Grilled cheese sandwiches aren’t just for kids. It’s time to experiment with different cheeses, ingredients, spreads and breads! Here are our top tips for making the ultimate grilled cheese.
Pick Your Cheeses
Three ounces of cheese is just about the perfect amount for a gooey sandwich, and contains many of the essential nutrients your body needs! For extra flare, we recommend a combination of 2-3 cheeses with different textures. Fresh cheeses, like Feta and Mozzarella, and aged cheeses, like Parmesan, don’t melt well, so it’s important to grate them and pair with cheeses that melt easily, like Swiss, Cheddar, Gouda, Muenster, Gruyere and Brie.
Add Extras
Include other ingredients to enhance the flavor, but remember that cheese should be the star. It is a grilled cheese after all! The secret to success is to layer your sandwich in this order: bread, cheese, toppings, cheese, bread. This way, the cheese is the first thing to contact the bread which ensures it gets nice and melted! Need ideas? Try making Air Fryer Grilled Cheese, Asparagus Grilled Cheese or Smoked Swiss & Mushroom Grilled Cheese.
Choose Your Bread
Think outside of the box! Consider experimenting with flatbreads, waffles, English muffins or hearty breads like whole wheat, pumpernickel or cinnamon swirl. Stale (but not moldy!) bread is also a great option because it’s drier and browns better. Avoid thick slices which make it harder for the cheese to melt, and remember that breads with added sugars tend to brown faster and burner more easily.
Spread the Bread
For a sandwich that’s crisp on the outside and soft on the inside, coat your bread with some sort of fat – we recommend butter! If traditional butter is too boring, try a fun garlic or maple infused-butter or something unconventional like mayonnaise, vegetable oil or coconut oil. And pro tip: always butter the bread, not the pan.
Crisp to Perfection
Keep the heat at low to medium – no one likes cold cheese on burned bread! Cooking in a cast iron skillet or non-stick pan on a low flame for 8-10 minutes per side makes for maximum crispiness. Panini presses are also a good option for cooking, but keep in mind the weight of the press might cause your cheese and toppings to escape. Try cooking your grilled cheese in an air fryer to transform your sandwich into crisp, buttery perfection.
Now that you’ve learned the tricks of the trade to become a grilled cheese guru, here are some pairing ideas for your next masterpiece!
Article inspired by our friends at Forbes.
