The Almost-Perfect Grilled Cheese Sandwich

The perfect grilled cheese sandwich is one of humankind’s highest accomplishments. Perfectly toasted bread meets warm, melty cheese. This delicious cheese toastie that uses three cheeses for that cheesy flavor hit!

It started back when we were kids, bestie. One day mum called us in for lunch, and put in front of us a harmless combination of food - toast, cheese, and a bit of butter. Little did we know, that placed in front of us was, The PERFECT Grilled Cheese Sandwich.

The warmth, the ooey gooey cheesiness, and that magical first bite. I’ve spent years trying to recreate it, but I’ve never been able to get it quite like that first time. So instead, here’s my recipe for the almost-perfect grilled cheese sandwich (as well as the secret to make it perfect).

The Almost-Perfect Grilled Cheese Sandwich, Updated

If you’re reading this and wondering why it sounds familiar, it’s because this post was originally written and published on Chocolates & Chai back in April 2015. I’ve updated it to create a clearer, streamlined post with newer photos and a recipe video, as well as some tips and variation ideas to make this grilled cheese recipe perfect for you.

I’ve also moved a very lengthy, rambling story about a time when I overslept.

Ingredients

• Your favorite bread
• Gruyère, grated
• Mature Cheddar, grated
• Double Cream Brie, small slices
• Paprika
• Black Pepper
• Oregano
• Butter, room temperature
• Dijon Mustard

How to make the perfect grilled cheese sandwich

Making this grilled cheese sandwich is easy. Start by mixing the gruyère, brie, and cheddar cheeses together. Next add in the paprika, pepper and oregano.

Generously butter a single side of both slices of bread while putting mustard on the other. Add the cheese mixture on the mustard side of the bread. And sandwich using the remaining slice of bread (remember: butter side up).

Fry the sandwich over a low-medium heat (preferably using a nonstick skillet), put a lid on the pan to help the cheese melt quickly. There's no need to butter/oil the pan as you've already buttered the outsides of your sandwich. All you need to do is cook the sandwich until it’s golden brown, flip and repeat on the other side – it typically takes one to three minutes per side. Enjoy warm!

The secret ingredient

At the risk of being cheesy (see what I did there?), the secret ingredient is love. And maybe, nostalgia. So while this grilled cheese sandwich may not taste just like that perfect grilled cheese you (or I) had as a child, if you make it for your child, there’s a good chance it will become their best grilled cheese sandwich memory.

Tips

Choosing the right bread

Usually, with a sandwich recipe, I’d emphasize the importance of picking the perfect loaf of bread. But in this case, I think it works best if you use bread that you tend to have and enjoy. That way you can make it easily and often without having to worry about specifically shopping for it. 

My favorite bread for this is a nice artisanal sourdough (for the photos and recipe video, I’ve used standard white bread as I felt that would be the easiest for most people!). 

Selecting the best cheese

This grilled cheese recipe mixes three cheeses that we often have at home. Ideally, you want to use a good quality cheddar, brie (I like double cream brie, but other bries are fine too), and gruyere.

The right tools

A lot of grilled cheese sandwich recipes suggest using a sandwich maker. I actually suggest that you don’t use a sandwich maker! Use your frying pan as it leads to a perfectly crispy and textured outside.

Variation ideas

Different cheeses. The easiest way to mix this recipe up is playing around with the cheeses. Havarti, Swiss, mozzarella, and gouda all work well! But I suggest skipping American cheese as it doesn’t melt as well and doesn’t play nice with other cheeses in the context of this recipe.