How To Do Grilled Cheese

A Perfect Cheese For Grilling

Finding The Best Way To Make A Grilled Cheese

When halloumi cheese is being made, the curds are typically cooked at high heat for at least an hour, but often more. This gives the cheese a rubbery, semi-firm texture that “squeaks” between the teeth and a higher-than-normal melting point which means it softens when heated but doesn’t melt entirely.

For this reason, halloumi is a cheese that can be grilled or pan-fried because it will hold its shape. In fact, the cheese isn’t really meant to be eaten cold, as the texture and flavor are more enjoyable if the cheese is heated in some way.

Best Grilled Cheese Recipe

When done correctly, a classic grilled cheese sandwich has the perfect contrast between crunchy bread exterior and creamy melted cheese filling. Its one of those fast and easy meals to serve picky eaters. But when paired with a big bowl of tomato soup, its the ultimate adult comfort food.

To satisfy our immediate cravings, the misconception is to crank up the heat and get the cheese melted fast! However, its quite the opposite. To make sure the bread gets evenly toasted and the middle completely gooey, patience and low heat is the answer. Melted butter also helps with crispness, but not too much otherwise youll get greasy results. Ready to go over the science behind making this well-loved sandwich at home?

How Much Cheese To Use

I find that using at least 2 thick slices, about to ¼-inch max, of sharp cheddar provides just the right ratio of cheese-to-bread. If the slices are any thicker, itll affect the melt time. If using a block of cheese, you can grate or shred it to make an even layer, although it will melt quicker than slices.

When placing the cheese on top of the unbuttered side of the bread, leave a little bit of space along the edges so the cheese doesnt spew over, unless you like a little bit of fried cheese on the edges.

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And The Best Cheese For Grilled Cheese Is

Were partial to regular old cheddar cheesesharp or medium, depending on your preference but a great grilled cheese sandwich can be made out of lots of different cheeses, and our grilled cheese recipe will work with almost any cheese you favor. Here are a few great melters to try:

  • Monterey Jack. This mild, creamy white cheese is an even better melter than cheddar, and is extra lovely mixed with a little sharp cheddar.
  • Gruyère. Nutty and delightfully salty, Gruyère is an Alpine-style cheese that is widely available in the U.S. and makes for a richly flavorful grilled cheese.
  • Raclette. Another gorgeous Alpine-style cheese that is quite literally made for melting. This washed-rind cheese is funkier than Gruyère and will definitely take your grilled cheese into grown-up territory.
  • Blue / Chevré. Tangy chevré or sharp blue cheeses can be delicious additions to a grilled cheese, but we like to use them sparingly and coupled with mild, melty cheeses like Jack or cheddar.

Choose Your Ingredients Wisely

How do you guys prefer to cut your grilled cheese? Top or ...

The foundation of any great recipe is great ingredients, so you want to take care in choosing great bread and great cheese to make the perfect grilled cheese. We love a light and airy sourdough for our base, because it crisps up nicely, has a ton of flavor, but still maintains a soft interior even while the exterior takes on a good crunch.

We probably all have differing opinions on what the perfect cheese choice is, and thats just fine, the possibilities there are nearly endless. Your cheese choice can be entirely personal, just make sure to choose a good melting cheese like cheddar, American, fontina, provolone, or mozzarella This isnt a job for halloumi. And dont be afraid to mix your cheeses for more flavor a little aged gouda or brie or a sprinkle of parm goes a long way in bumping up flavor.

While were talking cheese, one more tip. Grating your cheese can really help you achieve the perfect sandwich. No one wants to get to the end of this process and find that their cheese hasnt melted through. Using grated cheese helps it melt before your bread starts to burn, so youre sure to have a nice ooey-gooey result.

Oh, also, youre going to need a bit of Kosher salt. More on that later.

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Everything You Ever Wanted To Know About Making The Very Best Grilled Cheese Sandwich Mayo Or Butter Open

A grilled cheese sandwich is the first thing a lot of people learn to cook. It was the first thing I learned to cook. Id shave off a few slices from the ubiquitous big orange block of Velveeta in our fridge, slather Roman Meal bread with Promise margarine, and make the best meal nine-year-old me could ever want.

