How To Make The Best Grilled Cheese Sandwich
Would you like to know how to make the best-grilled cheese sandwich in the world? I grew up with grilled cheese sandwiches made with cheddar cheese on white bread spread with butter on both sides and grilled on a cast iron pan or griddle. When I met my husband, Mark, he introduced me to Miracle Whip salad dressing. His family used to spread a thin layer of Miracle Whip on one slice of the bread before grilling them.
Chef Bryan mentioned he spreads thousand island dressing on the inside of his grilled cheese sandwiches and uses mayo instead of butter to grill each side. It tastes yummy!!!
I just barely tried this by mistake when my husband made the grilled cheese sandwiches for dinner the other night. I’m sold on it now. I grew up dipping my sandwich in tomato ketchup. Mark’s mother called it catsup. The bottle says ketchup so I’m not sure where that came from. We always have Campbell’s cream of tomato soup with ours, do you?
Well, grilled cheese sandwiches have come a long way, baby. I like to make them with different types of bread, various sauces, and different kinds of cheeses and other yummy add-ons. My favorite today is Havarti cheese, but only when it’s on sale. You may know that I make homemade white bread and whole wheat bread, so obviously, Mark and I will use my bread most of the time. Now we don’t eat these often, but I just had to share a few new ideas with you today. Please share yours and I will add them to the post.
Grilled Cheese Sandwich Ideas
Let’s step outside the box today and share ideas with each other. I was raised to spread a little soft butter on the outside of the bread that will be grilled with the cheese in the middle. Sometimes we add more than just cheese in the sandwich. I will share those ideas with you as well down below. I preheat my griddle and place the sandwiches on medium heat and then turn it down to make sure the cheese in the middle melts. I flip the sandwich when one side is lightly browned. Keep watching them so they don’t overcook (burn), and turn the heat down again if you need to so the cheese will melt.
Breads:
White fluffy bread
Whole wheat bread
Rye bread (this makes me want to make a patty melt, what about you?)
French bread
Olive loaf bread
Panera Bread
Pretzel rolls thinly sliced
Leftover waffles (yep these are yummy)
Sourdough bread
Cheese Ideas:
Cheddar cheese
Swiss cheese
Havarti cheese
Velveeta cheese (I almost forgot this one I grew up using this cheese)
Jack cheese
Colby cheese
Spicy Jack cheese
American cheese
Provolone cheese
Longhorn cheese
Mozzarella
Things I like to add to my grilled cheese sandwiches:
Place any of these on top of the cheese between the bread of choice so they heat through and the cheese melts around them.
Thinly sliced raw onion rings (not battered)
Ham or Salami slices
Pepperoni slices
Sweet jalapenos, sliced
Tomato slices
Basil on Mozarella is awesome
Cooked bacon (thanks Noreen for reminding me about this one)
Pineapple slice (thank you, Diane)
Green chilies (thank you, Lise)
Sauces or Dips:
In Utah, we are known for our fry sauce, which is basically mayonnaise or Miracle whip mixed with ketchup or barbecue sauce and some pepper with Lawry’s salt. Here’s the deal, I always start with 1/2 cup of mayonnaise or Miracle Whip and add the following ingredients shown below. Mix the ingredients as listed together and use as a spread or to dip your grilled cheese sandwich.
Ketchup
Mayonnaise
Miracle Whip
Fry Sauce: 1/2 cup Miracle Whip or mayonnaise, 1/4 ketchup or barbecue sauce or chili sauce, pepper and, a little sugar
Basil Mayonnaise: 1/2 cup mayonnaise or Miracle Whip, 1/4 cup chopped fresh basil (it’s easy to grow and freeze), 1/8 teaspoon freshly ground pepper
Pesto Mayonnaise: 1/2 heaping cup mayonnaise or Miracle Whip and one teaspoon of your favorite pesto
Honey Mustard: 1/2 cup mayonnaise or Miracle Whip, 1-1/2 tablespoons prepared mustard, 2 tablespoons of real honey. 1/2 tablespoon lemon juice, 1-1/2 tablespoons Dijon mustard
Cilantro Mayonnaise: 1/2 cup mayonnaise, 2 finely chopped green onions, one tablespoon finely chopped cilantro and 1/8 to 1/4 teaspoon of pure Asian sesame oil
Horseradish Mayonnaise: 1/2 cup mayonnaise. one tablespoon white horseradish (bottled) and one teaspoon lemon juice. If you don’t have fresh lemon juice this is the next best thing: Santa Cruz Juice, Lemon, 100% Organic, 16 oz
You can get this cheaper at health food stores, but I want you to see what the jar looks like. I use this product on everything including in my homemade whole wheat bread.
Please tell me your favorite grilled cheese sandwich ideas and I will add them to my list. Thanks again for being prepared for the unexpected. May God bless you for your efforts.
My favorite tools to make these sandwiches:
Now Designs Bread Bin, Turquoise Blue
Calphalon Nylon Pancake Turner
Lodge Cast-Iron Reversible Grill/Griddle, 20-Inch x 10.44-Inch,
Black
Presto 07046 Tilt ‘n Drain Big Griddle Cool-Touch Electric Griddle
I like to make grilled cheese sandwiches with bacon sometimes. You cook the bacon the way you like it and then put it in the sandwich before you grill it.
Hi Noreen, thanks for the reminder about the bacon! I just added your comment and the bacon to the list!! Thank you so much for that one! I love bacon! Hugs! Linda
A friend of mine made grilled cheese with a ring of pineapple between slices of cheese. With soup (I don’t remember what kind). I was raised on Velveeta and white bread, and never considered anything else! All of these choices sound GREAT.
Hi Diane, I have got to add this to my post! I was raised with Velveeta on white bread too! Thanks for the tip, adding it right now! Hugs! Linda
Try putting roasted green chiles in the sandwich (chopped, canned or strips, all work great). We also put roasted chopped green chiles in the tomato soup, too. It’s heaven! Mah Hubz now demands chiles in both and feels “slighted” if we happen to be out and have to have the dinner plain. 🙂
Hi Lise, oh I am adding this for sure, sounds yummy, I love stuff with a little kick! Linda
I’m not clear about the miracle whip.
Does that go on the outside where you’d usually put the butter or does it go inside with the cheese? My chef-hat inner cook is telling me the miracle whip goes on the inside. The creative French-beret inner cook on my other shoulder is yelling at me that it’s got oil in it, so slather it on the outside and embrace the crispy texture it will provide to the crust.
Now I’m going to have to try it both ways. LOL
Hi Debbie, LOL! I should have said put the Miracle whip next to the cheese inside the sandwich. Of course, now I’m wondering about the crispiness of putting it on the outside. Great minds think alike! Hugs! Linda
Instead of a pan and lots of butter, we have often used a press or as we call it, the “sandwich squasher”. To reduce the fat and for those who are sensitive to a lot of butter or oil, to have a less “greasy” sandwich we use just a bit of butter or nothing at all. When the sandwich is pressed it has a distinctive quality to it as if the flavors are blended together plus being thin and pressed together they are easy to eat.
My mother used to make ham or turkey sandwiches with mayo and honey mustard, and now I use honey mustard all the time. And I like mayonnaise or Miracle Whip.
While I enjoy pan fried or pressed sandwiches, I am also happy with the common expedient version; toasting the bread and then quickly putting sliced cheese with meat or a slice of tomato or just eating it plain. I think it’s still good and I can make it quick and satisfy my hunger and need for cheese 🙂
HI Frank, yay for a fellow Miracle Whip lover! There really is something about cheese whether on a grilled sandwich or placing a slice of cheese on freshly toasted bread! Yummy! Linda