Grilled Cheese

On the surface, grilled cheese is simplicity at its best, but there’s so much more to it than two slices of bread, cheese and butter. Talk to anyone and you’ll get many opinions on how their version is better than anyone else’s. Maybe it’s classic white bread with mayo on the outside and pepper jack in the middle. Perhaps it’s pumpernickel slathered with good French butter as well as Brie and fig jam. Our grilled cheese recipe uses American cheese slices and shredded cheddar—one melts beautifully while the other adds a sharp flavor and some heft.

No matter how you slice it, the ultimate grilled cheese sandwich should be toasty and crisp on the outside and molten and gooey on the inside. The type of bread, cheese, fat, pan and cooking time can vary—not to mention the upgrades and grilled cheese ideas that take the sandwich to another level of flavor and texture. The possibilities are endless, but starting with the basics is best. Whether you want to accompany a bowl of classic tomato soup, serve the kids at lunch or prep a secret midnight snack for yourself, we have tips on how to make grilled cheese from scratch.

Grilled Cheese Ingredients

Julie Andrews for Taste of Home

• Butter: Salted butter gives toasted bread a flavor boost. Spread the butter on the side of the bread that hits the pan to give the grilled cheese recipe its signature crisp, golden surface. The butter should be easily spreadable so you don’t tear the soft bread. There are a few tricks to soften butter quickly if you forget to remove it from the fridge.
• Bread: Classic white bread is perfect for grilled cheese sandwiches. The outside toasts well but the center stays soft. You can choose other types of bread—sourdough, bakery-fresh French boule, rye, whole wheat—but there’s nostalgic comfort in using a pre-sliced store-bought loaf.
• Shredded cheddar cheese: Shredded cheddar melts evenly, which helps keep the bread from becoming too dark before the cheese softens. Grate the cheese yourself with a large-holed cheese grater. Anti-caking agents on most pre-shredded cheeses hinder their melting action.
• Sliced American or mozzarella cheese: The main reasons to use processed American cheese, a blend of real cheese and stabilizers, are that it melts quickly without breaking and it becomes gooey rather than oily. If you find the processed slices too plasticy to consider, use low-moisture mozzarella instead.

Directions

Step 1: Butter the bread

Julie Andrews for Taste of Home

Spread 2 teaspoons butter on one side of each slice of bread. In batches, place a slice of bread, butter side down, in a large skillet or electric griddle over medium-low heat.

Editor’s Tip: Buttered bread darkens faster than cheese melts, so keep the heat low to encourage a slow toast. Quickly add the cheese and top each sandwich when the first bread slice is in the pan. If you must cook multiple batches, wipe out the skillet with a paper towel between sandwiches to avoid burnt butter.

Step 2: Add the cheese

Julie Andrews for Taste of Home

Place a slice of American cheese on the bread slice in the skillet and divide the shredded cheddar cheese on top.

Julie Andrews for Taste of Home

Top with a second slice of American cheese.

Julie Andrews for Taste of Home

Add one of the remaining bread slices, butter side facing up.

Step 3: Fry until golden

Julie Andrews for Taste of Home

Cook each sandwich until golden brown on the bottom, two to three minutes. Flip it and cook it another two to three minutes, until golden brown on the second side. Serve immediately.

