April is National Grilled Cheese Month

The best Comfort Food Sandwich in the world is the Humble Grilled Cheese Sandwich. Let's honor the King of Sandwiches by sharing your Grilled Cheese Sandwich recipes!

Love a grilled cheese sandwich. I'll vary it with different breads and cheeses but I most always make them on my George Foreman grill. My favorite is on Beefsteak Hearty Rye bread with American cheese, sometime mozzarella or cheddar cheese or at times a combination of cheese. I like Sara Lee whole wheat bread too, also really good for BLT's. And I sometimes use Piemonte Italian bread. Sometimes with a little ketchup or marinaira sauce on the side.

My 2 favorites are a Tomato Grilled Cheese and a Bacon Grilled Cheese. If I get really crazy, I make a Bacon/Tomato Grilled Cheese!

I learned a trick to making a beautiful Grilled Cheese. Instead of trying to butter the bread, I melt the butter in the pan and then lay the bread on top. That way you get a nice even coated and golden brown sandwich

Foodbme


I learned a trick to making a beautiful Grilled Cheese. Instead of trying to butter the bread, I melt the butter in the pan and then lay the bread on top. That way you get a nice even coated and golden brown sandwich

To add to the idea of buttering the pan....  I butter the bread, but I use Extra Virgin Olive Oil in the pan.  It adds a nice flavor contrast.

I agree that Beefsteak Hearty Rye (or any robust, seeded rye for that matter) makes a good sandwich.  My usual choice of cheese is Colby but I'll try other varieties on occasion, although I never use American or Velveeta (which I don't consider to be "real" cheese anyway).

Brad

I remember,  way back in elementary school,  in the 60's,   dunking my grilled cheese sandwiches into my cream of tomato soup.

Tommy B


I remember,  way back in elementary school,  in the 60's,   dunking my grilled cheese sandwiches into my cream of tomato soup.

...my wife loves hers plunked in the middle of a bowl of tomato soup..

We have been buying Swiss Rye bread at the Kwik trip gas station & making grilled cheeses with Muenster cheese on that bread. For a change of pace sometimes, I'll put cranberry mustard or Gulden's on one of the slices of bread.

Muenster is my favorite for grilled cheese. It melts up nice & tastes great.

a good rye bread (preferably with seeds) for a grilled cheese sandwich is a MUST!!!!

i'll sometimes use just american cheese; sometimes will add in cooper sharp or provolone or cheddar or gouda or mozzarella or swiss.  sometimes a combo of three different cheeses. 

sometimes i'll put some guldens mustard in between the layers of cheese before i cook it.   i almost always add mustard if i'm putting some ham in the sandwich.

bacon is always a nice add-in or tomatoes...sometimes i'll lightly saute the tomatoe slices in olive oil/basil before i put them on the sandwich...if i do that, i make sure to throw in some mozzarella right on top of the tomato.

i've got the george forman grill, too - the smallest one which is a pain to clean - i love the way the sandwich comes out...and it's quicker than using a saute pan.  i hate cleaning the thing though, so don't use it that often.

i'll let the butter soften very well before coating the bread with it...and i make sure to get a nice even layer (a bit on the thick side) before i put the bread in the pan. 

i'll cook both pieces at the same time...loading the cheese and any other items on one piece of bread and then i'll turn the other over on top and then cover the whole thing with a lid...so the cheese melts...and then just one turn of the sandwich to make sure the other piece of bread is toasted completely.

i didn't know a whole month was devoted to grilled cheese sandwiches...cool!!  that's what's for dinner!!  lol

I'm a traditionalist. Hell, I still say toasted cheese instead of grilled cheese. I just want a few slices of American cheese and Gulden's mustard between slices of plain old white bread. My wife loved hers with a slice of tomato and mustard. My grandson's favorite includes a couple of slices of Boars Head Cajun-style turkey. Does anyone else call them toasted cheese sandwiches?

Make toast.
Put 3 slices american cheese, overlapping in the toast.
Butter the outsides.
Place on plate in microwave.
Microwave till cheese melts on sides, less than a minute.
Take out, let cool a bit, enjoy.

