Grilled Cheese Sandwich Recipe: What Actually Works

military_tech Why This Recipe Stands Out

• Reliable Results: It turns out well consistently, with few reported problems.
• Repeat Worthy: People who make this tend to come back and make it again.

grocery Ingredients

• 2 sliced bread, sliced 1 to 1.5 centimeters thick (or white bread, white sourdough, sandwich bread)
• Butter
• Mozzarella cheese, grated (or Swiss cheese)
• Salt, to taste
• Black pepper
• 1 clove garlic, minced
• 1/2 white onion
• Mushrooms, sliced (or shiitake mushrooms, portobello mushrooms)
• Ham
• Egg

book_ribbon Instructions

1. Choose sandwich bread about 1 to 1.5 centimeters thick per slice; use bakery sandwich bread, white bread, or white sourdough as desired.
2. Grate the cheese with a grater or microplane so it melts easily.
3. Smear the exterior sides of both slices of bread evenly with butter.
4. Assemble the basic grilled-cheese: place grated cheese between the two buttered exterior sides so the buttered sides will hit the pan.
5. Heat a frying pan over low to medium heat; do not add additional oil, butter, or grease to the pan.
6. Place the sandwich in the pan, cover with a lid that is smaller than the pan to provide some weight, and cook for a couple minutes.
7. Check the bottom for a golden, crusty brown; when achieved, flip the sandwich, cover again, and cook until the second side is golden and the cheese inside is meltedu2014peek inside slightly to confirm melt.
8. If using square bread, cut the finished sandwich diagonally before serving.
9. Mushroom toastie variant: heat a pan over medium heat and fry 1 clove minced garlic and half a white onion for about three minutes.
10. Add sliced mushrooms (for example shiitake or portobello), season with a little salt and black pepper, and slowly cook down until the mushrooms are about one third of their original volume.
11. Butter the exterior sides of two bread slices, assemble with the cooked mushrooms and a generous amount of grated cheese, then toast using the same covered, low-to-medium-heat method described above until the bread is golden and the cheese holds the filling together.
12. Egg, ham, and cheese variant: spread melted butter on the exterior of the bread, layer ham, add a large amount of grated cheese, and form a high well in the center of the cheese to hold an egg.
13. Reduce the heat a little for the egg-and-ham sandwich because it will take slightly longer to cook; toast covered until the bottom is golden and the egg has cooked to your liking, checking by peeking inside.

crowdsource Community Insights

People who made this found the biggest difference comes from how you cook it: a panini press gave the most consistent, even result, while people who tried a pan ran into issues. If you want richer bread, some cooks melted a stick of butter and brushed it on before pressing, the ones who added butter into the pan after flipping usually regretted that. Also, people who used American cheese called that a mistake (the same complaint came up about grated parmesan, cheddar, and imitation American gouda), so be cautious with your cheese choice.

military_tech Why This Recipe Stands Out

• Reliable Results: It turns out well consistently, with few reported problems.
• Repeat Worthy: People who make this tend to come back and make it again.

grocery Ingredients

Tomato soup

• Tomatoes, on the vine (or vineless tomatoes)
• Yellow onion, quartered
• 1 clove garlic, smashed
• Olive oil
• Salt, to taste
• Black pepper, freshly cracked
• Water
• Cream
• 2 leaf parsley

Grilled cheese

• Fontina, grated
• Gouda, grated
• Cheddar, grated (or sliced cheese)
• Sourdough bread, sliced (or pre-sliced sourdough)
• Butter, softened
• Mayonnaise
• Parmesan cheese, grated (or omit parmesan)

