Description
Classic grilled cheese sandwiches elevate comfort food with crispy sourdough bread and melted cheddar cheese. Sharp flavors and golden-brown edges promise a satisfying meal you’ll savor with pure culinary delight.
Ingredients
Scale
- 2 slices thick-cut bread (sourdough, brioche, or white bread)
- 1 cup shredded cheese or 2–3 slices
- 1 part sharp cheddar
- 1 part mozzarella
- 1 part gruyere
- 1 part fontina
- 1 part parmesan
- 1 part pepper jack
- 1 part cheddar
- 2 tbsps (30 mL) unsalted butter, softened
- 2 tbsps (30 mL) mayonnaise (optional, for extra crispy crust)
- 1 sprinkle red pepper flakes
Instructions
- Bread Selection: Choose robust white or sourdough slices capable of withstanding grilling without disintegrating.
- Fat Preparation: Soften butter or mayonnaise to room temperature, creating a smooth, spreadable consistency.
- Surface Coating: Uniformly apply chosen fat across entire bread surface, ensuring edge-to-edge coverage with buttered sides facing downward.
- Cheese Layering: Strategically arrange complementary cheese varieties like sharp cheddar and creamy mozzarella, covering bread slice center without overwhelming the sandwich.
- Sandwich Assembly: Position second bread slice atop cheese layer, maintaining buttered exterior facing upward.
- Cooking Preparation: Preheat heavy-bottomed skillet or griddle to medium-low temperature, preventing burning while promoting even toasting.
- Grilling Process: Delicately transfer assembled sandwich to heated surface, cooking first side until achieving rich golden-brown crispness, approximately 3-4 minutes.
- Final Transformation: Skillfully flip sandwich using spatula, continuing cooking until opposite side reaches identical golden coloration and cheese melts thoroughly.
- Serving Technique: Remove from heat, allowing brief resting period for cheese stabilization, then slice diagonally for elegant presentation.
Notes
- Optimize Bread Selection: Choose dense, thick-cut bread like artisan sourdough or country white to prevent sogginess and maintain structural integrity during grilling.
- Temperature Control Matters: Keep skillet at medium-low heat to achieve golden-brown crust without burning, allowing cheese to melt slowly and evenly.
- Cheese Melting Technique: Mix complementary cheese varieties like sharp cheddar and creamy mozzarella for complex flavor profile and superior melting consistency.
- Fat Spreading Strategy: Apply butter or mayonnaise edge-to-edge on bread’s exterior for uniform, crispy golden-brown surface and enhanced flavor development.
- Prep Time: 5 minutes
- Cook Time: 10 minutes
- Category: Breakfast, Lunch, Snacks
- Method: Grilling
- Cuisine: American
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 2
- Calories: 450
- Sugar: 2 g
- Sodium: 800 mg
- Fat: 30 g
- Saturated Fat: 18 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 9 g
- Trans Fat: 0 g
- Carbohydrates: 36 g
- Fiber: 2 g
- Protein: 20 g
- Cholesterol: 70 mg