When you think comfort food, is a grilled cheese sandwich the first thing that comes to mind? With its warm, ooey-gooey cheesy goodness, how could it not be? No matter how old you get, there’s nothing like a warm grilled cheese sandwich to nourish the soul.
But making the perfect grilled cheese sandwich isn’t easy. From selecting the bread base and cheese filling to the grilling itself, making grilled cheese is an art. To help you achieve that elusive perfectly golden grilled cheese, this article will tell you how to make a good grilled cheese sandwich, plus secret insider tricks for taking your grilled cheese from good to unbelievable.
4 Tips for Making the Best Grilled Cheese Sandwich
Follow these four tips to find grilled cheese bliss.
1. Get Bready
Before you can proceed with the grilling, you must first choose what bread will serve as the base of your sandwich. As your sandwich’s foundation, the bread you use to construct your grilled cheese is essential and sets the tone for the meal.
In general, go for a hearty, crusty bread that can support your ingredients and stand up to the heat of the griddle. You need sturdy slices that can survive the skillet long enough to thoroughly melt the cheese without getting burned. Using a hefty bread will also allow for crispier, cheesier edges, giving your sandwich that satisfying crunch everybody craves.
Pro tip: Use bread with a flavor or texture that will complement your other grilled cheese ingredients. For example, get the full grilled-cheese-and-tomato-soup experience with sun-dried tomato bread, or add some nuttiness with multi-seed bread. You can even go all-out cheese crazy by using asiago bread.
2. Make the Right Cheese Choice
Naturally, the cheese is the pivotal part of a grilled cheese sandwich. Your selection of cheese is essential. Choose cheese with a strong flavor to make your sandwich pop.
Here are some of the different cheeses to consider, and bear in mind you can use more than one.
- American: Although American cheese isn’t overly powerful in the flavor department, the pure nostalgia of a grilled American cheese sandwich makes it a classic choice.
- Cheddar: Cheddar is another cheese selection you can’t go wrong with. Cheddar is pretty standard for a grilled cheese sandwich, but be sure to use a high-quality sharp cheddar to elevate your grilled cheese to the next level.
- Mozzarella: Make your grilled cheese sandwich taste like a personal pizza by using mozzarella as your cheesy component. This mild cheese is an excellent choice if you’re considering adding toppings.
- Pepper Jack: Spice your sandwich up a little with some pepper jack. This cheese will add just enough of a kick to make it noticeable, without overpowering the entire sandwich.
- Goat cheese: Go wild and swap the traditional dairy for some goat cheese. Smooth, tangy goat cheese might become your new go-to grilled cheese sandwich ingredient!
- Other: Think outside the box by adding some crumbles of feta, gorgonzola or blue cheese to your sandwich. Although these cheeses probably wouldn’t do well as the anchor ingredient of your sandwich, sprinkling them on top of another cheese could a whole new layer of flavor.
Pro tip: Grate the cheese yourself. Most pre-shredded cheeses come covered in a light coating of starch to prevent them from sticking together, but this starch also keeps the cheese from seamlessly melting together in your grilled cheese sandwich. To avoid a clumpy grilled cheese, shred a block of cheese by hand.
3. Grill More Than Just Cheese
Though cheese is the star of the show, that doesn’t mean you can’t add extra ingredients for a fun twist. Whether you’re looking for a new texture or flavor, here are some things to think about putting in your grilled cheese sandwich.
- Veggies: Adding veggies to your grilled cheese is a great way to sneak in some greens while giving the sandwich a fresher taste. Spinach, tomatoes, peppers and onions are some of the most popular veggie options, but feel free to get creative!
- Fruit: Picture a fruit-and-cheese plate, but hot off the grill. That’s a grilled cheese sandwich with slices of fruit on it. From apples and pears to peaches or grapes, get a little inventive with your fruit pairings and consider adding a drizzle of honey.
- Protein: Anything from bacon or ham to chicken or tofu can give your grilled cheese a protein kick. We recommend using sausage because its smoky flavor pairs perfectly with just about every type of cheese.
- Herbs: Lighten up your grilled cheese with something straight from the garden. Basil, chives and other types of seasonings like garlic or red pepper flakes can bring out the other flavors in the sandwich.
- Spreads: Incorporating a jam, pesto, aioli, guac or another type of spread into your grilled cheese will tie all your ingredients together and create the perfect sandwich.
Pro tip: Pick a theme for your grilled cheese, such as Mediterranean or Tex-Mex, to ensure all the ingredients’ flavors complement each other instead of clash. If you need some inspiration, check out this Premio grilled cheese sandwich. This recipe incorporates traditional Italian flavors by using fresh ingredients like spinach, sweet Italian sausage and ciabatta bread.
4. Go for the Gold
Once you’ve chosen your ingredients and constructed your sandwich, it will be time to grill it to perfection. But how do you achieve that beautiful golden crisp? The key is buttering up the outside of your bread.
Whether you use butter or mayo to coat the outer sides of your bread before grilling, don’t skimp. Applying a liberal layer of either, then using a lid to cover the sandwich as it cooks, will ensure a mouthwateringly melty inside with a crispy, unburned outside. Covering your grilled cheese while it’s cooking will also lock in enough moisture to keep the bread from drying out.
Pro tip: Create a cheesy, crunchy outer crust by tossing some extra shredded cheese in your skillet and flipping your sandwich onto it. Let the cheese sizzle onto your bread’s edges before removing the sandwich.
Make Your Grilled Cheese Sandwich Complete With Premio Sausage
Don’t settle for anything less than the perfect grilled cheese. When you make your grilled cheese sandwich, use Premio sausage to ensure you’re using the highest-quality ingredients possible. At Premio Foods, we only use fresh cuts of meat and absolutely no fillers — the way sausage should be! And, with a variety of over 40 flavors, there’s bound to be a Premio sausage perfect for your grilled cheese game.
If you’re ready to up your grilled cheese sandwich game, use this store locator to find the Premio provider closest to you.
