Your Favorite Grilled Cheese Sandwich
Last week I made a grilled cheese sandwich with Black ham and tomatoes. It was just a few steps up from the regular bread and American cheese combo (I used Swiss cheese).
What are your favorite ways of making the regular grilled cheese sandwiches a bit more special?
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58 Comments:
(@shoneyjoe & huneybumper: after last week's thread on this i can barely answer seriously.)
i love adding bacon and switching up the cheese & bread too...instead of white bread-a dark pumpernickel...instead of cheddar-brie or gruyere.
as for tomatoes-it makes the bread too mushy for me, so i prefer it in soup form.
gastronomeg at 10:52AM on 07/13/09
Me neither...from now on a Grilled Cheese will always be a...OOPS. Not gonna say it.
arm1970 at 10:56AM on 07/13/09
Gastronomeg: I put my tomatoes inbetween the slices of cheese: that way the bread does not get soggy!
orchidgirl at 11:03AM on 07/13/09
@gastronomeg...i don't think i can answer this either. i'm still slowing working my way through the comments from the actual grilled cheese article. i'm seeing that guys shouldn't be too picky about a favorite, just be happy its on the menu :-)
_greenbean at 11:14AM on 07/13/09
ummmm it used to be the grilled cheese I made with gryuere cheese and thick sliced pepper bacon but now.... any grilled cheese SO wants to make is more than welcome... excuse me I have to go clean the coffee off my computer screen.. then maybe I'll see if SO wants a grilled cheese for brunch ;-)
huneybumper at 11:43AM on 07/13/09
OF COURSE he wants a grilled cheese huney! They ALL do.
arm1970 at 11:46AM on 07/13/09
Rye with cheddar or White bread with American (yes I said American), sliced ham, and tomato. I put the tomato and ham between the slices of cheese so it all melts together.
gingercookiewithlime at 12:15PM on 07/13/09
I just add a slice or two of tomato. keep it simple.
dozertx at 12:17PM on 07/13/09
Rustic bread with pepperjack cheese and dill pickles; rye with black forest ham, swiss and mustard; or just plain old whole wheat with american and mayo.
duncan1205 at 12:37PM on 07/13/09
Ham and Jarlsberg with Dijon on rye or pumpernickel, grilled in a pan while being pressed panini style. That's probably my favorite, although a grilled sandwich of roast beef or smoked salmon with boursin type cheese on rye or pumpernickel is pretty awesome too.
Amandarama at 12:41PM on 07/13/09
arent you talking about ham and cheese sandwich thats been grilled?
grilled cheese should have cheese. thats all.
engmcmuffin at 1:29PM on 07/13/09
omg the bf and i had too much fun discussing grilled cheese sandwiches. although strangely i really want one (the food). might make some tonight with the leftover fontina and white cheddar and the prosciutto that needs to be eaten up....
korovka at 1:30PM on 07/13/09
A mixture of cheese...say, American and Cheddar, maybe with pepperjack. Home-made fluffy white bread. Lots of butter. Bacon or pancetta or Parma ham. And instead of tomato, try using a spread of thick salsa between the cheese layers. Dipped in mayo with each bite. Heaven.
I have to add, I like my grilled cheese cooked in a hot buttered pan for a few minutes on each side, then I stick it in the micro for about 30 seconds to melt the cheese, then another quick toss in the pan to crisp it.
I also think quesadillas should share equal status with grilled cheese. Fresh whole-wheat tortillas, a blend of sharp cheddar and jack cheese, chopped tomato, some peppers and onions, maybe chorizo, cooked up all crisp and lovely, dipped in sour cream...mmmmmmmmmm...
NotAmerican at 1:44PM on 07/13/09
Slow roasted tomatoes, mozzarella, basil, pressed ala Michael Chiarello.
DELICIOUS at 1:46PM on 07/13/09
Ok now I want tomato soup and grilled cheese, I'm almost afraid to ask SO if he wants grilled cheese for dinner, I'm to tired if he misunderstands
;-)
huneybumper at 1:57PM on 07/13/09
Been incommunicado for a bit...had to backtrack to last week's thread to catch the inside joke...laughed so hard that I started choking...at work...thx!