Maybe you didnt grow up grilling processed cheese on squishy sandwich bread. Or maybe you know plenty well how to make grilled cheese, but you want to up your game. Great newsthis grilled cheese party is open to all experience levels!

Grilled Cheese Sandwich Recipe

Theres Grilled Cheese and theres GREAT Grilled Cheese. Learn how to make the best Grilled Cheese Sandwich with a crisp, buttery exterior and gooey cheese center.

Try this combination of cheeses and the process for buttering and cooking the toast and you will be known for your Grilled Cheese Sandwiches. All you need is a Creamy Tomato Soup to dunk your sandwich into.

This post may contain affiliate links. Read my disclosure policy.

We love hot sandwiches from our Crispy Chicken Sandwich to Philly Cheesesteak. This Grilled Cheese recipe is well-loved by the whole family. Who can resist that impressive cheese pull? Watch the video tutorial and see how easy it is. All you need is a skillet and a spatula.

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How To Make 10 Grilled Cheese Sandwiches At Once

Everyone knows that grilled cheese sandwiches are created in a skillet — with lots of butter and lots of love. But when you’ve got more than a couple people to feed, and if you all want to eat together, making grilled cheese the traditional way gets to be a little tricky . That’s when you’ve got to think outside the skillet and start entertaining new possibilities, like the oven.

When you need to make more than just a couple grilled cheese sandwiches, you bake them — like a cupcake, in the oven. It works like magic, promise. Here’s how it’s done:

  • Preheat the oven with two baking sheets inside. Heating the baking sheets is like heating the skillet, it’ll make sure that the outside of the sandwich is nicely browned.
  • Prepare your grilled cheese sandwiches as you normally would — or use one of the recipes below.
  • Place the grilled cheese sandwiches on one baking sheet, carefully top with the other baking sheet and return them to the oven for a couple of minutes.
  • Ta-Da. Multiple grilled cheeses done all at once.
  • Cooks Country came up with this genius idea, but we found it on Life Hacker. Either way, you should try it next time you’re having guests over for a meal. It’s an awesome excuse to make grilled cheeses.

    Want to read more from HuffPost Taste? Follow us on , , and .

    Get the Arugula And Ham Grilled Cheese recipe from sixteenbeans.Get the Spinach And Artichoke Grilled Cheese recipe from Annie’s EatsGet the Grilled Pimento Cheese Sandwich recipe from Honeysuckle Life

    Ways To Dress Up Your Grilled Cheese

    How to Make the Perfect Grilled Cheese | You Can Cook That | Allrecipes.com

    I am no purist, and I put all kinds of stuff on my grilled cheese. Just dont overstuff it, or all the goodies will slip out. What goodies, you say? Some suggestions:

  • Alison Bickel
  • Close the sandwich and finish grilling:

    Close the sandwich and continue grilling, flipping the sandwich with a turner as needed, until both sides are golden brown, another 2-3 minutes per side.

    Usually, the second side takes less time than the first. Press down on the sandwich gently but firmly with your turner to compact it a little, but dont smoosh it. You may need to turn the heat down to medium-low to keep the bread from charring.

    Peek in the sandwich to see if the cheese is fully melted. If the bread is grilled to your liking but the cheese needs more time, turn the heat down and grill it a few minutes longer.

    Alison Bickel

  • Serve the sandwich:

    Cut the sandwich the way you like best and let it cool a minute or so before eating, unless you like burning your mouth on molten cheese. Serve immediately.

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    The Best Pan For Grilled Cheese

    The pan is just as important, if not more so, than the bread and cheese. A flimsy skillet will grill your sandwich unevenly. A skillet thats too small makes it hard to maneuver the sandwich.

    For one sandwich at a time, I like a 10-inch cast-iron skillet.

    Grilled cheese sandwiches dont really stick to the pan, so if you dont have a nonstick pan, its fine. I prefer a cast-iron pan.

