17 Gooey, Wonderful Grilled Cheese Recipes (2024)

FAQs

What is the secret to the best grilled cheese? ›

Grilled Cheese Tips and Tricks

His secret? Griddle the bread on both sides. That's right. Cook two slices of bread in butter, flip 'em over so that the browned sides are facing up, add your cheese, and close your sandwich so that the cheese is sandwiched between the browned surfaces.

Finally, it's a matter of taste: Sometimes, butter's richness feels a little too heavy and can overpower the cheese. Mayonnaise's light, tangy flavor means your tastebuds can fully appreciate the flavors of your cheese and bread choices.

Using a cast iron-pan, add a touch of olive oil and get pan hot over medium-high heat and add sandwich. After about 30-45 second push sandwich so it crisps and cheese melts. Flip after about 2 minutes, once slices are nice and crunchy. Keep flipping and pushing down until cheese is melted.

Tuck in a little sautéed spinach, caramelized onions, chopped steamed broccoli, roasted red peppers, or roasted tomatoes. Add fruit. For really gourmet grilled cheese sandwiches, use a mix of Gruyere and brie cheese along with thinly sliced apples or a slather of fig jam.

Grilled cheese is usually made in a non-stick frying pan or a regular pan while toasted cheese is made in a oven. This is because, in a grilled cheese sandwich, the cheese is sandwiched between two slices of bread. This means that the cheese can never come into contact with the pan and so it never sticks.

And consider how you're “grilling” your cheese. If you're slathering it in butter or mayonnaise – it's probably not a meal you'd want to indulge in daily. If you're grilling it under a broiler or using a sandwich press, it's probably a healthier food choice.

For the ideal grilled cheese, look for bread with a soft-but-hearty texture with even slices of medium thickness (about 1/4 inch). Hearty sandwich bread, sourdough, brioche, and rye all work very well. Avoid rolls and loaves with large holes in the interior.

Divide cheese evenly on both slices. Top with remaining slices, buttered side up. Heat a large skillet over low heat until warm. Add sandwiches and cover; cook, turning once with a spatula, until the bread is golden-brown and the cheese has just melted, 5 to 8 minutes per side.

Build it with better bread: Ditch white sandwich bread for something with more body and taste. A firm artisan bread will grill up nicely. And you can try breads like dark rye, pumpernickel and even walnut or olive bread to create grilled cheese sandwiches with added layers of flavor.

Because that's what happens if you put a piping hot grilled cheese directly on a plate. Condensation builds up beneath the sandwich, undoing all your careful crisping and giving you a sandwich that might still be crisp on one side but is limp and unpleasantly moist on the other.

What is the best cheese for gooey grilled cheese? ›

Cheese options – For the best grilled cheese, you want to use a combination of mozzarella (for its cheese pull and non-greasy melting qualities) with a flavoured cheese – because mozzarella actually has a very mild flavour. A good vintage cheddar or gruyere are my absolute favourites.

For each grilled cheese, you'll need two slices of bread, at least 1 tablespoon of butter, and 2-4 slices of cheese (depending how gooey you like it). American, Cheddar, Swiss, muenster or Gouda all work well—feel free to mix and match your cheeses.

Familiar names are: toastie (UK), grilled cheese sandwich (US), jaffle (Australia), panini (Italy), and croque monsieur (France). The toasted sandwich is not limited to these countries, however. You will find this popular snack, lunch, or dinner in every corner of our planet.

For the best results, toast your bread first. A quick toast will help your bread develop the golden edges and luscious crisp that you're after. It'll also help prevent the bread from getting soggy, no matter how many fillings you add.

Standard procedure for grilled cheese is to butter the outsides of the bread before placing it in the pan — for more flavor, butter both sides, inside and out. This works quite nicely, adding flavor to the sandwich, while also preventing burning and sticking.