Back to LITERAL grilled cheese - Epicurious has a Grilled-Cheddar-and-Tomato-Sandwiches-with-Miso-Spread that calls for miso - just enough to add depth without being salty. Euphemisms totally aside.
finewinendine at 2:49PM on 07/13/09
Well, shut my mouth! Another grilled cheese thread, only this one's for real. It won't be as much fun, but I promise to behave.
I like mine with extra American cheese (not Kraft individually-wrapped singles) and real butter on whole grain honey wheat; two of my sons like theirs with just one slice of cheese on whippy white bread only; their dad's favorite is pepperjack and bacon; one daughter-in-law insists on Tillamook medium cheddar, thinks American cheese is gross, and she uses tub margarine, which I think makes the bread soggy because the water that's been whipped into it steams the bread and prevents it from toasting; another daughter-in-law will eat any kind of grilled cheese but absolutely positively can't unless she has tomato soup to dunk it into.
Every now and then I'll do an Italian grilled cheese (garlic olive oil, mozzarella and a sprinkle of dry oregano), grilled cheese Margherita (mozzarella, fresh basil and tomato) or nacho grilled cheese (garlic butter, jack and salsa) or breakfast grilled cheese (over hard egg and cheddar or American), but most of the time, there's nothing like the classic.
betteirene at 3:02PM on 07/13/09
Any grilled cheese sandwich is a good cheese sandwich, (hold the tomatos, I hate raw tomatos). I like to add different cheeses to make my ultimate, cheddar, swiss, harvarti, what ever I have around.
pjracz10 at 4:09PM on 07/13/09
As I've said a million times: VELVEETA.
No, you shut up, hater.
sailordave at 6:32PM on 07/13/09
Two favorite grilled cheeses and a new one that I just had at Dean & Deluca:
(1) white bread buttered, cheddar cheese or american cheese and a healthy smear of the preserve part of Indian lemon pickle for a little kick of spice and tang.
(2) white bread buttered and cheddar cheese or american cheese - ie classic!
(3) white bread, provolone or fontina cheese, lettuce and spicy mustard. I think the mustard had wasabi in it.
nithya at hungrydesi at 11:36PM on 07/13/09
i hate when people add meat to their grilled cheese. that makes it a hot sandwich and it is not a grilled cheese! you're ruining our classic institution with your bacon obsession. i HATE when people who "just LOVE bacon" indiscriminately put it on anything they can put their paws on.
LETTUCE TOMATO ONION KETCHUP MUSTARD MAYONNAISE TABASCO
otherwise, just dipped into ranch. KEEP IT AMERICAN!
youraudacity at 4:12AM on 07/14/09
i have very discriminate tastes, thank you.
you need to praise the lard, youraudacity!
pigs are american too, y'know.
& you can keep your dirty mayo off my sandwich too, please.
gastronomeg at 9:31AM on 07/14/09
I'm totally with sailordave here. Velveeta is just gooooooood.
BangieB at 2:30PM on 07/14/09
If I'm ill, Velveeta on store-bought white dipped in tomato bisque soup. If I'm not, that cheese with the cranberries in it on wheat.
jayveejay at 4:04PM on 07/14/09
Velveeta slices. I wish I had invented them.
gastronomeg--praise the lard. . .I love it!
betteirene at 4:12PM on 07/14/09
I'm making grilled cheese sandwiches tonight and think I'll put some caramelized onions on them. I always put a smear of dijon mustard on grilled cheese.
sarar at 6:14PM on 07/14/09
I am with all the Velveeta loves out there, I love it.
pjracz10 at 7:54PM on 07/14/09
Good sourdough with goat cheese, romesco, and fresh basil leaves.
Tootsie1985 at 9:49PM on 07/14/09
I actually had to explain my favorite grilled cheese to the owners of the deli by my work... cheddar cheese, sourdough bread and a few sliced dill pickles in the middle. Salty cheese and even saltier pickles... But, at home, it's bread & butter pickles inside all the way.