    How To Make The Perfect Grilled Cheese

    I think we all have a pretty common idea of what the perfect grilled cheese sandwich should be. When you bite into it, you want to be met with an immediate crunch and nice buttery flavor that gives way to cheese thats melty enough that it oozes out of the sandwich ever so slightly. Thats the perfect grilled cheese. So how do you get there? Not to worry. Were here to show you just how to achieve greatness in the grilled cheese sandwich arena.

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    Flat Is Where It’s At

    The main element that distinguishes the pros from the amateurs is the surface on which you cook your grilled cheese. Most people use skillets when making grilled cheese at home. Skillets, with their curved sides, can hold in moisture and heat unevenly. Restaurants use wide, well-seasoned flat tops. Restaurant cooks also take a “low and slow” approach to cooking. The medium-low heat over a long period of time creates that golden, crispy crust.

    What Is The Best Cheese For Grilled Cheese

    How To Make the Best Tomato Grilled Cheese Sandwich

    Grilled cheese sandwiches are not the place for cheese judgement. Anything goes!

    • A classic grilled cheese is made with American cheese and white bread !
    • Real cheddar, a bit of provolone, creamy processed cheese, leftover brie from last nights party. Any and all varieties work!
    • Pick your favorite or all of them! Smooth, creamy and oh so dreamy!

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    The Open Face Technique

    For years, I assembled the sandwich and then grilled it. But recently I came across a new technique I like a lot better. Lets call it: Open-face grilling.

    Open-face grilling allows the cheese to melt more thoroughly. The tradeoff is you can only make one sandwich at a time. But if its perfection you want, this is your method.

    • Put both slices of bread in the skillet butter-side-down
    • Arrange half the cheese over each slice. Once its halfway melted, invert one slice onto the other.
    • Press down lightly with a spatula .
    • Finish grilling as needed until the cheese is melted and both sides of the bread are golden brown.

    Open-face grilling makes it easy to insert accouterments like tomato slices or chutney midway through grilling. The partially melted cheese bonds to the filling and keeps it from sliding around.

    If you prefer a technique that allows you to grill two sandwiches at once, our very own Elise Bauer has a splendid tutorial on her assembly method.

    Perfect Cast Iron Grilled Cheese

    A grilled cheese sandwich is only as good as its ingredients: tangy sourdough bread, a blend of high-quality cheeses, and plenty of Challenge Butter slathered on each side. For this recipe, we recommend a cast-iron pan for its even distribution of heat we also suggest a variety of filling options, depending on your mood or what you have on hand.

    Read Also: How To Grill Cheese Sandwich

    The Best Bread For Grilled Cheese

    Have you ever gone to the store thinking, I need to get bread specifically for making grilled cheese sandwiches? I sure havent! Grilled cheese sandwiches happen in my house not because of meal planning, but lack of it. Thats whats so great about them!

    Sliced sandwich bread is classic. Crusty artisanal bread is great, too. Bread that has a very open, lacy interior lets too much cheese ooze through, and bread thats exceptionally dense makes for a leaden sandwich. Bread thats neither dense nor airy is what you want.

    Try these:

    • Brioche loaves

    Now, that we have the type of bread figured out, lets talk about the best slice for the job. The thicker the bread slices, the longer it will take for the cheese to melt. And the bread will wind up detracting from the cheese, which is not the point!

    Bread sliced over half an inch thick will impede optimal cheese melting. For perfect grilled cheese every time opt for slices between 1/4-inch and 1/2-inch thick.

    Have I made grilled cheese on hot dog buns before? Yes. Are they ideal? No, far from it. But you get the picture. Sometimes a sandwich isnt a work of art. Its just food. Do what works for you!

    The Best Grilled Cheese Sandwich

    Grilled Cheese Made Fast and Easy

    This post may contain affiliate links. Please read my disclosure policy.

    Nothing is more comforting than a hot, melty grilled cheese sandwich. Grilled cheese and tomato soup are a combo made in heaven. Its the perfect easy lunch recipe and great for even the pickiest of eaters.

    The best grilled cheese always starts with a sturdy bread, lots of cheese and a smear of butter mayonnaise on the outside!

