-Dixon says

      August 23, 2021 at 2:18 pm

      You will both love them!

      Reply
  5. Jean says

    August 22, 2021 at 10:06 pm

    5 stars
    your special sauce is a good additional to burgers

    Reply
    • Amanda McGrory-Dixon says

      August 23, 2021 at 2:17 pm

      Thanks, Jean! It really does make these subs extra fun.

      Reply
  6. Denay DeGuzman says

    February 25, 2020 at 7:04 pm

    5 stars
    These cheeseburger subs were incredibly savory and delicious! I served them this afternoon during a casual backyard meet-up with friends.

    Reply
    • Amanda McGrory-Dixon says

      February 26, 2020 at 1:51 am

      So, so happy to hear that!

      Reply
  7. Carrie Robinson says

    February 25, 2020 at 5:49 pm

    5 stars
    Ahhhhhh.... I just love this so much! Looks amazing! 🙂

    Reply
    • Amanda McGrory-Dixon says

      February 26, 2020 at 1:50 am

      It's so good!

      Reply
    • Holly says

      June 11, 2020 at 11:28 pm

      5 stars
      Okay, just made the DELICIOUS sauce. Now for the rest of it....

      Reply
      • Amanda McGrory-Dixon says

        June 12, 2020 at 5:27 pm

        So glad to hear you loved the sauce! Hope you enjoyed everything else!

  8. Toni says

    February 25, 2020 at 4:27 pm

    5 stars
    I seriously loved that special sauce!! Really amazing! It was a huge hit.

    Reply
    • Amanda McGrory-Dixon says

      February 25, 2020 at 4:41 pm

      Yay! So glad to hear that.

      Reply
  9. Tonje says

    February 25, 2020 at 4:25 pm

    5 stars
    Yum! Making these for game night, think they will be a hit!

    Reply
    • Amanda McGrory-Dixon says

      February 25, 2020 at 4:41 pm

      I bet they will be!

      Reply
  10. Dannii says

    February 25, 2020 at 4:22 pm

    5 stars
    Oh that sauce sounds incredible. I want to put it on everything!

    Reply
    • Amanda McGrory-Dixon says

      February 25, 2020 at 4:38 pm

      I don't blame you!

      Reply

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A headshot of Amanda, the owner of Burrata and Bubbles, holding a beer.

Hi, I'm Amanda, a Denver-based lady who believes life is best spent with comforting meals, tasty beverages and good company. When I'm not playing in the kitchen, I'm probably exploring new breweries with my husband, Matt, or obsessing over my adorable dog, Baylor.

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