American · Main · Easy
Grilled Cheese Sandwich
Golden buttery bread with a molten center of cheddar and gruyere. The comfort food benchmark, done the right way.
The whole recipe in 60 seconds
Grilled Cheese Sandwich, in 5 ideas
- Starting in a cold pan and heating slowly gives the cheese time to melt before the bread burns.
- Shredded cheese melts faster and more evenly than slices.
- Two cheeses beat one. Cheddar brings sharpness, gruyere brings nutty meltability.
- Butter to the very edges, no dry spots, for a uniformly golden crust.
- Medium low heat is the secret. High heat burns the bread with cold cheese inside.
What you need
Ingredients
- 4 slices sourdough or white bread
- 4 tbsp butter, softened
- 4 oz sharp cheddar, shredded
- 4 oz gruyere, shredded
- 1/4 tsp garlic powder
- 1 tsp Dijon mustard (optional)
How to make it
Directions
- Mix the cheddar and gruyere in a bowl. Stir in the garlic powder if using.
- Butter one side of each bread slice generously, all the way to the edges.
- Place 2 slices butter side down in a cold skillet. Pile the cheese evenly on top.
- Top with the remaining bread, butter side up.
- Turn the heat to medium low. Cook 3 to 4 minutes until the bottom is deep golden.
- Flip carefully and cook 3 more minutes until the second side is golden and the cheese is fully melted. Rest 1 minute, then cut and serve.
A thin smear of mayo on the outside of the bread instead of butter gives an even crispier, more golden crust. It sounds odd, but try it once.