book_ribbon Instructions

Tomato soup

1. Layer a bunch of tomatoes on a sheet tray, preferably tomatoes still on the vine.
2. Quarter a yellow onion and wedge the pieces evenly throughout the tray.
3. Smash one whole garlic clove with the palm of your hand and a knife and spread it across the tray.
4. Drizzle the tray with olive oil and coat everything evenly with salt and freshly cracked black pepper.
5. Roast the sheet tray in the oven at 425 Fahrenheit until the tomatoes and onion are nice and softened.
6. When the tray is out of the oven, remove the tomato vines and scrape all the roasted tomatoes, onion, garlic, and browned bits into a blender.
7. Start blending on low, then increase the speed and blend until silky; if the soup is too thick, pour a bit of boiling water from a saucepan onto the tray, mix to deglaze, then add that liquid to the blender and blend again.
8. Blend until the mixture becomes light and slightly foamy, then add a little splash of cream, a touch more freshly cracked black pepper, and the tiniest pinch of salt and give one final gentle blend with a touch more liquid as needed.
9. Keep the finished soup on low heat without boiling until ready to serve.
10. To serve, ladle soup into bowls, add a couple of parsley leaves if desired, drizzle with olive oil, and finish with fresh cracked black pepper.

Grilled cheese

1. Grate cheddar, fontina, and Gouda along their long side to produce long strands and toss the grated cheeses together gently in a bowl until evenly mixed.
2. Prepare sourdough slices and spread softened butter across the outsides of each slice, then lightly paint mayonnaise over the butter.
3. Optionally sprinkle a little grated Parmesan onto the outside of the sandwiches for extra umami on the crust, then place the assembled sandwiches on a wire rack while finishing the soup.
4. Heat a pan over medium heat with a bit of butter, then place a sandwich in the pan and gently press down across the sandwich to ensure even contact with the pan.
5. Cook until the bottom is golden, adjusting heat and rotating the sandwich in the pan as needed, then flip when the bottom is golden brown.
6. After flipping, place a lid on the pan to trap steam and help melt the cheese; if desired, tilt the pan and add a little water away from the sandwich (making sure it doesn't touch the sandwich) then cover to create more steam.
7. When the cheese is melted, quickly clean the center of the pan and grate Parmesan across the center in the footprint of the sandwich, place the sandwich down onto the grated Parmesan, cover with the lid to melt and set the Parmesan into a thin crispy crust, and let it set (the video notes this extra crust takes about 90 seconds).
8. When the Parmesan crust is crisp and the sandwich is golden and smoky at the edges, remove from the pan, tear the sandwich open by hand if desired, and serve with the tomato soup for dipping.

crowdsource Community Insights

This sandwich comes together quickly, but most people who made it found the difference is cooking it low and slow, tossing the bread into a cool pan and keeping the heat down so the outside browns without the inside burning. People who put butter in the pan, and spread butter on the outside of the bread, got the most even, golden toasting, and many also toasted both sides. One common regret: those who used mayonnaise didn't like the results, so people who skipped mayo were happier with the texture and flavor.

military_tech Why This Recipe Stands Out

• Reliable Results: It turns out well consistently, with few reported problems.
• Repeat Worthy: People who make this tend to come back and make it again.

grocery Ingredients

• 2 slice sandwich bread
• Country sourdough loaf, sliced
• Brioche loaf, sliced
• 1/2 tbsp butter, softened (or mayonnaise, salted butter, unsalted butter)
• Mayonnaise
• 3 American cheese slices
• 1/4 cup cheddar, grated
• 1/4 cup raclette, grated
• 1/4 cup Gouda, grated
• 2 apples, peeled, cored, cut into small pieces
• 3 1/2 tbsp granulated sugar
• Salt, to taste
• Brie, sliced
• Pepper jack cheese
• Cooked bacon, cooked, slightly crispy