Man, I just finished dinner and now I want a grilled cheese!
mcanna at 9:55PM on 07/14/09
My absolute favorite. The kind that makes your mouth want another one, even though your belly is full.
http://veryculinary.com/_blog/2009/04/08/grilled-muenster-cheese-with-turkey-and-tomato/
veryculinary at 10:09PM on 07/14/09
My roommate and I have been on a grilled cheese tear lately. I make it the same way I've eaten it my entire life - wheat sandwich bread, buttered on the outside, and cheddar cheese. Lately I've been using one slice of provolone and some shredded cheddar on the edges. Then I cut it into 4 triangles just like my mom always did. It's the only sandwich I eat that way.
football foodie at 10:18PM on 07/14/09
Mozzarella cheese with tomato sauce inside using brioche bread. we call it "grilled cheese pizza" and it's so unbearably good.
amiyrah18 at 10:23PM on 07/14/09
Uh, huh.......grilled cheese I'll eat it until I burst. I like it with raisin bread, butter outside and american cheese inside. Also like it with whole wheat bread, butter outside, american cheese inside with HP sauce for dipping.
canajun gurrl at 10:52PM on 07/14/09
Well on my planet a grilled cheese sandwich is a cheese sandwich and not a meat with cheese sandwich. So we don't put a protein on it and consider it a "grilled cheese" no matter how tasty the end result is. We also use a paninni press for maximum toasty effect.
My two faves are:
1) Some kind of Swiss, Gruyere is good, on potato bread, with thinly sliced lime juice picked red onions. It's like a "French Onion Soup" sandwich.
2) Brie, honey and strawberries on pressed croissant. My wife came up with this and while it sounds odd is just amazing.
Bunnyman at 12:30AM on 07/15/09
Fresh mozzarella on white (any bread'll do), dipped in pasta sauce. Mmmmm
And when I'm feeling nostalgic, the old throwback, Kraft American Singles (sprinkled with salt) on Sunbeam sandwich bread. XP
flouronhernose at 1:15AM on 07/15/09
My absolute favorite is a crusty bread with brie and spinach, drizzled with a bit of balsamic vinegar and olive oil. So delicious!
coinoperatedheart at 3:07AM on 07/15/09
Grilled cheese sandwiches are the only legitimate reason for the existence of Kraft singles. Square, white bread and matching square cheese slices.
Lorenzo at 3:56PM on 07/15/09
why does everyone's grilled cheese have to be so gourmet to taste good?
wonderbread
kraft AMERICAN singles
tonss of butter
thats all it really takes. everything else if just extra
cakesmurf at 10:52PM on 07/15/09
true story...while i have no problem panini-ing it, if it's grilled cheese I'm after, then I'm a fan of the old-school. Some epic sandwiches have been made from wheat bread (I grew up on it) with kraft singles and excessive amounts of butter, fried in a pan until golden and melty. I've been known to make this grilled cheese for my brother at all hours of the day.
A side-note: not to do with grilled cheese, but are there any fried balogna sandwich fans out there?
getinmebelly at 2:34AM on 07/16/09
@ cakesmurf: of course classic grilled cheese is awesome, but orchidgirl specifically asked-how do you make it more special?
gastronomeg at 9:04AM on 07/16/09
I'll be good - really. I promise.
For a cheese-only sandwich, a good medium cheddar cheese (the really strong aged stuff doesn't melt as well), a slight smear of creamy horseradish sauce, and a few drops of worcestershire. Tabasco after cooking but not before, as the punchiness gets watered down in the reheating.
For a cheese "plus", sometimes a very thin slice of prosciutto (does it come any other way?) and maybe some tomato. I'm not of the camp that thinks that this is no longer a grilled cheese sandwich.
Where do I draw the line? When you can pick up only the top slice of bread and bring up the whole sandwich in your hand. If it separates into a top and bottom half (and I don't care what you've put in it that makes it separate - meat, lettuce, chili con carne, rice pilaf), then it's not a grilled cheese.
