You Know You Want It
Watching someone eat a grilled cheese is like watching someone yawn: it’s completely and totally contagious. The pan heats up and you can just smell the creamy mayo and butter beginning to ooze through the gently toasting bread. A knife crunches through the perfectly crusty, toasty sandwich and melted cheese spills out the sides as the first bite is taken. And that’s it—you’re a goner.
The Best Grilled Cheese Recipe EVER.
We all love a good grilled cheese sandwich, right? But, have you ever made an epic grilled cheese on the stove at home? You know, the kind with a cheese pull for miles and crispy, perfectly golden brown edges of buttery brilliance. Sometimes you nail it, sometimes you burn it, or it comes out a little dry, or the cheese isn’t fully melted. Well, 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.
How To Make Grilled Cheese
Anyone can make an OK grilled cheese. But we want you to know how to make the BEST grilled cheese sandwich. As ever, it’s all about technique. Our grilled cheese recipe relies on a few key things:
- 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.
- Butter AND mayo. Yes, we’re saying you need to make your grilled cheese with mayo! This is not the moment to skimp, friends! Any way you slice it—we’re diagonal people, ourselves—grilled cheese is an indulgence. Just go ahead and go big! Make it perfect and enjoy.
- Shredded cheese. Shredded cheese will melt more quickly and evenly than sliced, so it’s perfect for making a grilled cheese sandwich.
- White bread. Classic, simple, and a great toaster. It’s also really good at soaking up all of that melty butter and creamy mayo.
And the Best Cheese for Grilled Cheese is…
We’re partial to regular old cheddar cheese—sharp or medium, depending on your preference— 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 cheese you favor. Here are a few great melters to 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. 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.
- Blue / Chevré. Tangy chevré or sharp blue cheeses can be delicious additions to a grilled cheese, but we like to use them sparingly and coupled with mild, melty cheeses like Jack or cheddar.
And the Best Bread for Grilled Cheese is…
White bread! Thick-sliced, if you can find it. Regular, squishy, tender white bread will crisp up beautifully in the skillet and make a toasty, nicely neutral vehicle for all that cheese.
Tools You’ll Need to Make The Perfect Grilled Cheese:
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.
Grilled Cheese Perfection, Right?
We hope you love our grilled cheese recipe and we want to know how it turned out! Snap a pic, post it to Instagram, and tag @themodernproper and #themodernproper so we can revel in the beauty of that melted cheese gloriousness right along with you. Happy eating!
