Grilled Cheese: a timeless comfort food that families have been enjoying for generations. Honestly, you really can’t go wrong whipping up a grilled cheese sandwich for lunch or dinner. Bread and cheese, who doesn’t love that glorious combo? And while the classic recipe is great, I’m here to show you the best way to make grilled cheese.
The secret to making a mouthwatering grilled cheese is to add cheese to the outside of the sandwich as well as the inside. Trust me on this. Crispy, crunchy cheese adds a texture and flavor that will blow your mind!
Now if you really want to tickle your tastebuds, add some unexpected flavors to your grilled cheese. I personally love adding jalapeño to the outside (inside too, when I’m feeling extra spicy!). Some other tasty additions are pesto, garlic butter, bacon, tomato, and green onions. Don’t be afraid to get creative with it! You might just discover the next big thing in grilled cheese!
Not to mention, grilled cheeses are easily customizable per person and what flavors they like! So, if your kids like a basic grilled cheese best, you can still spice your own up without adding a bunch of extra work for yourself. We love that!
The best way to make grilled cheese really is easy.
Adding cheese to the outside of your sandwich or adding some other flavors is simple. It only requires a few extra steps that are totally worth it! I am confident that this will become a family favorite in your house.
Quick side bar: Cooking together is a great family activity! This recipe is pretty easy to let the kids help with. (We won’t turn the griddle on right away, so no worries of little fingers getting burned!) Ok, now back to what you came for! 😉
Let’s cut to the chase. Here’s how to make the best grilled cheese.
Step One: Gather your ingredients and supplies
You will need…
- A griddle or skillet – A griddle is highly recommended if you’re making multiple sandwiches.
- Butter knife or rubber spatula for spreading butter.
- Bread of your choice – Sometimes I get real fancy and make a fresh loaf of bread, but regular sandwich bread is good too!
- Slices of your favorite cheese – Grab some cheddar jack if you’re feeling feisty.
- Shredded cheese – This is for the outside crunchy cheese layer.
- Chopped or diced Jalapeño (I prefer fresh vs. pickled) or other additions of your choice.
Step Two: Butter your bread.
Using a butter knife or rubber spatula, butter one side of each slice of bread (2 slices per sandwich) with softened butter. You want your butter to be room temperature. If the butter is cold, it will not spread. If the butter is melted, the bread absorbs it too quickly and it just doesn’t taste as good. (Look, I’m no professional chef, but I’ve made a lot of grilled cheeses and melted butter just doesn’t work the same. I’m sure there’s some sort of kitchen sciencey stuff to it…)
Set your buttered bread aside for the next step.
Cooking with Kids Tip: I find that spreading things on bread is easier for little hands with a rubber spatula.
Step Three: Add shredded cheese to your griddle. (Do not turn the griddle on yet!)
Next, you’re going to make little cheese “piles” on your griddle. (One for each sandwich if you are making multiple at one time.) You want the cheese pile to be large enough to cover the outside of your bread slice. Therefore, the amount of cheese you will use may vary. Plus, cheese is meant to be measured with the heart.
If you are adding anything else to the outside of your sandwich, you will add that to your cheese pile. for example, Jalapeño slices.
Cooking with Kids Tip: Since we aren’t heating the griddle yet, placing the cheese on the griddle is a great job for little helping hands!
Step Four: Place bread and cheese on griddle
Once you’ve sprinkled your shredded cheese piles on the griddle you are going to place the bread right on top of them, buttered side down. After you’ve done that, add your cheese slices to the bread and top with the second slice of bread. (Buttered side up this time!)
Another trick to a great grilled cheese is to cover all of the inside bread with cheese. If your bread isn’t square or your cheese slices are a bit big, you may need to tear the slices so they fit. If it looks a little Frankenstein-esque you’re doing it right!
Step Five: Turn up the heat!
Heat your griddle to medium and cook for 3-4 minutes until golden brown.
When making more than one grilled cheese at a time, I find that it ends up being a race to get all the sandwiches assembled before they start to burn. I like to get everything on the griddle and then turn the heat on. This gives the inside cheese time to melt before the outside is over-done.
Step Six: Repeat step three, and flip.
Just before you are ready to flip the sandwich over, make another pile of shredded cheese (and additions) next to the sandwich. When your cheese is in place you can flip the sandwich over on to the cheese pile.
Cook for an additional 3-4 minutes until golden brown on both sides of the bread, and the cheese in the middle is melted.
Step Seven: Enjoy! You have now learned the best way to make grilled cheese!
Now is the time to dig into to that cheesey goodness! Savor every bite because you are a cooking QUEEN!
Final thoughts on my discovery of the best way to make grilled cheese…
My whole family loves crispy cheese (Think the top of a casserole). One day I was feeling inspired by that love of crispy cheese. So, I decided to try adding cheese to the outside of my sandwich and it turned out to be a grilled cheese game changer.
P.S. I’m sure this is not a unique to me recipe, so I am not claiming that this was invented by me. I just thought of it, and tried it one day.
If you ever feel afraid to experiment with your cooking, don’t be! Experimental cooking gives you so much more confidence in the kitchen, not to mention it’s really fun! Especially when everyone loves what you made. I used to be a recipe stickler, but I have come to enjoy cooking so much more since I’ve given myself kitchen freedom.
Not only can this kitchen freedom create a newfound -or rekindled- joy for cooking, it can reduce so much of your stress around feeding your family. For one thing, kids can be a real pain to feed. One day they love something, the next they don’t… Nevertheless, I have found that being able to simply toss something together has helped me come up with a much wider variety of things that my children will regularly eat.
Give the best way to make grilled cheese a try!
Let me know in the comments if you tried making grilled cheese this way! Did you add any extras that you or your family loved? I can’t wait to hear from you!
You’re doing a great job!!
Pin to try making these later. And if you loved it, share this recipe with your friends and family!
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The Best Way To Make Grilled Cheese
Equipment
- 1 Griddle or Skillet
- Knife
- Butter Knife or Rubber Spatula for spreading butter
Ingredients
- 2 slices Bread of Choice
- 2 slices Cheese of Choice
- 1/4 to 1/2 cup Shredded Cheese of Choice The amount is really dependent on the size of your bread slices and your taste preference. Measure that cheese with your heart!
- Softened Butter*
- 1 Jalapeño, sliced or diced.* Optional
Instructions
- Using a butter knife or rubber spatula, spread softened butter on one side of each slice of bread. Cover the entire side on each bread slice. Set aside
- Sprinkle half of the shredded cheese onto griddle (or skillet) in a small pile that is large enough to cover the surface of the bread. (If using Jalapeños add them to the shredded cheese pile.)
- Place buttered side of bread face down on top of the shredded cheese pile that is on your griddle.
- Place cheese slices on top of the non-buttered side of your bread. Make sure to cover the entire surface of bread. If your cheese slices are too big, or your bread is a different shape, tear your cheese slices to make it fit.*
- Place second slice of bread, buttered side facing up, on top of the other slice of bread to create a sandwich.
- Heat griddle to Medium. ( I wait to turn my heat on until my grilled cheese is assembled so the outside doesn't cook fully before my inside cheese has had a chance to melt)
- Cook about 3-4 minutes until golden brown.*
- Right before you flip your grilled cheese over, sprinkle the rest of your shredded cheese into a pile on griddle to flip the sandwich on to. (If using Jalapeño, add to shredded cheese as well)
- Flip your sandwich over, buttered side down.
- Cook about 3-4 minutes until golden brown and inside cheese is melted. Remove from griddle and turn off heat.
