Due to its superior melting factor (though hardly superior flavor), American cheese is the most popular cheese chosen for a grilled cheese sandwich. Cheddar and Swiss take second and third places. But don’t follow the crowd—follow our recipes for gourmet grilled cheese sandwiches.
April 2008
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Grilled Cheese Sandwich Recipes
Plus Tips For Making The Perfect Grilled Cheese Sandwich
Many people will name a grilled cheese sandwich as a favorite comfort food. Since April is National Grilled Cheese Month, we’ve found a dozen grilled cheese sandwich recipes—one for each month of the year, or one heck of an official month of celebrating. The recipes are courtesy of the Wisconsin Milk Marketing Board (read more about the Artisan Cheese of Wisconsin, among the finest, award-winning cheeses in America).
This is Part I of a five-part article. Use the recipe index immediately below to navigate from page to page.
PART I
PART II
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PART III
PART IV
PART V
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Tips For The Perfect Grilled Cheese Sandwich
- Use real butter. The flavor of fresh butter is important for a gourmet grilled cheese sandwich.
- Butter the outer side of the bread, not the pan. The butter will be more evenly distributed, which ensures a properly golden, crisp sandwich.
- Grate or shred the cheese; it will melt faster.
- When using dense breads, slice them no more than 1/2-inch thick, so that the heat can penetrate and melt the cheese.
- Press the sandwich with a spatula after it’s been flipped, to help the melted cheese spread evenly.
- Use a nonstick pan instead of cast-iron. The sandwich is less likely to stick to the pan, which makes clean-up much easier.
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Be sure that your butter is fresh. Otherwise, it will carry old refrigerator flavors onto your sandwich. See more butter tips. |
If your budget doesn’t allow for expensive cheeses, good condiments can easily punch up the flavor—from Dijon mustard to honey.
Balancing the fat of a grilled cheese sandwich with an acid flavor is a delicious counterpoint. Garnish the plate with gherkins or pickled vegetables. Check out the options from Rick’s Picks and Tillen Farms.
Classic Grilled Cheese Sandwich
Classic grilled cheese isn’t a gourmet recipe like the other 11 on the pages that follow. But it’s easy to give the classic recipe a gourmet turn by using the finest cheese, bread, mustard and mayonnaise...and a great artisan pickle.
Makes 4 servings.
Ingredients
- 8 slices firm-textured sandwich bread
- Mayonnaise, optional
- Mustard, optional
- 1/2 pound (8 ounces) Cheddar cheese,
mild, medium or sharp, grated
- 3 to 4 tablespoons butter, softened
Preparation
- Spread bread slices with a thin layer of mayonnaise and/or mustard and evenly divide the grated Cheddar over four slices of bread.
- Top with remaining four slices.
- Heat half of the butter in a large (12-inch) skillet over medium heat.
- Place sandwiches in skillet and spread remaining butter over top slices of bread.
- Cover skillet.
- Cook about 3 minutes, until underside is golden brown. Carefully flip sandwiched with spatula and continue cooking, uncovered, 2 to 3 minutes, until cheese is melted and underside is browned.
- Serve immediately.
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Upgrade the classic grilled cheese recipe with better ingredients: no processed cheese or spongy white bread! |
Go To Grilled Cheese Recipes: Part II
Go To The Recipe Index At The Top Of The Page
Recipes © Copyright Jones Dairy Farm and Wisconsin Milk Marketing Board. Other material
Lifestyle Direct, Inc. All rights reserved. Images are copyright of their respective owners.
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