book_ribbon Instructions

1. Spread room-temperature softened butter on one slice of bread and mayonnaise on an identical slice; place both slices in the same pan at the same temperature and toast until each reaches the desired level of browning, flipping as needed.
2. For a classic American grilled cheese: spread softened butter on both outside faces of two slices of bread; place one slice butter-side down in a cold pan, top with American cheese slices (he used three), place the other slice butter-side up on top, and cook over medium heat for anywhere between 3 to 6 minutes until the bottom is toasted; flip and cook until the second side is toasted and the cheese is melted.
3. For a three-cheese sourdough grilled cheese: slather country sourdough slices with softened butter (about 0.5 tablespoon or 7 grams per slice), place a butter-side-down slice in a cold pan, mix grated cheddar, raclette, and Gouda (each about 0.25 cup / 28 grams), spread the mixed grated cheeses on the bread and compress into a cheese patty, top with the second buttered slice (butter side up), turn the heat to medium and toast 5 to 8 minutes or until golden and the cheese begins to mound; flip and continue cooking until the cheese is melted and the bread is toasty brown.
4. To make the caramelized apples: toss peeled, cored, and small-diced apples (two apples, about 242 grams after processing) with 3.5 tablespoons (44 grams) granulated sugar and a small pinch of salt; let sit for about 20 minutes, then set a pot over medium-high heat, bring to a boil, reduce to a simmer and cook until the apples are caramelized and sticky but not mushy. (This caramelized-apple amount is enough for about one sandwich.)
5. Assemble the apple-and-Brie grilled cheese: butter brioche slices, place one butter-side down in a cold pan, add a single layer of caramelized apples, some grated cheddar, and enough sliced brie to coat the surface, top with the other buttered slice butter-side up, and toast 5 to 8 minutes on both sides or until the cheese is melted and the crust is brown; optionally finish under a broiler if the stack is tall and needs extra melting.
6. For a bacon and pepper-jack variant: use cooked, slightly crispy bacon and a generous amount of pepper jack cheese between buttered bread slices; toast in a pan until the cheese melts and the exterior is crisp.

military_tech Why This Recipe Stands Out

• Easy To Customize: Home cooks often adapt it to what they have without issue.
• Reliable Results: It turns out well consistently, with few reported problems.
• Repeat Worthy: People who make this tend to come back and make it again.

grocery Ingredients

• 2 slice sourdough loaf, hearth-baked, sliced
• Clarified butter, melted (or ghee)
• Gruyère cheese, sliced
• Wisconsin cheddar, sliced
• Aged cheddar from England, grated
• New York cheddar
• Onion, thinly sliced
• Leek, thinly sliced into half moons
• Kosher salt, to taste
• Whole grain mustard
• Pickled mustard seeds, to taste
• Water

book_ribbon Instructions

1. Slice a hearth-baked sourdough loaf into two even slices about 3/4 inch thick; aim to hear the blade cut through the crust as you slice.
2. Brush the outside of both bread slices with melted clarified butter.
3. Thinly slice the Gruyère and the Wisconsin cheddar, letting the slices intentionally overhang the crust of the bread.
4. Grate the aged cheddar from England.
5. Using a mandoline or a knife, thinly slice the onion; slice the pre-washed leek into very thin half moons.
6. Mix the sliced and grated cheeses with the onion and leek, season with a little kosher salt, then stir in whole grain mustard and pickled mustard seeds.
7. Spoon the cheese mixture evenly over both bread halves and leave the sandwiches open-faced to give the cheese a head start on melting.
8. Preheat a cast iron griddle (or a cast iron pan) and place the open-faced sandwiches on the preheated surface.
9. Cover each sandwich with a bowl and spray a little water underneath the bowl to create steam; keep covered until the cheese begins to melt.
10. When the cheese is starting to melt, scrape up any bits sticking to the pan, then flip each sandwich onto the melted cheese side; press with sandwich weights and continue to toast until the bread is toasty, the cheese is melted, and the cheese that overflowed has become crispy.
11. Give the finished sandwich about a minute to settle before serving, using sensory cues such as smell, the sizzle level, and small trails of smoke to judge doneness.

military_tech Why This Recipe Stands Out

• Easy To Customize: Home cooks often adapt it to what they have without issue.
• Repeat Worthy: People who make this tend to come back and make it again.

grocery Ingredients

Processed cheese blend

• 4 oz (113g) sharp cheddar, grated
• 3 oz (85g) gruyère, grated
• 3 oz (85g) young gouda, grated
• 2 oz (57g) parmesan, grated
• 1 tbsp gelatin, hydrated
• 1 tbsp water
• 1/2 cup evaporated milk

Sandwich bread (dough)

