Description
A classic, perfectly crisp‑and‑golden grilled cheese sandwich with melty, gooey cheese — simple, satisfyingly buttery, and quick to make.
Ingredients
- 4 slices of bread (thin‑sliced sandwich bread, sourdough, or your favorite hearty loaf)
- 4 tablespoons softened butter (or a butter + mayo mix, see notes)
- 2 cups freshly shredded cheddar cheese (or a blend of cheeses for extra meltiness and flavor)
Instructions
- Spread softened butter evenly over one side of each slice of bread.
- Place two bread slices, butter‑side down, on a plate or cutting board. Distribute the shredded cheese evenly on each slice (about 1 cup cheese per sandwich).
- Top with the remaining bread slices, butter‑side up.
- Preheat a medium skillet (preferably nonstick or cast‑iron) over medium (or medium‑low) heat. Optionally, melt a little butter in the skillet to start.
- Place one sandwich in the skillet. Cook until the bottom side is golden and crisp and the cheese begins melting — about 2 minutes.
- Carefully flip the sandwich and cook the other side until golden and the cheese is fully melted — ~30 seconds to 1 minute, depending on heat and cheese meltiness.
- Repeat with the second sandwich, adding more butter if needed.
Notes
- For extra meltiness and flavor: mix two cheeses — a stretchy one (e.g. mozzarella or Monterey Jack) and a sharp one (e.g. cheddar or Gruyère). :contentReference[oaicite:0]{index=0}
- If butter is too soft to spread, try a thin smear of mayonnaise (or a butter‑mayo blend) — mayo browns beautifully and gives a nicely crisp, evenly browned crust. :contentReference[oaicite:1]{index=1}
- Cook over medium‑low heat to let the cheese melt fully before the bread gets too dark. A heavy skillet helps distribute heat evenly. :contentReference[oaicite:2]{index=2}
- After cooking, rest the sandwich on a wire rack for a minute so steam escapes and the bread stays crisp (rather than soggy). :contentReference[oaicite:3]{index=3}
- For flavor variations: add thinly sliced tomato, sautéed onions, or herbs. Or try different breads — sourdough, whole‑grain, brioche or rustic — depending on what you have. :contentReference[oaicite:4]{index=4}
- Prep Time: 5 minutes
- Cook Time: 10 minutes
- Category: Main / Sandwich
- Method: Stovetop / Pan-Fried
- Cuisine: American Comfort
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 sandwich
- Calories: ≈ 400–500 (varies with bread & cheese choice)
- Sugar: 3g
- Sodium: 650mg
- Fat: 24g
- Saturated Fat: 14g
- Unsaturated Fat: 8g
- Trans Fat: 0g
- Carbohydrates: 30g
- Fiber: 2g
- Protein: 18g
- Cholesterol: 65mg
