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A Classic Grilled Cheese Sandwich is the perfect comfort food. You really can’t beat butter, toasted bread, and melted cheese!
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Grilled cheese is a homemade favorite that is comforting and full of flavor! Every bite will melt in your mouth and bring a warmth of deliciousness covering your tastebuds. Unveil how to make the perfect grilled cheese sandwich with these helpful tips and an easy recipe!
Cheesy goodness on the inside with a crisp-buttery toast on the outside! This homemade grilled cheese recipe is the only way to go. Pick your favorite cheese and bread and let’s get started on the most perfect grilled cheese sandwich you have ever made!
We love to make this grilled cheese recipe for lunch or dinner and serve it with some soup or a salad. Looking for more sandwiches packed with flavor? Check out our list of hot and cold sandwiches and wraps!
The Best Grilled Cheese Ingredients
For adults and kids alike, sometimes a good ole grilled cheese sandwich with a bowl of hot soup just hits the spot. I love how easy they are to make and how much you can customize your sandwich with a variety of cheeses, meats, vegetables, and more!
In this post, we will give you a step-by-step guide to making the perfect Grilled Cheese Sandwich, as well as some fun variations to try. If you are looking for a gourmet grown-up version, try our Margherita Grilled Cheese!
- Bread – Thick, white bread works best and gives you that delicious taste and texture combination. Choose your favorite white bread and use that for the grilled cheese.
- Cheese – I used a mixture of cheddar cheese, muenster cheese, and Havarti cheese stacked in the middle of the bread. This helped add and melt so many flavors of sweet, savory, and a bit of spice together.
- Butter – Spread softened butter on the outside of each slice of bread. This will help give that bread that crisp-buttery texture.
What Cheese is Best for Grilled Cheese?
Almost any cheese will work on a grilled cheese sandwich. However, you want to stay away from cheeses that don’t melt or slice well. Avoid feta, blue cheese, goat cheese, queso Blanco, and white cheddar. Additionally, avoid using pre-shredded cheese.
Pre-shredded cheese is coated with a material that stops it from sticking together in the bag. Unfortunately, that material also causes it to not melt as well. It will be grainy and lumpy. So, use sliced cheese, or slice your own off of a block! Some of my favorite cheeses for Grilled Cheese are:
- Sharp Cheddar
- Muenster
- Havarti
- Provolone
- Swiss
- Mozzarella
- Fontina
- Gruyere
- Pepper Jack
- Monterey Jack
- Colby Jack
- Brie
- Gouda
- American cheese
Tips and Substitutions
Just like above, there are certain cheeses that are great for melting, and then there are others that don’t do as well. Create the best-grilled cheese for you and what you have in your home. Here are some helpful tips and substitutions for making the best hot sandwich!
- Mayonnaise – Substitute mayo for the butter! This is an older and wiser trick I learned that still gives the outside of the bread a crisp and buttery flavor.
- Meltable cheeses – Choose from the list above to pick the best cheeses and blends that melt together.
- Pairing bread – When getting your slices together, pair your sliced bread with the one next to it in the loaf. This will ensure that your slice will match up with each other and not be off when grilling and having a cheese mess.
- Thick bread – The thicker your bread, make sure that you cook it on low to help make sure that the cheese is all the way melted without burning your bread. If it is on high, you will have burnt bread and the cheese may not have melted all the way.
Make it Fancy
The recipe below is for a basic three-cheese grilled cheese. There are a variety of ways to enjoy and make a grilled cheese sandwich. If you are wanting to switch it up, try some of our other favorite combinations!
- Cheddar Bacon – sharp cheddar cheese and cooked bacon slices
- Pizza – Mozzarella, Provolone, and pepperoni slices (try dipping it in marinara sauce!)
- Pesto – Mozzarella, Fontina, and pesto spread. For extra vitamins, throw a couple of leaves of fresh spinach on top.
- Ham and Cheese – sharp cheddar cheese and sliced ham (try adding apple slices!)
- Add any kind of jams you like, or even try chutney.
Recipe Tip
If you are adding meat, make sure to put it in the middle of two cheese slices, otherwise the bread slices won’t stick to your sandwich.
Frequently Asked Questions
You can, but I would suggest using some kind of oil or cooking spray on the outside of your bread. Otherwise, the outside of your bread will burn before the cheese melts. You can also use mayo instead of butter.
If you are making Grilled Cheese for a crowd, you can use a large skillet or electric griddle. You can also make them in the oven. Preheat the oven to 350 and put two baking sheets in the oven while it preheats. Make up your sandwiches, and when the pans are hot, place the sandwiches on one pan, and then place the other pan on top. Bake until the bread has a golden brown crust and the cheese is melted.
The Best Soups to Serve with Grilled Cheese
A grilled cheese pairs beautifully with just about any soup in the world! We’re partial to a classic tomato, but try some of these cozy soup recipes and perhaps you’ll find a new favorite.
How to Make a Grilled Cheese
How to Make Grilled Cheese
Ingredients
- 8 slices bread
- 4 slices sharp cheddar cheese
- 4 slices Muenster cheese
- 4 slices Havarti cheese
- 1/4 cup butter softened
Instructions
- Lay out your bread and place the cheese (and other toppings if desired) onto one of the slices of bread.
- Preheat a pan on the stovetop to medium heat. Place the top slice of bread onto the cheese. Butter both slices of bread on the outside and place them into the heated pan.
- Cook until the bottom slice of bread is golden brown. Flip and cook until the other slice is golden brown and the cheese is melted.
Mac. Tuna and grilled c. Great
So many great tips on how to make the perfect grilled cheese. We love to try different cheeses too! So simple for kids to make, which I absolutely LOVE!
When I am out of ideas for dinner, grilled cheese is our go-to! My kids are obsessed with these! The more cheese, the better, in their opinion!
We make grilled cheese a lot! I love that you’ve added different cheeses. It definitely makes it so much better & way cheesier!
So easy to make and really tasty! Will make it again for sure! Thanks a lot for sharing this!
Well YES this was the most delicious grilled cheese we’ve ever had. Sometimes I’ve tried “secret recipes” that spread the inside of the sandwich with mayo. But in my opinion the finished sandwich turns out too greasy. I love your “secret” which is to use dang fine cheeses! And yes, sharp cheddar also makes all the difference because it gives it flavor – medium cheddar just tastest like grease on this kind of sandwich. Thanks for this great recipe!
Please tell us what type of bread is best for grilled cheese sandwiches
I think sourdough is the best for grilled cheese, but it really depends on what you like. Some people prefer a lighter bread, like Brioche.