• 400ml water
• 1 packet instant yeast
• 650g all-purpose flour
• 50g sugar
• 5g salt
• 45g unsalted butter, room temperature (or butter mixed with mustard, full fat mayonnaise, light olive oil)

Assembly and other ingredients

• White sandwich bread
• Yellow American cheese, sliced
• 45g butter (or butter mixed with mustard, full fat mayonnaise, light olive oil)
• Mustard, to taste
• Full fat mayonnaise
• Light olive oil
• Olives

book_ribbon Instructions

Processed cheese product

1. Hydrate 1 tablespoon gelatin with 1 tablespoon water; set aside.
2. Grate and combine 4 ounces sharp cheddar, 3 ounces gruyère, 3 ounces young gouda, and 2 ounces parmesan; set the mixture aside.
3. Bring 1/2 cup evaporated milk to a boil, then remove from heat and whisk in the hydrated gelatin until fully melted into the milk.
4. Return the pan to low heat and add the grated cheese mixture while blending with an immersion blender to make the mixture as smooth and homogenous as possible.
5. Transfer the cheese mixture onto plastic wrap–lined surface: ideally spread thin on a lined baking sheet, or press into a plastic-wrapped lined ramekin and mold into a cylinder.
6. Refrigerate until solidified, about 4 hours.
7. Remove the molded cheese from the plastic wrap and slice into processed-cheese-style slices.

Sandwich bread

1. Combine 400 milliliters water, 1 packet instant yeast, 650 grams all-purpose flour, 50 grams sugar, 5 grams salt, and 45 grams unsalted butter in the bowl of a stand mixer.
2. Knead with the stand mixer for 5 to 7 minutes.
3. Place the dough in a covered oiled bowl and let rise for 45 minutes.
4. Punch down the dough and place it into a loaf pan; loosely tent with plastic wrap and let rise for 45 minutes or until doubled in size.
5. Brush the loaf with melted butter and bake in a 400 degree Fahrenheit oven for 25 to 35 minutes until deeply golden brown.
6. Remove the loaf from the pan and place on a cooling rack; verify the internal temperature is about 200 degrees Fahrenheit.
7. Let rest for 1.5 hours or until completely cooled, then trim and slice as needed for sandwiches.

Assembly and cooking

1. Assemble sandwiches with slices of white sandwich bread and the sliced processed cheese product (or use yellow American cheese for the control).
2. Optionally add olives on top of the cheese in the sandwich.
3. Butter the outside of the bread (or use butter mixed with a little mustard, full fat mayonnaise, or light olive oil as alternatives) and cook sandwiches one at a time in a nonstick skillet until the crust is a deep brown and the cheese is melty.

crowdsource Community Insights

This comes together fast, and people who made it tended to tweak just a couple small things. People who toasted both sides of the bread before spreading mayo or butter preferred the finished texture. Others who simply used butter instead of another spread also liked how it came out. If you want a quick serving idea, some people slice and serve it with a pickle alongside. None of these are required, but they're the simple choices cooks kept coming back to when they made this.

military_tech Why This Recipe Stands Out

• Repeat Worthy: People who make this tend to come back and make it again.

grocery Ingredients

• Bread, sliced (or Wonderbread, sourdough)
• Mayonnaise (or butter)
• 3 slice American cheese, sliced
• Gruyere, shredded, rind removed
• Salt, to taste
• Black pepper, to taste
• Potato chips, crunchy

book_ribbon Instructions

1. Remove the rind from the Gruyere and shred the cheese using a box grater held upright (grate on the side).
2. Preheat a non-stick pan over medium-low heat.
3. Spread mayonnaise evenly on the outside faces of the bread slices.
4. Place one mayonnaise-side-down slice of bread in the preheated pan.
5. Layer American cheese slices on the bread in the pan (about three slices).
6. Add shredded Gruyere on top of the American cheese, pressing or spreading it toward the edges.
7. Season the inside of the assembled sandwich with salt and black pepper.
8. Top with the second slice of bread, mayonnaise-side-up, and continue to cook over medium-low heat.
9. Cook slowly, checking occasionally, until the bottom is browned and the cheese begins to melt (you can lift the top slice slightly — if it sticks, the cheese is melting).
10. Flip the sandwich and cook the other side until both sides are nicely browned and crisp and any leaked cheese at the edges is crispy.
11. Transfer the sandwich to a plate and cut in half with a downward motion.
12. Serve immediately; optionally serve with a handful of crunchy potato chips.

