Grilled Cheese 101

The simple steps I took for an Instagram-worthy sandwich

I randomly made a grilled cheese last week and was so proud of how it turned out, I took a picture of it. Naturally, I dropped the pic on Instagram, and since then people have been asking me to share the recipe. I’m here to help.

Just want to warn everyone that I didn’t mark down timing and measurements; so this is all approximate. But here are my guidelines to make a delicious grilled cheese sandwich. Tweak as necessary.

1. Butter the bread

   Fat is the key to an excellent grilled cheese. In an effort to make my sandwich slightly healthier, I skip butter and actually reach for Smart Balance, which claims to be heart healthy. Who knows. But spreading cold butter or faux-butter is a chore with bread; so, I scoop out about a tablespoon of Smart Balance into a ramekin and melt it in the microwave for 30 seconds. I then brush the exterior of my bread slices with the melted “butter.” Be sure to paint across the whole slice as consistently as possible, all the way to the crusts.

   1. One side only: no need to butter both sides of each slice.

   2. Bread choice: use whatever bread you like. A grilled cheese shines best with white bread, but admittedly I rarely have white bread in the household. Whole wheat works just fine.

   3. Align the slices: before buttering, place the slices side by side so they are mirror images of each other. Now do your buttering. I know this all sounds very anal retentive, but when you assemble the sandwich, the bread will be aligned and you won’t have overhangs from which precious melted cheese can escape. Leave no goodness behind!

2. Now the rest of the sandwich

   Flip the slices over so the non-buttered sides are face up. I personally enjoy mayo on my grilled cheese. If this speaks to your soul, then now is the time to spread some Hellman’s on one of the slices. Otherwise, just ignore. Next, add your cheese. I enjoy the nostalgic flavors of American cheese. We don’t discriminate here. American cheese has limited uses, and this is one of them. I use two slices.

   1. Cheese-veat emptor: American cheese is designed to melt efficiently. Cheddar puts up more of a fight. If you must go fancy, use a shredded cheese to speed things up. Maybe also mix in some mozzarella, which is molecularly predisposed to melting easily.

3. Cook it

   Spritz a pan with oil spray and heat it over medium-low heat. Once it’s warm, add the sandwich, cover, and let cook undisturbed for about 90 seconds. Remove the cover, peak under the sandwich with a spatula. If it’s still pale, keep cooking - checking again after another minute. Otherwise, if it’s golden brown and beautiful, flip and cook for another 90 seconds, covered. Peak again. If it’s ready, remove to a plate, and cut down the center for maximum melty dramatic effect!

   1. Adjust for firmer cheese: If you don’t use American cheese here, you will have to adjust your timing. Most cheese will take longer to melt; so you might also want to lower the pan temp a bit so you don’t burn your bread while waiting. Are you sure you don’t want to use American cheese??

Hope this helps. It’s pretty basic, but I’ve messed up “basic” plenty of times (you should see the blackened, sad grilled cheeses of my 20s). Good luck and share your tips for grilled cheese below!