How To Make Grilled Cheese In A Toaster
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.
Meaty Grilled Cheese Sandwiches:
Prepare as directed, except place a thin layer thinly sliced cooked ham, roast beef, pepperoni, salami, or shredded cooked chicken or turkey on the cheese before topping with the remaining bread slices.
Per sandwich: 357 cal., 14 g pro., 28 g carb., 22 g total fat , 54 mg chol., 2 g fiber, 867 mg sodium
How To Make Grilled Cheese
How long to cook grilled cheese? Total cooking time for grilled cheese over low to medium/low heat is 6-7 minutes. That is enough time for the exterior to crisp and brown and allow the cheese to fully melt.
Read Also: What Is The Best Temperature To Grill Pork Chops
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?
Best Bread For Grilled Cheese:
This is what making grilled cheese is all about!
- Use whatever bread you love, but make sure it is sturdy enough to hold the cheese in.
- White bread and sourdough are the most popular, but even a thickly sliced boule will make a perfect grilled cheese!
- Dark rye and pumpernickel pair well with lighter cheeses like Gouda or Havarti
You May Like: Weber Summit Gas Grill Parts
The Best Cheese To Use
My top choice is sharp cheddar cheese because its combination of firmness and flavor. This cheese has a solid structure that holds together and stretches nicely when heated, and during its aging process, it undergoes complex flavor development as it ripens. Other fallback options with similar firm characteristics are swiss cheese, gruyere, gouda, Monterey jack, pepper jack, and mozzarella.
Plastic wrapped American cheese is a convenient choice, although its flavor tends to be saltier. Kids usually dont mind, but this may turn off some adults. Soft and spreadable brie while delicious, can get a bit greasy when melted. For a stronger flavored sandwich, you can sprinkle on Parmesan or blue cheese in combination with one of the mild-flavored firm cheeses.
Everything You Need To Know About Making The Best Grilled Cheese Sandwich Mayo Or Butter Lid On Or Off There’s More To A Good Grilled Cheese Recipe Than You Might Think
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!
Recommended Reading: Cheap Weber Grill Parts
Roasted Butternut Squash Adds A Ton Of Flavor To A Grilled Cheese Sandwich
Heidi Gibson explains that part of the magic of making a gourmet grilled cheese is taking the flavor combinations you love and figuring out how to incorporate them into a grilled cheese sandwich.
“If you look at Italian dishes like butternut squash and sage ravioli, you can make that into a grilled cheese,” she told Insider. “It’s reformatting those beloved flavors. Butternut squash, Fontina cheese, and sage are great in a grilled cheese. You can make sage butter, roast slices of butternut squash, play with it, and voilà, you’ve got a really interesting grilled cheese.”
Bread For Grilled Cheese Sandwiches
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!
Read Also: Cooking Steaks On Traeger
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.
Creamy Homemade Tomato Soup
Looking for the perfect soup to pair with these easy grilled cheese in the oven sandwiches? This creamy homemade tomato soup recipe is a total copycat of my favorite tomato basil soup at First Watch!
This is a sponsored conversation on behalf of Sargento Cheese all opinions and text are my own. Thanks for supporting me and the brands I love! For more delicious cheese recipes using 100% real, natural Sargento Sliced Cheese!
Don’t Miss: Mouse In Grill
Tips For The Best Grilled Cheese
- Low heat it takes a little patience to make the perfect grilled cheese. Keep your heat on low to give the cheese time to fully melt while the bread gets golden and crisp. If browning too fast, turn the heat down.
- Butter generously the amount of butter may seem like a lot, but it is important for a crispy exterior.
- Use thick-sliced bread we love using Texas toast because its sliced about twice as thick as normal sandwich bread. You want bread that is about 3/4 to 1 thick, but also avoid bread that is too thick or your cheese wont melt properly. Using bread that is too thin will produce a flimsy and sometimes soggy sandwich.
Butter Your Bread Not The Pan
Instead of dropping a pat of butter into a hot skillet, butter the bread for more flavor and even browning. Generously spread one side of each bread slice with softened salted butter. Or, instead of butter, spread one side of each bread slice with mayonnaise. It will give your sandwich a slight tang and help it brown beautifully.
