Andy Montoya
Grilled cheese is a simple, delicious, and comforting dish. It's a sandwich with a crisp, golden exterior and a gooey, melty, cheesy middle. The key to a great grilled cheese is using the right ingredients and applying the right techniques. You can use a mix of cheeses, such as cheddar, Gruyère, Monterey Jack, or mozzarella, and bread such as sourdough or white bread. The bread should be thinly sliced and buttered on the outside to create a crispy texture when grilled. You can also add condiments like mayonnaise, mustard, or spices to enhance the flavour. Grilled cheese is best enjoyed fresh, but leftovers can be stored in an airtight container for a few days.
How to Make a Grilled Cheese Sandwich
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Bread | Sourdough, white bread, brioche, ciabatta, Texas Toast |
| Bread texture | Sturdy, not too thick, thin, or soft |
| Butter | Salted, softened |
| Cheese | Cheddar, American, Monterey Jack, Gruyère, Havarti, Pepper Jack, Mozzarella, Swiss, Colby |
| Cheese texture | Shredded, grated, or sliced |
| Cooking method | Skillet, griddle, pan, air fryer, sandwich press, toaster |
| Seasonings | Salt, garlic powder, creole seasoning, cayenne, paprika, onion powder, mustard, kimchi, Parmesan |
| Sides | Tomato soup, cauliflower soup, creamy vegetable soup |
| Storage | Airtight container in the fridge for up to 3 days |
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What You'll Learn
Choosing the right bread
Sourdough is a popular choice for grilled cheese due to its tangy flavour, which pairs well with rich, melted cheese. White bread is another classic option, offering a plain canvas that lets the cheese shine. If you're feeling indulgent, brioche can add a touch of richness to your sandwich. For a more rustic feel, ciabatta brings an airy texture to the table.
When making grilled cheese, it's essential to consider the buttering technique. Butter should be spread on the outside of the bread, with softened butter yielding a crispier exterior. If you're feeling adventurous, you can even try using mayonnaise instead of butter, as it adds a subtle tang and promotes even browning. However, if you're a traditionalist, stick with butter for that classic grilled cheese flavour.
To achieve the perfect melt, it's recommended to shred your cheese instead of using slices. Shredded cheese melts quicker and more evenly, ensuring that it cooks at the same rate as the bread. Finely grated cheese is the best option for a smooth, creamy texture. Additionally, grating your own cheese is preferable to buying pre-shredded, as the latter often contains anti-caking agents that hinder melting.
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Selecting the best cheese
When selecting the cheese, you want to ensure that it melts smoothly and evenly, creating a gooey and stretchy texture. For this reason, it is best to opt for a low-moisture cheese as they melt the best. A good melting cheese will have a smooth, stretchy, and gooey texture.
Some of the best cheeses for grilled cheese sandwiches include American, cheddar, pepper Jack, Havarti, Gruyère, Monterey Jack, gouda, brie, muenster, and fontina. These cheeses melt well and have excellent flavour profiles. For instance, young fontina is softer and smoother, resulting in a sweet and creamy melt, while aged fontina tends to be harder and more complex in flavour. Similarly, a young gouda melts beautifully and has a nutty, caramel-like flavour, whereas a smoked gouda will not melt the same way due to its altered consistency.
When selecting a cheese, you can also consider the bread you will be using. For instance, a soft cheese like brie melts very easily and pairs well with a crusty bread like ciabatta and a spread of something sweet like jam. On the other hand, a sturdy bread like sourdough or ciabatta can stand up to the heat and saturation of butter and gooey cheese, so it can be paired with a cheese like mozzarella, which has excellent melting abilities but a mild flavour.
Additionally, you can use a combination of cheeses to enhance the flavour and texture of your grilled cheese sandwich. For instance, you can use mozzarella for its excellent stretch and another cheese for flavour, like Gruyère or vintage cheddar.
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Butter or mayo?
There are two schools of thought when it comes to the perfect grilled cheese sandwich: butter or mayo. Both spreads have their pros and cons, and the choice is ultimately a matter of personal preference.
Butter
Butter is the traditional choice for grilled cheese. It is rich and creamy, adding a decadent touch to the sandwich. Butter also has a distinct flavour that can enhance the taste of the cheese and bread. However, one downside of using butter is that it burns quickly and can leave your sandwich with an uneven, burnt taste. To avoid this, it is recommended to cook at a low temperature, which can be time-consuming. Butter also needs to be softened before use, which adds another step to the sandwich-making process.
Mayo
Mayonnaise, on the other hand, is a more recent addition to the grilled cheese repertoire. It has a higher smoke point than butter, which means it can withstand higher temperatures without burning. This makes it a more convenient option, as you can cook your sandwich at a higher temperature and achieve an even, golden-brown crust. Mayonnaise is also spreadable straight from the fridge, saving you time and effort. In addition, the tangy flavour of mayonnaise can add a subtle kick to your sandwich, enhancing the taste of the cheese and bread without overwhelming them.
The Combo
Some grilled cheese enthusiasts argue that the best method is to use a combination of both butter and mayonnaise. This involves spreading mayonnaise on the outside of the bread and cooking the sandwich in a butter-slicked pan. This combination creates a crispy, golden-brown exterior with a rich, indulgent flavour.
Ultimately, the choice between butter and mayo comes down to personal preference. Both options can produce a delicious grilled cheese sandwich, so feel free to experiment and find the method that works best for you.
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Grilling techniques
Grilled cheese sandwiches are made on the stove in a skillet, griddle, or pan. A non-stick skillet is ideal for grilled cheese, and a cast-iron skillet is recommended for even heating and browning. For multiple sandwiches, an electric griddle or flat cooktop is a good option.
Before cooking, the skillet should be heated to a medium or low-medium heat. A cold pan can also be used, heating slowly and evenly as you cook. This helps the cheese melt as the bread toasts.
To prepare the sandwich, butter should be spread on the outside of each slice of bread. Some recipes call for mayonnaise to be spread on the outside of the bread instead of butter, as it helps the sandwich brown and adds a rich flavor. The butter or mayonnaise should be spread to the edges of the bread to ensure a crispy exterior. Salt or garlic powder can be added to the buttered side of the bread for extra flavor.
Once the skillet is heated, the sandwich should be placed buttered-side down. The sandwich should cook until the bottom slice of bread is lightly browned, then flipped. It should then continue cooking until the other side is browned and the cheese is melted. Burnt butter will negatively impact the flavor of the sandwich, so the skillet should be wiped out with a paper towel between batches.
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Serving suggestions
Grilled cheese sandwiches are best served hot and fresh off the pan. The perfect grilled cheese sandwich should be golden brown and crispy on the outside, with melted gooey cheese on the inside.
While grilled cheese sandwiches are delicious on their own, you can serve them with a bowl of tomato soup for dipping. You can also add a squirt of yellow mustard onto the plate for dipping.
If you want to experiment with different ingredients, you can try adding fresh vegetables, fruits, or herbs to your grilled cheese sandwich. Some options include sliced tomatoes, figs, tart apples, pears, grapes, kiwis, hot peppers, avocado, spinach, caramelized onions, steamed broccoli, roasted red peppers, or roasted tomatoes.
For a gourmet grilled cheese sandwich, use a mix of Gruyere and brie cheese with thinly sliced apples or a spread of fig jam. You can also add some crunch by layering in pickled red onions, pickled radishes, or pickled jalapeños.
If you're making grilled cheese sandwiches in advance, you can grate the cheese up to four days ahead of time and store it in an airtight container in the refrigerator. You can also set the butter at room temperature and use bread that is not frozen, so it's ready to go when you need it.
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