Here’s mine “some might say it’s too busy” but the wife and I love them.
 
I start with wheat bread and slather with warmed butter then pat with shredded parmesan. “Makes a nice crispy crust” I put the first piece on the skillet and quickly apply a layer of onion and chive cream cheese followed by mozzarella and American cheese.. “sometimes I add blue cheese crumbles on mine. I throw on the other buttered and parmesan laden slice of wheat and let the magic happen.  Then I plate and cut into 2 triangles with the pizza cutter. My wife has to have served in triangles..   
 

My favorite is made with colby cheese( I love the way it streches)on a good Italian bread.Add tomato and bacon at the end and it is perfection.Oh, and a good grainy mustard on the bread prior to grilling....

Tommy B


I remember,  way back in elementary school,  in the 60's,   dunking my grilled cheese sandwiches into my cream of tomato soup.

Cream of tomato soup is key for me to truly enjoy a grilled cheese sandwich. A can of Campbell's tomato soup concentrate and can of milk with a liberal application of black pepper. For the sandwich, buttered white bread with american cheese, browned and melted in a cast iron skillet.

I love foie gras as much as anyone, but basic, basic, basic grilled cheese sandwiches and tomato soup are amazing to this day.

As an accompaniment  I go cream of tomato or French onion but the wife has it with Spaghetti O’s  for the sake of nostalgia… I’ll also have a dill pickle or some Wickles on the plate….  

I did my part today.  I had grilled ham and swiss sandwiches for lunch.

Grilled up some thinly sliced ham

Lightly spread miracle whip on the bread, pu this down in the pan 
added the thinly sliced baby swiss
added the grilled ham
added the second slice of lightly spread bread

grilled to a golden brown

The mayo/miracle whip add a small bite to the the sandwich


I also like using a honey dijon mustard on the inside of the ham and cheese, using the ham and some mozzerella

fabulousoyster


Make toast.
Put 3 slices american cheese, overlapping in the toast.
Butter the outsides.
Place on plate in microwave.

Microwave till cheese melts on sides, less than a minute.Take out,, let cool a bit enjoy.

microwave a grilled cheese sandwich?
Blastfamy (sp)

Run2Eat


As an accompaniment  I go cream of tomato or French onion but the wife has it with Spaghetti O’s  for the sake of nostalgia… I’ll also have a dill pickle or some Wickles on the plate….  

What are "Wickles"????

sk bob

fabulousoyster


Make toast.
Put 3 slices american cheese, overlapping in the toast.
Butter the outsides.
Place on plate in microwave.

Microwave till cheese melts on sides, less than a minute.Take out,, let cool a bit enjoy.

microwave a grilled cheese sandwich?
Blastfamy (sp) (It's spelled Blasphemy)

 
It's not a "Grilled" Cheese, It's A "Toasted " Cheese which makes it a "Double Secret Probation" Blasphemy!!!!

i must have been born too late to have nostaligia for a grilled cheese and canned tomato soup.

sounds like a nice lunch for a kid though.

I like a good soft dense bread, butted on the outside, marble cheese, grilled on an iron skillet. Served with a few tomato slices.

But, which ever way you make it, its a lovely comfort food.

analei


i must have been born too late to have nostaligia for a grilled cheese and canned tomato soup.

sounds like a nice lunch for a kid though.

I like a good soft dense bread, butted on the outside, marble cheese, grilled on an iron skillet. Served with a few tomato slices.

But, which ever way you make it, its a lovely comfort food.

Don't know how old you are, But almost every school cafeteria from the early 50's to the late 60's served  this at least once or twice a month. The reason being they would get "Surplus" cheese from the Government, (Dept of Agriculture I think). They did this to subsidize the milk prices and keep them high enough for the Dairy Farmers to survive. (Just like they paid farmers not to grow product). Surplus cheese was some of the best quality cheese produced in America!! The same cheese was used to make the best Mac & Cheese also!

