In honor of National Grilled Cheese Day, April 12, we turned to University Club Chef Manager Cherri Koester for tips on making a good grilled cheese sandwich, and her recipe for a fancier take on the classic.
First, the Tips
“The easiest way to ruin a grilled cheese is by trying to cook it over too-high heat,” Koester said. The bread burns before the cheese melts.”
Another mistake: picking cheese that doesn’t melt well. “Picture biting into a hard piece of cheese like a block of Parmesan.” One of the keys is to use a high-moisture cheese; many cheeses that have long aging times have less moisture.
While Koester’s recipe includes vegetables and condiments, some grilled cheese fans balk at anything extra. What makes a sandwich a grilled cheese?
“I’ve had so many versions of a grilled cheese, but to me if it isn’t cooked using either buttered (real butter – not margarine) bread or in a buttered pan it’s just not a grilled cheese. It should be served hot with gooey cheese oozing out,” she said.
She added, however, that there isn’t anything wrong with classic white bread and American processed cheese. “It’s just a matter of how adventurous you want to be.”
Now — for the Adventurous — the Recipe
“My favorite grilled cheese recipe starts with garlic bread. I make mine with Texas toast but the frozen Texas toast garlic bread works just as well. I like a thick bread due to the amount of cheese I use.”
Koester also suggests mixing cheeses. Brie has a buttery, custard-like texture, cheddar lends sharpness, and smoked Gouda gives a hint of the smokiness.
- Two slices buttered garlic bread (If you aren’t a garlic fan, skip the garlic.)
- Sliced medium or sharp cheddar
- Sliced Brie
- Sliced smoked Gouda
- Yellow onions, sliced thin
- Firm tomato slices
- 2 tablespoons finely shredded Parmesan
- 2 tablespoons mayonnaise
- 2 teaspoons zesty Italian dressing (Adjust this amount depending on preference.)
Cook onions in a small amount of oil over medium heat until they start to look translucent. Reduce heat to low and continue cooking until soft and caramelized, approximately 15-20 minutes.
While onions cook, prepare remaining ingredients.
Combine mayonnaise with Parmesan cheese and Italian dressing; texture should still be creamy but not runny.
Heat a cast-iron skillet over low-medium heat. Once the skillet is hot, add the bread with buttered side down and leave it just until the bread is easily releasing from the pan and is golden brown on one side. Remove from skillet. You’ll cook the other side after assembling everything.
Spread the mayonnaise mixture on the browned side of both pieces of bread, using as much or as little as you would like. Top with a slice of each cheese, onions, tomatoes, and the top slice of bread. Make sure the uncooked side is on the outside.
Place in the cast iron skillet over low-medium heat, brown on both sides and allow cheese to melt. If cheese is still not completely melted when the bread is brown, remove from heat and cover the pan loosely with a plate just until cheese is melted.