Perfect Grilled Cheese

Watching someone eat a perfect grilled cheese is like watching someone yawn: it’s completely and totally contagious, and our grilled cheese sandwich recipe is THE BEST grilled cheese recipe there is. We’re here to teach you how to make the best grilled cheese ever—no more disappointments! Just melted cheese sandwich perfection, for the rest of your grilled cheese-filled days. Can’t you just smell gently toasting bread, with a bit of creamy mayo and butter (gotta have both!) beginning to warm? A knife crunches through the perfectly crusty, toasty bread and gooey, oozing melted cheese spills out the sides as the first bite is taken. And that’s it—you’re a goner. Once you’ve mastered our grilled cheese tricks, try getting fancy with our classic Croque Monsieur, Croque Madame, or springy Green Goddess Grilled Cheese Sandwich.

Grilled Cheese Sandwich Ingredients

• Cheese: We’re partial to regular old cheddar cheese 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 great melting cheese you love. Yesm even American if that’s your true love. More on that below!

• White bread: Classic, simple, and a great toaster. It’s also really good at soaking up all of that melty butter and creamy mayo. However, if you prefer a wheat bread, go for it!

• Butter AND mayo: Yes, we’re saying you need to make your grilled cheese with mayo! This is not the moment to skimp or calorie count, friends! Any way you slice it, grilled cheese is an indulgence. Just go ahead and go big! Make it perfect and then just enjoy.

How To Make A Perfect Grilled Cheese Sandwich

1. Shred your cheese (or cheeses, if you’re choosing to use a combination of cheese) with a box grater or grating attachment. Shredded cheese will melt more quickly and evenly than sliced, and even melting is key to making the best grilled cheese sandwich. Don’t use pre-shredded, because it usually has anti-caking additives that make it less meltable.

2. Slather your bread with the mayo-butter mixture.

3. Grab your favorite pan and put it over very low heat. You can’t rush a great grilled cheese. Low heat allows the bread to toast slowly (i.e. not burn) while the cheese melts.

4. Wait. It’ll take a little time (again, low heat!) for the cheese to melt, but your patience will be richly rewarded.

5. Flip the grilled cheese.

6. Wait again!

7. Dig in.

The Best Cheese for Grilled Cheese

• Cheddar cheese is our very favorite. To us, it tastes the most classic — like the grilled cheese of our childhood dreams! But you can also mix it up! 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. Oooooo now we’re really getting fancy with our grilled cheese! 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.

Variations On The Classic Grilled Cheese:

Once you’ve got the basics down, why not play around a little? These recipes will take your grilled cheese game to the next level.

• This Green Goddess Grilled Cheese features spinach, avocado, sprouts, and an herbaceous spread that brings it all together.

• Put that garden produce to work in this tart and creamy Roasted Rhubarb and Chèvre Grilled Cheese with Spring Onions.

More Perfect Recipes, This Way!

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