@ youraudacity: I'm confused. Putting a small slice of meat in a grilled cheese makes it a hot sandwich, but putting all of lettuce, tomato, onion, ketchup, mustard, mayonnaise, and tabasco still preserves the integrity of a grilled cheese? Please.
shoneyjoe at 12:40PM on 07/16/09
shoneyjoe, I agree with your point about aged cheddar. I absolutely hate grilled cheese sandwiches with sharp, aged cheddar. It turns into sour curds and grease when it "melts." Come to think of it, I don't really care for that kind of cheese in my mac and cheese, either, unless it's roux-based and thus creamier. Hot cheddar is just repulsive to me. And I'm a Wisconsinite!
BangieB at 1:06PM on 07/16/09
I have an appreciation for kraft singles, though there's no denying that that stuff is garbage. As far as grilled cheese goes, muenster muenster muenster, parhaps some Vermont cheddar if I'm in the mood. Note: cheddar takes longer to melt than most cheeses, specifically muenster, so that is something to consider. Anyway, the sandwich. Muenster, tomato, and a good artisan wheat bread. Butter the top of each slice of bread - not the pan - and flip occasionally to achieve a golden brown crust. That's how its done ladies and gents....
thefoodinsulter at 1:14PM on 07/16/09
Today I made a really awesome grilled cheese out of two pieces of leftover aloo naan, some pepper jack cheese and some leftover onion chutney. It was so good!
Amandarama at 5:53PM on 07/16/09
my favorite is to place two slices of bread on the pan in some butter. rub the bread around to grab the butter. place slices of any cheese (except blue or parm) we have on one slice of bread and tomatoes on the other. give time to cook. seal sandwich. doing it with fake ham instead of tomatoes is also incredible.
blizcheetah at 10:09PM on 07/16/09
my first comment! My favorite is white bread with a layer of mild/medium cheddar and a layer of monteray jack. And every once in a while bacon inserted after it's grilled.
lemonfair at 8:32AM on 07/17/09
Monterrey Jack and a little bit of chopped sundried tomato.
kaszeta at 8:02PM on 07/17/09
I looove using a mixture of ketchup and bbq with honey sauce, under a good layering of goats cheese, with fresh chorizo, and chopped onion.
Utter. Heaven.
cellery at 11:10AM on 07/18/09
I like the basic but favor rye bread with cheddar or swiss or provo ...but what I want most with my gc is pickles..sliced dill pickles in between the slices of cheese so there is no sog.
@ getinmybelly I'm a BIG fan of the fried bologna sandwich. Most people think I'm nuts. I not sure if it's a regional thing or just was a different way to serve bologna when that all there was to eat. I'm ready for one right now :-)
lammiepie at 5:58PM on 07/18/09
white or wheat bread
w/olive oil instead of butter on the outside
american
sliced pickles
dipped in ranch.
also, if you are out and about and NEED a grilled cheese fix, Sonic will make it anyway you want it
callmemargie at 11:15AM on 07/19/09
Especially in the winter, I make a grilled cheese using cheddar and tomato on a baguette and grill it in a panini press -- Yum!
bkbella at 6:16PM on 07/19/09
gruyere or pepper jack cheese + caramelized onions + bacon. Yum!!
YummyInTheCity at 6:30PM on 07/19/09
My favorite is Govind Armstrong's grilled cheese with pulled beef ribs. People don't like calling it grilled cheese but oh well. The Bel Paese with it is so nice.
Lotus7 at 8:20PM on 07/19/09
My favorite is cheddar, sauteed onions, and tomato between sourdough or white bread. mmmm!
emluken at 9:28AM on 07/20/09
Yesterday I put spicy brown mustard between the American cheese slices on white bread. Mustard melted in and made a yummy sandwich. I have done the tomato addition, as well and also put the sliced tomato between the cheese. When I was pregnant, I craved grilled American cheese sandwiches with bacon on a daily basis.
queenbleu at 10:47AM on 07/20/09
English muffin lightly buttered, slices of sharp cheddar cheese, melted in a toaster oven, then add slices of dill pickles. Yum. It's been sort of my comfort food since I was a kid.
hkydiva at 5:00PM on 07/20/09
A crusty country bread, white cheddar, and diced jalapeno sprinkled on the cheese. And don't you dare seed that jalapeno!
atammal at 6:03PM on 07/20/09
I say ~ "different strokes for different folks."
duncan1205 at 11:18AM on 07/31/09