Straight from The Cheese Queen: Kirstin Jackson chimes in with important grilled cheese reminders, and three unexpected flavor combinations. You don’t have to pick favorites. Try them all:
In its most fulfilling, basic, loving incarnation with just cheese, bread and butter, a grilled cheese sandwich is perfect. I would NEVER turn down a diner grilled cheese, btw. But let’s say you want melted cheese, toasted bread and butter another way. What if you wanted to mix it up?
Accessorize!
Think of your grilled cheese sandwich as your LBD and the fixings as a way to accessorize your sammie. To take it from day to night. To wear the same beautiful frock to multiple parties.
Below are my favorite ways to relish oozing cheese between buttery, toasted bread. Their additions add a little spark, extra flavor, a burst of fresh acidity, or refreshing twist to everyone’s favorite cheesy LBD.
A few grilled cheese go-to rules:
Don’t fear butter. It is cheese and bread’s friend and will help you get that proper toast.
Grate your cheese. It will help it melt smoother and faster.
Don’t be afraid to blend cheeses. If you pick a less-melty cheese like chevre, pair it to a super melty cheese like fontina or gruyere.
Low and slow is the key to getting the bread crisp and the cheese oozy. Don’t rush it. Have a glass of wine while waiting.
Leftovers are your best friends. That carnitas in the recipe below? I had it in a to-go box in my fridge from my favorite Mexican restaurant. Brisket and pot roast would all work too.
Salt and pepper your bread.
Recipe: Grilled Cheese Three Ways
#1 Carnitas, Cranberry, and Cheddar Grilled Cheese
The key to this sandwich is choosing a younger cheddar aged 6 months or less so it melts well. I use carnitas here but have had equally amazing results with brisket or pot roast that I picked up at a deli.
Ingredients:
8 pieces country, rustic bread like whole wheat and walnut, sliced ½ inch thick
4 tablespoons room temperature butter
6 tablespoons cranberry sauce
8 ounces grated cheddar cheese
8 ounces carnitas
Salt and pepper to taste
Steps:
Butter one side of four pieces of bread lightly with butter. Leave them face-up. Spread the cranberry sauce equally over the remaining, unbuttered bread slices and also leave facing up. Each sandwich will get one buttered slice and one cranberry slice.
Cover the buttered slices with 2 ounces of grated cheese, then 2 ounces of carnitas. Close the sandwiches so the carnitas are in the middle of the sandwich.
Lightly butter the outside of the now-closed sandwiches, being sure to cover all the way to the crusty edges of the bread. Sprinkle the sandwiches lightly with salt and pepper.
Melt 1 teaspoon of butter in a large sauté pan over medium heat. Once the pan is hot, place the sandwiches in the pan, cheese-side down, and press down firmly with a spatula. After about 2 minutes, reduce the heat to low. In about five to seven minutes or when the first side is golden brown, add another teaspoon of butter to the pan, and flip your grilled cheese. Repeat with the second side. Use any extra butter as needed.
The sandwich is ready when both pieces of bread are golden brown and the cheese is melted. Serve immediately.
#2: Tomato, Raclette and Dijon Grilled Cheese
If you haven’t had a tomato in grilled cheese before, you’ll love this sandwich. Using the tomato and the dijon bring a lightness to the melted cheese and makes it amazingly refreshing even as the cheese gets melty and oozy. Using already sliced-bread is fine
Ingredients:
8 pieces bread like brioche or potato bread, sliced ½ inch thick
4 tablespoons room temperature butter
6 teaspoons dijion mustard
4 ounces grated raclette
4 ounces grated fontina
8-10 thin slices tomato
Salt to taste
Steps:
Butter one side of four pieces of bread lightly with butter. Leave them face-up. Spread dijon over one side of the remaining, unbuttered bread slices and also leave facing up. Each sandwich will get one buttered slice and one dijon slice.
Cover the buttered slices with 2 ounces of grated cheeses then 2 to 3 slices of tomato so the cheese is covered. Close the sandwiches.
Lightly butter the outside of the now-closed sandwiches, being sure to cover all the way to the crusty edges of the bread. Sprinkle the sandwiches lightly with salt and pepper.
Melt 1 teaspoon of butter in a large sauté pan over medium heat. Once the pan is hot, place the sandwiches in the pan, cheese-side down, and press down firmly with a spatula. After about 2 minutes, reduce the heat to low.
In about five to seven minutes or when the first side is golden brown, add another teaspoon of butter to the pan, and flip your grilled cheese. Repeat with the second side. Use any extra butter as needed. The sandwich is ready when both pieces of bread are golden brown and the cheese is melted. Serve immediately.
#3: Pickled Pepper Grilled Cheese with Olive Tapenade
I found my Italian pickled cherry peppers in the Whole Foods olive bar, but they’re available in Italian grocery stores too. The olive bar is your friend for this sandwich. You can either chop mixed, pitted olives, or spread your bread with an olive tapenade for added zest (garlic!). Choose a younger fontina that has a little bounce when gently pressed.
Ingredients:
8 pieces sliced sourdough bread (pre-sliced is fine)
4 tablespoons room temperature butter
6 tablespoons olive tapenade
28-30 Italian pickled cherry peppers
8 ounces grated fontina
Salt to taste
Steps:
Butter one side of four pieces of bread lightly with butter. Leave them face-up. Spread the tapenade equally over one side the the remaining, unbuttered bread slices and also leave facing up. Each sandwich will get one buttered slice and one tapenade slice.
Cover the buttered slices with 2 ounces of grated cheeses. Layer the cheese with 7 or 8 cherry peppers and press the peppers firmly into the cheese. Close the sandwich.
Lightly butter the outside of the now-closed sandwiches, being sure to cover all the way to the crusty edges of the bread. Sprinkle the sandwiches lightly with salt and pepper.
Melt 1 teaspoon of butter in a large sauté pan over medium heat. Once the pan is hot, place the sandwiches in the pan, cheese-side down, and press down firmly with a spatula. After about 2 minutes, reduce the heat to low.
In about five to seven minutes or when the first side is golden brown, add another teaspoon of butter to the pan, and flip your grilled cheese. Repeat with the second side. Use any extra butter as needed. The sandwich is ready when both pieces of bread are golden brown and the cheese is melted. Serve immediately.