National Grilled Cheese Sandwich Day 4/12!
Calico696 
JeffersonRepub 
GC 
JE
skippy 
smilingbecs 
Old Gent I have taken to using cheddar instead of American- it's gooey-er and stretchy-er than American. (and, frankly, has more flavor, the kid in me finally realized lol)
I use a frying pan, putting a tight-fitting lid over the sandwich- not the pan. Meaning, I'm using a medium saucepan lid over the sandwich, inside the frying pan.
I grew up using a toaster oven. I just find the pan less hassle.
i like to add a little shredded cheese to the outside of the bread for the last minute or so, flipping so it completely melts and crusts ... makes it extra greasy, I mean, extra crispy
Grilled cheese in the toaster oven? Blasphemy!!!!! LOL
Cooking grilled cheese in a skillet on low heat, with a fair amount of butter and a lid works best.
Actually, the toaster oven worked GREAT! I dare say, better than a pan.
But I don't own a toaster oven. Do they even still make them?!?!? lol
Just had mine. I forgot how good they are. My wife used the broiler. I made it like Mom did. In the pan,with butter.
Skillet. Not that broilers or toaster ovens aren't OK, it's the frying in butter that I crave. Real butter. Lots of it, way beyond a "fair amount". ;-)
Mine, skillet fried in real butter, pepper jack, topped with sriracha. ;-)
Oh yeah, grilled cheese on rye, pumpernickel or marble, buttered on both sides, in a 9 inch skillet with a 7 inch lid is the way to go. Can only do one sandwich at a time, but it is worth the wait. Pepper jack or Colby cheese is great, but cheddar or American always works, and a thin slice of tomato and/or roasted red pepper is a nice touch. A glass lid lets you see how the bread is toasting and the cheese is melting. Turn only once.
DannyC I can't say that I've ever had need for a lid when making grilled cheese. I usually break out the electric griddle if I'm doing more than one, but use a frying pan for a solo mission. My only requirement is that the bread must be buttered directly, not bare bread fried in butter melted in the pan... that's no bueno.
ianimal And now that I think of it, the lid would trap steam and make the bread somewhat soggy. I like a nice crunch to the outside of mine, so not only don't I think it's necessary to melt the cheese, it would be detrimental to the quality of the sandwich as a whole... in my personal opinion... you may like your grilled cheese steamed. Whatever works for you.
ianimal - I say the same thing. No lid for me, I want a nice crisp buttery crunch on mine.
"And now that I think of it, the lid would trap steam and make the bread somewhat soggy"
You would be incorrect about that. Unless you're starting with Wonder bread or others of it's pasty ilk- it comes out of it's bag soggy.
The lid helps trap the heat to melt the cheese faster... I guess you could cook it on low, but I ain't got 10 minutes to fry a grilled cheese.
I'm eating grilled cheese; of course I'm using white bread... but not Wonder brand, Sunbeam typically. And it definitely doesn't come out of the bag soggy.
What are you eating, that Ezekiel garbage? If you're going to make a sandwich out of a mixture of concrete and suet, I suppose you can expose it to all the elements you want.
It's what's for dinner tonight :)
American, tomato and bacon- possibly avocado if it's not too mushy-on marble rye:)
Blackcat I love classic grilled cheese, but my favorite is grilled swiss and bacon on seeded rye. Dinner tonight!
slade v 2.0 Actually, I DON'T use Ezekiel bread for grilled cheese- some things remain sacred. (Ditto for peanut butter)
And no- using a lid STILL does not create sogginess, you're still incorrect on that. My grilled cheeses are plenty crunchy around the edges, and golden brown.
"My grilled cheeses are plenty crunchy around the edges, and golden brown.'
What a coincidence; so are mine... and I don't have to wash a lid (-;
But yeah, the fact that the pores of the bread are already clogged with butter fat, there's really nowhere for the moisture to go... except for the crust and that's not very porous to begin with. So, that was a poorly thought out and incorrect conclusion on my part.
I like to use a fresh sliced bread , sometimes sourdough and queso fresco cheese. I may need to try using the lid see if it makes a difference. And of course butter in a frying pan. Occasionally butter on the bread.
CBGB Nice, Blackcat!!
I've actually tried a few "gourmet" versions..... mozzarella and tomatoes with fresh basil, provolone and pepperoni with a little bit of pizza sauce, etc..... anyone try anything different?
The plain ol' grilled cheese is still my fave, but there's some other good eats out there in this realm....
I like putting a couple of different cheeses on rye and thin sliced tomato.The best.
patrici To change it up, I like to mix provolone and American on sliced Italian bread. The bakery kind of sliced Italian, not that Maier's white bread that tries to masquerade as Italian.
+1 to everyone using REAL (bakery) bread instead of anything store-bought. I have often considered making my own bread (italian, sourdough, I used to make my own wheat), but I simply don't eat enough of it to justify it.
That Maier's italian bread is like italian-lite, wonder-italian LOL (still beats wonder bread tho)
If u r using tomato in your sandwich try adding miracle whip or mayo on the side with the tomato and mustard on the side with the cheese.
mmmmmm 
positive mayo?? yuck. An old friend of mine made his with Miracle Whip (which is NOT mayo) INSIDE the bread with the cheese... but you have to have butter on the outside, to toast the bread.... will it toast with mayo? Never mind.... I don't wanna know LOL
(and I LOVE mayo on my OTHER sandwiches- roast beef, turkey clubs, egg salad, etc...)
I like grilled mozzarella and pepperoni on rye bread. Sounds weird but is very good. I've loved this topic!
Bessie JR believe it or not it works. In my experience the bread browns better and has more flavor.
"Don't knock it until you try it". Lol
I used a thin layer of mayo spread on the outside of my sandwich. Crispy:)
Fresh mozzarella, tomato and basil in the summer....when tomatoes actually taste good:)
Super thin layer of Hellman's mayo.
Also, try Havati cheese and mini chocolate chips :)
Plusgirl " tomato and basil in the summer....when tomatoes actually taste good:)"
Ain't that the truth. When tomatoes actually TASTE, period.
Mini chocolate chips? No thanks. A grilled cheese should be salty, not sweet IMO.
Tis a perfect day for a grilled cheese sandwich and a bowl of soup.
My new thing for grilled cheese is to put a light coating of hot sauce on the outside bread. A light colored one such as the hot sauce in the picture. Another really good coating I have been using is a thin layer of hummus on the outside.
CBGB - You're getting closer and closer to my sriracha picture above. Just give in. ;-)
I don't know that I would go for it myself because it changes the dynamic, but along the lines of something that color with a kick is a spicy Thai peanut dipping sauce. It's also useful for a kick to a PB&J or PB & Banana.
That sandwich does look good GC
did you coat the bread with sriracha prior to grilling? that's why I like the light colored hot sauce but I will try sriracha.
It's just chemistry: http://www.newsweek.com/2014/08/01/us-study-finds-chilli-day-could-stave-old-age-260739.html
Or is it?
For me, a little relish, maybe some tomato, and some cream of tomato soup for dipping.
strangerdanger CBGB - No, not coated and then fried. Grilled the sandwich first and then added the swirl on top right before eating.
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