New York meaning
chopped cheese
A hot sandwich of chopped ground beef and melted cheese, strongly associated with New York bodegas.
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Meaning
A chopped cheese is a New York sandwich made by chopping seasoned ground beef on a griddle, melting cheese into it, and serving the mixture on a roll, commonly with lettuce, tomato, and condiments.
Pronunciation and grammar
/ˌtʃɑpt ˈtʃiːz/ · noun
Everyday food term in New York; increasingly known nationally.
How it is used
The sandwich is especially linked with bodegas in Harlem, the Bronx, and other parts of New York City. Recipes and toppings vary by shop, so the term names a recognizable style rather than one fixed formula.
Examples
Local: I ordered a chopped cheese from the bodega on the corner.
Plain English: I ordered the local chopped-beef-and-cheese sandwich from the corner store.
Local: Make the chopped cheese with everything on it.
Plain English: Prepare the sandwich with the usual vegetables and condiments.
Important context
A chopped cheese is not simply another name for a cheeseburger. The meat is chopped with the cheese on the griddle and served in a distinct bodega-sandwich style.