Michael Hoffman


I'm a traditionalist. Hell, I still say toasted cheese instead of grilled cheese. I just want a few slices of American cheese and Gulden's mustard between slices of plain old white bread. My wife loved hers with a slice of tomato and mustard. My grandson's favorite includes a couple of slices of Boars Head Cajun-style turkey. Does anyone else call them toasted cheese sandwiches?

Me. But then here we do mostly toast ( broil ) the sandwiches instead of fry (griddle/grill ) them. Unless you are making them in a sandwich toaster, in which case you are supposed to butter the outside of the bread. I have no objection to grilled cheese sandwiches and have had some very tasty ones, but I just personally prefer them toasted without additional fat on the outside. But with LOTS of lovely melty cheese on the inside.
 
It is one of my favourite things to eat. I am a cheeseaholic, though. I do like add slices of ripe full flavoured tomato sometimes. Or chutney. I am not so keen on the grilled cheese/soup combo myself, but like to have something crisp/raw/fruity on the side. Celery, or a sliced apple are great.

What are "Wickles"????


Wickles  are a brand of sweet hot pickle.. Wicked + Pickle = Yumm…  They also make a relish but I’ve never tried it..

MissKitty

Michael Hoffman


I'm a traditionalist. Hell, I still say toasted cheese instead of grilled cheese. I just want a few slices of American cheese and Gulden's mustard between slices of plain old white bread. My wife loved hers with a slice of tomato and mustard. My grandson's favorite includes a couple of slices of Boars Head Cajun-style turkey. Does anyone else call them toasted cheese sandwiches?

Me. But then here we do mostly toast ( broil ) the sandwiches instead of fry (griddle/grill ) them. Unless you are making them in a sandwich toaster, in which case you are supposed to butter the outside of the bread. I have no objection to grilled cheese sandwiches and have had some very tasty ones, but I just personally prefer them toasted without additional fat on the outside. But with LOTS of lovely melty cheese on the inside.
 
It is one of my favourite things to eat. I am a cheeseaholic, though. I do like add slices of ripe full flavoured tomato sometimes. Or chutney. I am not so keen on the grilled cheese/soup combo myself, but like to have something crisp/raw/fruity on the side. Celery, or a sliced apple are great.

My wife has had the grilled cheese/tomato soup thing since she was a kid - I never even thought about such a combo until she asked me to prepare it for her a few years back - now I regularly eat my grilled cheese sandwiches that way - it is also a way to not have leftover soup,

Michael Hoffman


I'm a traditionalist. Hell, I still say toasted cheese instead of grilled cheese. I just want a few slices of American cheese and Gulden's mustard between slices of plain old white bread. My wife loved hers with a slice of tomato and mustard. My grandson's favorite includes a couple of slices of Boars Head Cajun-style turkey. Does anyone else call them toasted cheese sandwiches?

Michael,
You're a Non-Traditionalist, not a Traditionalist. A Traditionalist GRILLS a Grilled Cheese Sandwich. Why do you think it's called a "GRILLED" Cheese Sandwich?????????? DUH!
Based on your Volumes of posts on RF, I can say without a doubt that you are definitely a Non-Traditionalist.

Foodbme

Michael Hoffman


I'm a traditionalist. Hell, I still say toasted cheese instead of grilled cheese. I just want a few slices of American cheese and Gulden's mustard between slices of plain old white bread. My wife loved hers with a slice of tomato and mustard. My grandson's favorite includes a couple of slices of Boars Head Cajun-style turkey. Does anyone else call them toasted cheese sandwiches?

Michael,
You're a Non-Traditionalist, not a Traditionalist. A Traditionalist GRILLS a Grilled Cheese Sandwich. Why do you think it's called a "GRILLED" Cheese Sandwich?????????? DUH!
Based on your Volumes of posts on RF, I can say without a doubt that you are definitely a Non-Traditionalist.

But you see when I was growing up they were not called grilled cheese sandwiches. They were called toasted cheese sandwiches, and that's even the way they were listed on menus. 

MissKitty

Michael Hoffman


I'm a traditionalist. Hell, I still say toasted cheese instead of grilled cheese. I just want a few slices of American cheese and Gulden's mustard between slices of plain old white bread. My wife loved hers with a slice of tomato and mustard. My grandson's favorite includes a couple of slices of Boars Head Cajun-style turkey. Does anyone else call them toasted cheese sandwiches?

