Easy Grilled Cheese Sandwiches

Crunchy and golden bread stuffed with 3 types of cheeses to make the BEST grilled cheese sandwich. They are the ULTIMATE snack, delicious to eat on its own and easy to make in little time and fully customisable.

I am not late to the party. Grilled cheese sandwiches have been around for so long. But I haven’t shared a recipe because I felt there are so many options and recipes available that you didn’t need another one however I felt it important to share how I make them, store them and the different variations you can add to them.

Having said this I must admit, I have been making these since I was a kid so they have evolved a little from white slice bread and sliced cheese to a little more flavor and texture bombs. In the best possible way. The truth is however you decided to make your grilled cheese sandwiches just make sure you are using your favorite cheese and flavors as we don’t need a lot of ingredients to make this, so the best ingredients here make for the best grilled cheese.

What is a grilled cheese sandwich?

A grilled cheese sandwich is basically a hot sandwich that is most often than not made with white bread slices and cheese, grilled until golden. Some recipes call for butter, mayo and other flavoring options. It can be grilled in a sandwich maker, toaster, oven or over the pan.

Why is it called grilled cheese?

The cheese sandwich is grilled hence it is called a grilled cheese sandwich. No brainer there. But they are also referred to as toasted cheese sandwiches as well. Many places call them cheese toasties as well.

Why are grilled cheese sandwiches for popular?

Grilled cheese sandwiches are popular because they are the simplest and easiest recipe to make, literally you need bread and cheese to make it. The most accessible ingredients as yo can use any kind you prefer.

What is the secret to a good grilled cheese sandwich?

The best quality ingredients. Since you don’t need much to make this recipe, I would suggest to make it with the best cheese and bread you can get your hands on. This really is half the recipe won. The second thing would be cooking it slowly so the cheese melts and the bread gets crispy golden on the outside.

What goes well with a grilled cheese?

Tomato soup is the best option. You can serve it with ketchup, mustard or vinegar as well.

What cheese is best for grilled sandwiches? What are the top 3 cheeses for grilled cheese?

There are a lot of options here, using a combination always helps achieve the best texture and flavor. You can use mozzarella, cheddar, gruyere, gouda, emmental. I have used combination of 3 here but you can stick to one as well. Don’t get me wrong I have made grilled cheese with slice cheese and it was yummy but I would add a flavored cheese to help the overall taste of the sandwich.

Are grilled cheese sandwiches healthy?

Grilled cheese sandwiches are not diet food. They are not “healthy” from a nutritious point of view but I wouldn’t call them unhealthy and deem them as “bad” instead I would suggest to indulge into them every now and then but not over do it for breakfast lunch and dinner for 4 days a week.

Should I toast my bread before making grilled cheese?

There are many ways to make the perfect grilled cheese sandwich but there is no wrong way to do it as long you like the overall outcome of them. I prefer not to toast my bread ahead and make the sandwiches first, before toasting them. So they stay soft on the inside with the perfect crunch on the outside.

What ingredients do you need to make these easy grilled cheese sandwiches?

To make this sandwich I have used a milk bread loaf, I sliced the bread a little thicker than regular white bread slices (again use what you have – there are times I have made this with brown bread as well). For the cheese I used shredded mozzarella, gouda and emmental. I also used crushed black pepper and soft butter.

What equipment do you need to make these easy grilled cheese sandwiches?

We need a bread knife to cut the bread slices and into the sandwich once grilled. I ahem also used a butter knife to spread the butter on the bread slices. I used baking paper to cook the sandwiches over the sauté pan. Why? Wrapping the sandwiches in baking paper and starting the cooking process wrapped creates steam, melting the cheese on the inside. Once we remove the paper and grill them on the pan directly the outside gets a beautiful color while the inside stays soft and gooey. Thank me later. I have also used a spatula to help me flip them while cooking.

How to make these easy grilled cheese sandwiches?

Butter both sides of the slice bread. Fill one side of the slices with 1 tbsp of each of the cheeses. Add crushed black pepper on top and cover with the the other slice of bread. Wrap in baking paper and place on a sauté pan on low-medium heat. Cook for 2 minutes on low heat on each side. The cheese should’ve melted in this time, remove the baking paper and finish cooking on the pan over direct heat for 1-2 minutes on each side until golden and crispy. Remove from heat, transfer to a wire rack to cool for 1 minute before slicing and serving.

Serving & storing these easy grilled cheese sandwiches?

These sandwiches like any grilled sandwiches are best served hot. Allow them to sit on a wire rack for a minute before slicing to avoid condensation – this ensures both sides of the bread stays crispy and doest get soggy. Serve it with ketchup, mustard, chutney or any condiment of your choice.

The leftovers sandwiches that are already grilled can be stored in the fridge for 1 week, when ready to eat, warm them over low heat on a pan and allow them to heat completely. I prefer keeping wrapped in the baking paper, this ensures the cheese melts evenly when reheated without burning on the outside.

Alternatively, store the uncooked sandwiches wrapped in the baking paper in the fridge for a couple of days and in the freezer for up to 1 month. When ready to eat, remove from the freezer and heat on low flame over the pan wrapped in the baking paper – the heat with slowly defrost the sandwich and heat it, in turn melting the cheese. Once the sandwich is soft and has a little color, remove from the baking paper and grilled until golden brown.

Commonly asked questions when making grilled cheese sandwiches:

What makes the grilled cheese soggy?

Not grilling the sandwiches enough hence the bread is not crispy but soft. Also once the sandwiches are grilled they must be placed on a wire rack, this ensures there is no condensation on the sandwiches.

Why is my cheese in the grilled cheese sandwich not melting?

The flame was too high and the cheese didn’t get hot to melt, or the cheese wants grated hence it took longer to melt. Using grated cheese or slices really helps melting it. We need to create a little steam to help the cheese melt down and become oozy.

How to reheat a grilled cheese sandwich?

Wrap it in baking paper, place on a pan with hot heat and cook for. Couple of minutes on each side, remove the baking paper and grill directly on the pan until crispy and golden on each side, allow it to sit on a wire rack for a minute before cutting serving.

Can I use slice cheese to make grilled cheese sandwich?

You absolutely can. However the better the cheese, the better the taste so use the best slice cheese you can get your hands on.

How to get a golden color on the grilled cheese sandwich?

Make sure the bread is buttered on both sides. Grilled on low to medium heat so it can get evenly colored. I also like to smash the sandwich down a little to ensure all the edges get a little color on all the edges.

Looking for more snack recipes?

Now that we have covered how to make this easy grilled cheese sandwich recipe, you can have a look at the recipe video on my socials but let’s get to it.

If you try this recipe out, don’t forget to share it with me on instagram so I can see how it turned out. I’d love nothing more than to chat with you on your cooking/baking.