Hi! I'm back after a brief hiatus. After a whirlwind trip back to Alberta to meet my new niece and visit family, Baby J brought a cold back with us, and the whole family has been sick for the past week and a half. But I'm starting to feel better, and back in the saddle (desk chair) again.
I will admit, I feel a little silly about posting a recipe for a grilled cheese sandwich. I mean, who needs a recipe for such a simple thing? All you need is bread and cheese right? True...technically. But there are a couple of ways you can make a Perfect Grilled Cheese Sandwich, and they involve using the right cooking method and using great ingredients.
Yes, different people have different ideas of what a "perfect" grilled cheese is. This is mine. It uses good bread, flavorful cheese (and not gobs of it) and has a crispy crust. I prefer a good sourdough, homemade or bakery bought, but a good whole grain will do too. As for the cheese, I use three different kinds. This is Wisconsin after all. I use a stronger cheese, like a sharp cheddar for flavor, a milder cheese like Muenster for stretch, and Parmesan for the crust.
Once you have the ingredients, you need the right cooking method to get your grilled cheese to turn out perfectly. That means you need to use the right skillet (non-stick so your Parmesan crust doesn't stick), and have it at the right temperature. I heat mine over medium heat while I'm getting the ingredients ready, then adjust down to medium low if the bread is browning too quickly. And finally, my secret to the perfect grilled cheese is to use a lid. When I first told Hubby about my trick, he said "won't it get soggy?" Nope. It helps keep the heat in so that the cheese melts all the way through. Dipping in ketchup or tomato soup are optional, but I like mine plain.
The Perfect Grilled Cheese Sandwich
Ingredients
- 2 medium slices of high quality bread (use Gluten Free bread if you need your sandwich to be Gluten Free)
- 2 teaspoons butter
- 2 Tablespoons shredded Parmesan cheese
- ½ ounce shredded sharp cheddar cheese 14 grams, about ¼ cup
- ½ ounce shredded Muenster or Monterey Jack cheese 14 grams, about ¼ cup
Instructions
- Heat a large non-stick skillet over medium heat.
- Spread butter on one side of each of the slices of bread. Press the Parmesan onto the buttered sides of the bread. Spread the shredded cheddar and Muenster over the non-buttered side of one of the slices of bread. Top with the second slice of bread, with the butter and Parmesan coated side up.
- Place the sandwich in the pre-heated skillet. Cover with a tight fitting lid and cook until the bottom of the sandwich is golden brown, about 5-7 minutes. Reduce heat to medium low if sandwich is browning too quickly. Flip sandwich and continue to cook until the second side is browned and the cheese is melted, 3-5 more minutes.
Nutrition
Nutrition Disclaimer: I try my best to make sure the nutrition information I provide is accurate to provide you with the best information possible. However, due to ingredient discrepancies and other factors, the above nutrition information should be considered an estimation only.
Perfect Grilled Cheese Sandwich Nutrition Notes
I'm pretty sure most people don't consider a grilled cheese sandwich health food. It's high in calories, salt and fat, the majority being the unhealthy saturated kind thanks to the cheese and butter (the trans fat is the naturally occurring kind, which has not been shown to be as harmful as the kind from hydrogenated oils). There really is no way to improve the nutrition content of this sandwich, as I have already used what I believe is the minimal amount of cheese that would make a grilled cheese sandwich (it's gotta stick together, after all!) Just watch your portion sizes, and don't eat one too often!
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