Me. But then here we do mostly toast ( broil ) the sandwiches instead of fry (griddle/grill ) them. Unless you are making them in a sandwich toaster, in which case you are supposed to butter the outside of the bread. I have no objection to grilled cheese sandwiches and have had some very tasty ones, but I just personally prefer them toasted without additional fat on the outside. But with LOTS of lovely melty cheese on the inside.
 
It is one of my favourite things to eat. I am a cheeseaholic, though. I do like add slices of ripe full flavoured tomato sometimes. Or chutney. I am not so keen on the grilled cheese/soup combo myself, but like to have something crisp/raw/fruity on the side. Celery, or a sliced apple are great.

In my house they were/are always done in a skillet or on a flatgrill, with both slices of bread buttered on the outside.

Maybe we ought to bring in the wanderingjew Linguistics Policy Academy in here to arbitrate this. Where I grew up it was always grilled cheese sandwich and it was always made on a grill in diners and skillet at home pressed down with a spatula. I was well into adulthood before I knew what a toaster oven was.

Foodbme

analei


i must have been born too late to have nostaligia for a grilled cheese and canned tomato soup.

sounds like a nice lunch for a kid though.

I like a good soft dense bread, butted on the outside, marble cheese, grilled on an iron skillet. Served with a few tomato slices.

But, which ever way you make it, its a lovely comfort food.

Don't know how old you are, But almost every school cafeteria from the early 50's to the late 60's served  this at least once or twice a month. The reason being they would get "Surplus" cheese from the Government, (Dept of Agriculture I think). They did this to subsidize the milk prices and keep them high enough for the Dairy Farmers to survive. (Just like they paid farmers not to grow product). Surplus cheese was some of the best quality cheese produced in America!! The same cheese was used to make the best Mac & Cheese also!

--Okay..that was WAY before I was born, or even a twinkle in my daddy's eyes!!  My era would have been the late seventies and early eighties!
 
**I do remember study about that in our social studies class abut the surplus milk/subsidies.
 
MMMMMMMMMMMMM macaroni and cheese.
 
 

Michael Hoffman

MissKitty

Michael Hoffman


I'm a traditionalist. Hell, I still say toasted cheese instead of grilled cheese. I just want a few slices of American cheese and Gulden's mustard between slices of plain old white bread. My wife loved hers with a slice of tomato and mustard. My grandson's favorite includes a couple of slices of Boars Head Cajun-style turkey. Does anyone else call them toasted cheese sandwiches?

Me. But then here we do mostly toast ( broil ) the sandwiches instead of fry (griddle/grill ) them. Unless you are making them in a sandwich toaster, in which case you are supposed to butter the outside of the bread. I have no objection to grilled cheese sandwiches and have had some very tasty ones, but I just personally prefer them toasted without additional fat on the outside. But with LOTS of lovely melty cheese on the inside.
 
It is one of my favourite things to eat. I am a cheeseaholic, though. I do like add slices of ripe full flavoured tomato sometimes. Or chutney. I am not so keen on the grilled cheese/soup combo myself, but like to have something crisp/raw/fruity on the side. Celery, or a sliced apple are great.

In my house they were/are always done in a skillet or on a flatgrill, with both slices of bread buttered on the outside.

 
Oh, for sure - but to me its just interesting, the differences in the names because of the equipment/methods of preparation  I like " grilled cheese " aka your toasted cheese sandwiches, I just prefer them to be done under a grill
Here, sandwiches cooked that way are often known as Cheese Dreams. There is a particularly evocative passage in one of the Scottish actress Molly Weir's childhood memoirs where she describes learning to make these at Guide Camp, using a tiny camping frying pan over a fire shared with several other hungry girls trying to cook theirs too, each of them so impatient to eat that their bread was barely warmed. It was only later, she said, when recreating the dish for her mother at home that she learned what the dish should truly be like and always after that took the time to produce the sandwiches with a golden brown buttery crisp outside and the delicious melted cheese inside.