Elevated Grilled Cheese
Let's take this over the top
There can be something rather elegant about a toasted grilled cheese sandwich. At its most basic, it’s just bread and chees, but a truly amazing grilled cheese sandwich is possible. One where the outcome is so much more than the sum of its parts.
While you can make “grilled cheese” with nothing more than a couple of slices of plain white bread and some American cheese, you can make a truly magnificent sandwich without much extra effort. It’s simply a matter of choosing the right ingredients.
The bread
Your sandwich will only be as good as the bread you choose. A beautiful loaf of sourdough would be a fantastic option. So would a boule or a round of garlic bread or a dark seedy loaf. Avoid super crusty bread as the toasting can make the edges difficult to negotiate. Ditto for baguettes with an abundance of crust - you are looking for slices with uncrusted centers.
Don’t slice your bread too thick or too thin. You want a good ratio of bread to cheese. If your bread is too thick, it will burn before your cheese melts. Too thin and the bread disappears under the weight of the cheese. Aim for slices about half an inch thick.
The cheese
Start with a combination of 2 or more cheeses, with completely different textures and flavors. Using all sharp cheddar or Parmesan would overwhelm the whole sandwich, leaving a greasy mess. Instead, consider a blend of diverse cheeses - something boldly flavored like Gruyere, aged cheddar, or a creamy blue, paired with meltier and more gently flavored cheeses like Monterey jack, gouda, provolone, or fresh goat cheese.
Shredded cheeses work best as they melt easily and ensure that every bite of the sandwich is filled with tasty cheese.
The mayonnaise
Many grilled cheese sandwiches begin with a rich coating of butter on the bread before hitting the pan but skipping the butter on the outside of your bread and using mayonnaise instead is a pro move. Coating your bread with mayo results in crispier grilled cheese sandwiches that cook faster and more evenly, without burning and without sticking to the pan.
For a super pro move, add some shredded cheese to the mayo before you put the bread in the skillet. The cheese will melt as the bread toasts, creating a frico or fried cheese situation on the outside of your sandwich. It’s the stuff grilled cheese dreams are made of.
The extras
An incomplete list of things that could make an amazing grilled cheese even better.
Slices of tomatoes
Pesto
Roasted green chiles
Bacon
Roasted red peppers
Tapenade
Avocado
Apple or pear slices
Fig jam
Sauteed mushrooms
The best way to cook your grilled cheese
Slather your bread with mayonnaise and add a sprinkle of shredded cheese.
Set both slices of bread - mayo and shredded cheese side down - in a skillet heated to medium.
Sprinkle on a mix of shredded cheeses and anything else you want to add.
Cover the skillet with a glass lid.
Toast until the bread is grilled and golden brown, and the cheese is melty and oozing.
Remove the two sides from the skillet and press together to make a sandwich.
Cut in half and serve. Maybe with a warm bowl of soup…….
With love and grilled cheese ~
Chelly