Julie Andrews for Taste of Home

Grilled Cheese Variations

• Use mayonnaise: The fat and oil in mayo work magic on the outer surface of grilled cheese. Either spread on a thin layer of mayo or mix mayo with butter for a ready-to-use spread.
• Spice it up: For bonus flavor, stir a pinch of garlic powder, onion powder or dried herbs, or a couple of tablespoons of finely grated Parmesan cheese, into the mayo or butter.
• Upgrade the bread: For this grilled cheese recipe, instead of a basic white loaf, choose soft challah, brioche or potato bread. A denser, heartier bread like sourdough works too. If you’re slicing it yourself, keep the pieces about 1/2-inch thick to nail the right balance of crispy and soft.
• Switch cheeses: Move beyond the classics to Monterey Jack or pepper jack. Semi-soft Havarti and harder Gruyere play well together in a hot sandwich. Try raclette, a creamy cheese that melts beautifully, or go for a stronger flavor with Brie or goat cheese.
• Add a spread: Before you place the cheese, smear the inner surface of each sandwich with a savory spread. A little mustard or spicy harissa goes a long way. Use a heavier hand with basil pesto or a thick salad dressing like green goddess.
• Layer in vegetables: To turn the sandwich into a full meal, add a layer of roasted and thinly sliced vegetables, like mushrooms, onions, zucchini or bell peppers. Spinach, tomato, pickles and avocado are good raw filling options. Layer in raw or precooked kale. Don’t overstuff it, however; you want everything to warm through in the center without burning on the outside.
• Give it some fruit: Go for a sweeter grilled cheese sandwich with thin slices of apple or pear. Even a soft fruit like a peach or nectarine works if it’s firm enough to slice neatly. If you’re worried about making the sandwich soggy, spread on a fruit chutney or homemade lemon curd instead.
• Add meat: Go beyond a basic grilled ham and cheese and slip in a layer of cooked bacon. For the ultimate smoky flavor, cook the bacon in the same pan first, then lay the sandwiches in the remaining bacon fat instead of buttering the bread.
• Move beyond the classic: Turn grilled cheese into a pizza sandwich: Smear the inward-facing bread with pizza sauce, sprinkle it with hand-shredded mozzarella, and lay pepperoni slices or your favorite pizza topping in the center.

How to Store Grilled Cheese

Grilled cheese really is best served as soon as it’s cooked, while the sandwich retains crisp heat and the cheese forms a consistent gooey filling. If you make too many sandwiches and have to store the leftovers, wrap them in airtight packaging or seal them in an airtight container before refrigerating.

How long does a grilled cheese last?

A grilled cheese doesn’t last long. For the best, gooiest grilled cheese sandwich, eat it within about 10 minutes. If you got started too early, briefly grill the sandwiches, place them on a rack and drape them with aluminum foil to keep them warm. Return them to the pan within the hour for a final toasting and serve them hot.

If you must store leftover grilled cheese, keep it in the fridge in an airtight container for up to four days. To give it a second life, cut the cheese-and-bread sandwich into cubes. Toss them into a veggie scramble, like avocado scrambled eggs. Or, reheat them in the oven until crisp to use as croutons atop the best-ever tomato soup.

Can you reheat a grilled cheese?

You can reheat a grilled cheese. Instead of using butter to reheat a cold sandwich, brush on olive oil and toast it in a skillet over low heat. Loosely cover the pan with a lid to help the cheese melt quickly but also to release enough steam to crisp the bread. Toasting the previously grilled sandwich in a toaster oven works but might dry out the bread. A microwave will make it soggy.

Can you make grilled cheese sandwiches ahead of time?

If you’re wondering how to make grilled cheese sandwiches ahead of time, grate the cheddar cheese and store it in a refrigerated airtight container for up to four days. Set out the butter early enough to soften naturally. If you’re making several sandwiches, butter the slices of bread beforehand and open the cheese slices for an easy assembly line.

Grilled Cheese Tips

Julie Andrews for Taste of Home

What’s the best pan to use for grilled cheese?

The best pan for grilled cheese is a cast-iron skillet or a high-quality heavy-bottomed pan. Such a pan heats evenly and will brown a grilled cheese to a consistent golden hue. If you can’t comfortably fit the sandwiches all at once, cook them in batches rather than crowding them. Square electric griddles often hold more sandwiches than round skillets, but be sure the coils heat evenly.

How do you keep a grilled cheese from burning before the cheese melts?

To prevent a grilled cheese from burning, quickly layer on the cheese after you set the first buttered bread slice in the hot pan. Use shredded and quick-to-melt American cheese for balanced cooking. Keep the heat low; if you bump it up so the cheese melts faster, you’ll likely burn the bread. Once the sandwiches are grilling, cover the pan loosely with a lid to contain the heat and encourage the cheese to melt. If your grilled cheese sandwiches still tend to burn, try a different pan and burner combo next time. Also, butter burns quickly. If you add mayo with the butter (or use all mayo), the fat and oil temper the butter so the bread toasts more consistently.

What can you serve with grilled cheese?

Tomato soup might be the most classic grilled cheese sandwich pairing, but you have many other options. Roasted red pepper soup has a similarly delicious creaminess. Or, serve grilled cheese with chili. Cook up a batch of air-fryer potato chips to add to each plate. If you’re in a hurry, set a dill pickle on each plate as a crunchy, tangy contrast. Other good sides include French potato salad or a simple green side salad.