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    Baked Grilled Cheese Ingredients

    Using the very best ingredients is important when making any type of grilled cheese. My family prefers wheat bread, and I like to use salted butter for extra flavor.

    Also, none of those plastic-y American singles around here! Yeah, I used them back in the day, too until I found out that theyre only required to contain a minimum of 51% real cheese and may contain as many as 15 different added ingredients. Um, gross and NO THANKS

    Sargento Sliced Cheese is 100% real, natural cheese, and in my opinion, its the best thing since sliced bread. See what I did there?!

    I know, ha-ha but really, this stuff is full of flavor and perfect for your favorite sandwiches, wraps, burgers, etc. With 23 delicious varieties, youre sure to find one to satisfy every member of your household. Im partial to a grilled pepper jack cheese sandwich, but most of my family prefers a classic medium cheddar.

    How To Prepare Grilled Cheese In A Microwave

  • 1Toast the bread in a toaster so it gets crispy. Put 2 slices of the bread you want to use in your toaster and cook them for about 3-4 minutes or until theyre golden brown. Pull the bread out of your toaster once its finished so you can use it for your sandwich.XResearch source
  • You dont have to toast the bread if you dont want to, but your sandwich wont be crispy.
  • 2Put 1-2 slices of cheese between the pieces of bread. Choose your favorite kind of cheese to use for your sandwich. Set 1-2 thin slices of cheese on top of one of your pieces of bread, and then set the second piece on top to make your sandwich.XResearch source
  • American cheese will melt the easiest in your microwave, but any cheese will work for your sandwich.
  • 3Wrap the sandwich in a paper towel so the cheese melts better. Set the sandwich on a piece of paper towel and wrap it up completely. The paper towel will help trap the heat so the cheese melts faster without making your bread soggy. Set the wrapped sandwich on a plate so its ready to cook.XResearch source
  • 4Cook the sandwich in the microwave for 15-20 seconds or until the cheese melts. Set the sandwich in the middle of the microwave and run it in 15-20 increments. When the microwaves finished running, unwrap your sandwich and check if the cheese has melted. If not, put it back in your microwave for another 15 seconds. Otherwise, unwrap your sandwich completely and serve it.XResearch source
  • The bread may get soggier the longer its in the microwave.
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    An Important Note About Baking Time

    The time it takes to make grilled cheese in the oven depends on several factors, including the bread type , the thickness of the bread slices, and the temperature of the cheese, as well as the general quirks of your oven. Keep a close eye on the sandwiches the first few times you try this method until you learn the best timing for your oven and choice of bread.

    Id love to see how your oven baked grilled cheese sandwiches turn out Tag me on or use the hashtag #Unsophisticook so I can check it out. Enjoy!

    How To Make Grilled Cheese In A Toaster

    How to Make Best Grilled Cheese Sandwich Ever
  • 1Turn your toaster on its side so you can slide bread in horizontally. The cheese wont melt on your bread if the toasters still upright while you cook it. Carefully tilt your toaster on its side so the slots face horizontally rather than vertically. That way, the cheese will melt on top of the bread without falling off.XResearch source
  • If you cant turn your toaster sideways, you can purchase toaster bags online to make your sandwich while the toasters still upright.
  • 2Put slices of bread with 1 slice of cheese each into the slots on your toaster. Set a piece of cheese on each of your bread slices before you put them in the toaster. Carefully slide the bread and cheese sideways into the slots of the toaster. Make sure the cheese doesnt fall off the bread when you insert it.XResearch source
  • Dont use bread thats too thick since it may not fit in your toaster.
  • American cheese will melt the best in your toaster, but you can use any type of cheese.
  • Warning: Check that the cheese doesnt hang over the sides of the bread slices since it could drip inside your toaster and create a fire hazard.

  • 3Toast the bread and cheese for 3-4 minutes before unplugging your toaster. Set your toaster to cook for about 5 minutes and pull the lever down to start toasting your sandwich. After 3-4 minutes, unplug your toaster so it doesnt pop, or else it may shoot your bread onto your counter and make a mess.XResearch source
  • Keep any leftovers sealed in the fridge for up to a week.
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