crowdsource Community Insights

People who made this found a couple of small things that change the result. Some people buttered both sides of the bread before cooking and liked the extra even browning and crisp; other people purposely didn’t butter the bread, so pick the texture you prefer. What often caused trouble was metal on a non-stick pan, people who used metal spatulas or other metal utensils scraped the surface, so either be careful or use something gentler. Also, some people added sliced onion and liked the flavor it gave.

grocery Ingredients

• 1 centimeter white bloomer, about 1 centimeter thick slices
• Butter, room temperature
• Cheddar cheese, grated (or Red Leicester, any cheese that melts well)
• Cayenne pepper
• Ketchup
• Mango chutney

book_ribbon Instructions

1. Slice the white bloomer about 1 centimeter thick.
2. Lightly butter both sides of each slice with room-temperature butter.
3. Grate the cheese using a box grater.
4. Pile a handful of grated cheese onto one buttered slice, squeeze together to form a sandwich.
5. Heat a frying pan over low to medium heat.
6. Place the sandwich in the pan and place a weight on top to press it flat; cook for about 3 minutes on the first side until golden and the middle is oozy.
7. Flip the sandwich and cook the other side for about 3 minutes until golden.
8. Remove the sandwich from the pan, then grate a layer of cheese around the bottom of the pan.
9. Place the sandwich on top of the grated cheese in the pan and cook for about 1.5 minutes to bring out different flavors and for the cheese fat to split.
10. Sprinkle a tiny pinch of cayenne over the cheese, hold/press the sandwich for about 30 seconds to create a crispy cheese crown.
11. Add a little more cheese in the middle, then turn the sandwich four times.
12. Leave the sandwich to rest for two minutes before eating.
13. Serve with ketchup or mango chutney if desired.

military_tech Why This Recipe Stands Out

• Repeat Worthy: People who make this tend to come back and make it again.

grocery Ingredients

• 12 slice Thick-cut bacon
• 1 cup Mayonnaise
• 1/4 cup Dijon mustard
• 1/4 cup Parmesan cheese, freshly grated
• 1 1/2 tsp Kosher salt
• 1/2 tsp Freshly ground black pepper
• 12 slice White Pullman loaf or sourdough bread, sliced 1/2 inch thick (or sourdough bread)
• 6 tbsp Salted butter, room temperature
• 6 oz (170g) Aged Gruyere (or Comte cheese)
• 6 oz (170g) Extra-sharp Cheddar

book_ribbon Instructions

1. Preheat the oven to 400 degrees.
2. Arrange the bacon in a single layer on a baking rack set over a sheet pan and roast for 20 to 30 minutes, until nicely browned.
3. Drain the bacon on a plate lined with paper towels and cut into 1-inch pieces.
4. Combine the mayonnaise, Dijon mustard, Parmesan cheese, kosher salt, and freshly ground black pepper in a small bowl and whisk to combine.
5. Lay the 12 slices of bread on a board and spread each slice lightly with butter; flip so the butter is on the outside of the sandwich.
6. Spread the inside of each butter-flipped slice generously with the mayonnaiseu2013Dijonu2013Parmesan mixture.
7. Grate the Gruyere and Cheddar in a food processor fitted with the largest grating disk and combine the grated cheeses.
8. Place the roasted bacon evenly on half of the bread slices, then pile 1/3 cup grated cheese evenly on top of the bacon for each sandwich; top with the remaining bread slices, sauce side down.
9. Heat an electric panini press (or, if using a sautu00e9 pan, heat the pan) and cook the sandwiches in batches for 3 to 5 minutes, until the bread is toasted and the cheese is melted; if using a sautu00e9 pan, cook like a classic grilled cheese.
10. Allow the cooked sandwiches to rest for 2 minutes, cut in half, and serve warm.