Recommended Reading: Best Way To Clean Stainless Steel Grill Grates
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.
Also Check: Char Broil Grill Cleaner Spray
Cheese: Grated Or Sliced For A Grilled Cheese Sandwich
Grated cheese melts more evenly, plus it allows more even bread coverage. That means you can pack more cheese on every bite! And if you are blending a few cheeses, you can mix grated cheeses together better.
Dont feel like messing around with a cheese grater? Fine, skip it. Youll still wind up with a grilled cheese sandwich. But youll miss out on those little shreds that slip out of the sandwich and slowly crisp up in the pan. You know what Im talking aboutthe cheese crispies. I love those! Do you?
What Pan To Use
I prefer to use my cast iron skillet as it maintains a consistent heat better and gives a superior crispy surface. A nonstick skillet works well and prevents sticking if using sweeter types of bread. In either case, you want to use very moderate heat for making the sandwiches, about medium-low or low if the bread is toasting too quickly.
Don’t Miss: Temp Pork Chops Grill
How To Make Grilled Cheese In The Oven
There are actually a few different ways to make grilled cheese in the oven using a sheet pan.
Anyhow, one method calls for using two half sheet pans, with the second pan placed on top of the sandwiches to speed up the cooking time. Give it a try if you like, but I didnt find this method to be very effective.
The grilled cheese sandwiches I made using this technique were unevenly browned and took about the same amount of time to cook. Plus, I was left with additional equipment to clean up and you know how much I haattteeee doing dishes.
The oven-baked grilled cheese method I use only dirties a single half sheet pan for 6 sandwiches. For each sandwich, simply spread the outsides of two pieces of bread with softened butter, layer with the desired number of slices of cheese on the inside, and place them on the baking sheet. Bake at 450 degrees for about 10 minutes, flipping the sandwiches halfway through cooking.
TIP: Are you ready for me to really blow your mind? Pick up one of these XL baking sheets, and you can actually make TWELVE sandwiches at once!!!
Voila! Pull out your big batch of hot and melty grilled cheese sandwiches and serve with your favorite soup.
PIN IT NOW! TO ADD THIS OVEN BAKED GRILLED CHEESE RECIPE TO YOUR EASY RECIPES BOARD ON PINTEREST!
Cuisine:Category:
How To Try Grilled Cheese Variations
Tip: Avoid using sour apples in your sandwich since it may not taste good with the cheese.
Don’t Miss: Cleaning Stainless Steel Grill Grates
How To Cook Grilled Cheese In The Oven
Tip: Cover the baking sheet in aluminum foil so you dont have to clean it afterward. Remove the aluminum foil when it cools off and throw it away.
How To Master A Classic Grilled Cheese
Here are our tips for getting this classic comfort food just right.
CHOOSE THE RIGHT INGREDIENTS
A grilled cheese presents its elements bare, without the safety net of side dishes or elaborate presentation. It’s a showcase for the cheese select one that melts evenly, such as cheddar, Swiss, or Monterey Jack. That said, almost any cheese will do. After all, even if eating the sandwich gets messy, it’ll be polished off quickly — another triumph of the true art of cooking.
Choose breads and accompaniments that will flatter the cheese. The bread should be thick enough that it’s crisp outside and soft inside, but not so hefty as to bury the cheese. A slightly acidic or tart partner, such as slices of tomato or pickle, will nicely offset the cheese’s richness. Go with a dressy classic, such as croque monsieur, or create an uncomplicated pairing, such as Swiss with turkey and mustard.
KNOW WHEN TO FLIP
To properly melt the cheese without burning the bread, cook the sandwich on one side over medium-low heat flip it as it begins to turn golden brown. Grill the other side, then flip the sandwich back onto the first side to reheat. Grilling both sides at once, whether in a sandwich press or using a second heated skillet to press the sandwich as it cooks, is efficient but yields a much denser texture.
4 slices firm white sandwich bread
1/4 pound cheddar cheese, sliced 1/3 inch thick
Unsalted butter, room temperature
DIRECTIONS
Recommended Reading: How Long To Grill Boneless Chicken Breasts
