There’s Grilled Cheese and there’s GREAT Grilled Cheese. I’ll show you how to make the best Grilled Cheese Sandwich with a crisp, buttery exterior and gooey cheese inside. Once you try this combination of cheeses and my method of cooking the toast, and you will be known for your Grilled Cheese!
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Helpful Reader Reviews
“This is the best grilled cheese I’ve ever had in my life! I followed the recipe exactly and made it on an electric griddle set to 275 degrees. AMAZING!” – Christine ★★★★★
“OMGosh this was the best with tomato basil soup! No need to EVER try another recipe. I’ve made several times now and everybody loves it.” – Julie ★★★★★
Grilled Cheese Recipe
I’m happy to report that my grilled cheese sandwich has been named “The Internet’s Most Popular Grilled Cheese Recipe” by the Kitchn and has been a fan favorite for years. Everyone needs a go-to cheese sandwich, and this one’s a keeper!
My sister Svetlana taught me how to make this grilled cheese sandwich years ago and this method produces the best grilled cheese sandwich – I’m sharing all of my best tips to produce a perfectly golden buttery toast with a melty cheese center. All you need is a Creamy Tomato Soup to dunk your sandwich into.
We love hot sandwiches from our Crispy Chicken Sandwich to Philly Cheesesteak. This Grilled Cheese recipe is well-loved by my whole family. Who can resist that impressive cheese pull? Watch the video tutorial and see how easy it is. All you need is a skillet and a spatula.
Grilled Cheese Video
Watch the video tutorial where I’ll walk you through the whole process – its so easy that you’ll memorize it in no time, but you’ll have perfect results every time.
Did You Know?
Grilled cheese is a classic American sandwich that has existed since 1920. It is a hot sandwich made with buttered and toasted bread. Originally, it was filled with American cheese, but it is now commonly made with one or more different cheeses.
Ingredients
- Bread: It’s important to get the right type of bread. A thicker sliced bread, such as Texas toast, works best. Sourdough Bread also makes a terrific sandwich.
- Butter: Use a generous 1/2 Tbsp of butter on each slice of bread. We use unsalted but any butter will work here.
- Cheese: In my testing, I have found that the best cheese for grilled cheese is a combination of sliced medium cheddar, gouda, and Havarti cheese.
How to Make Grilled Cheese
- Butter the toast – spread 1/2 Tbsp butter on one side of each slice of bread.
- Heat skillet – place a cast iron skillet or heavy non-stick pan over low to medium/low heat. If you’re using a griddle, it should be at 275˚F. Immediately add 2 slices of bread with the buttered side down.
- Add cheese – stack the cheese on one of the pieces of bread, cover it with the other piece of toast and flip the sandwich over. The total cooking time for a grilled cheese sandwich over low to medium/low heat is 6-7 minutes. That is enough time for the exterior to crisp and brown and for the cheese to fully melt.
- Brown the toast – Continue sauteeing, flipping once, until both sides are golden brown and the cheese is melted.
- Serve – Cut the sandwich in half on the diagonal to serve.
Tips for the Best Grilled Cheese
- Low heat – it takes a little patience to make the perfect grilled cheese. Keep your heat on low to give the cheese time to fully melt while the bread gets golden and crisp.
- Butter generously – the amount of butter may seem like a lot, but it is important for a crispy exterior.
- Use thick-sliced bread – we love using Texas toast because it’s sliced about twice as thick as normal sandwich bread. You want bread that is about 3/4″ to 1″ thick, but also avoid bread that is too thick or your cheese won’t melt properly. Using bread that is too thin will produce a flimsy and soggy sandwich.
What is the Best Cheese for Grilled Cheese?
My favorite blend is a combination of medium cheddar, gouda (you can use regular or smoked), and Havarti cheeses, but it’s easy to change the flavor and substitute with Monterey jack, pepper jack, Gruyere, fontina, Swiss, Mozzarella, sharp cheddar or even American cheese, and you’ll still have a great grilled cheese sandwich.
What’s Better for Grilled Cheese – Mayo or Butter?
While mayonnaise might seem more convenient to spread on the bread, it will make your sandwich taste like mayo, which is why we prefer butter. If you don’t have softened butter, check out our hack on how to soften butter in 5 minutes.
How to Bake Grilled Cheese in the Oven
As I shared in my Natasha’s Kitchen Cookbook, you can make a big batch of grilled cheese sandwiches in the oven. Butter the outsides of the bread slices, stack 3 slices of cheese between the bread, and bake on a baking sheet for 10 minutes at 400˚F, flipping halfway.
Serve Grilled Cheese with
We love to serve Grilled Cheese with Tomato Soup. The acidity and creaminess of tomato soup pair so well with a cheesy sandwich. You can also serve with:
- Marinara Sauce (for dipping)
- Classic Coleslaw
- Air Fryer French Fries
- Air Fryer Sweet Potato Fries
- Baked Potato Wedges
- Garden Salad or BLT Salad
- Refrigerator Pickles
- Macaroni Salad
How to Reheat Grilled Cheese
You can make this sandwich ahead, just cool to room temperature then cover and refrigerate for 3 to 5 days. Ideally, you should reheat it the same way it was cooked.
- Skillet or Griddle – place on a skillet over medium-low heat, cover with a lid or tent with foil, and heat until the cheese is melted in the center, flipping once. The lid traps the heat to melt the cheese. Once the cheese is melted, remove the lid to crisp up the bread.
- Air Fryer – reheat in the airfryer at 350˚F for 3-5 minutes, flipping halfway for even crisping.
- Microwaving – our least favorite option because it can cause the bread to soften and get soggy.
Grilled Cheese Sandwich Recipe
Ingredients
- 8 slices Texas toast, thick sliced sandwich bread, or sourdough bread
- 4 Tbsp unsalted butter
- 4 slices medium cheddar cheese, *
- 4 slices Gouda cheese
- 4 slices Havarti cheese
Instructions
- Spread 1/2 Tbsp of butter on one side of each slice of bread.
- Set a cast iron skillet or heavy non-stick pan over medium/low heat. If using a griddle, it should be at 275˚F. Place 2 slices of bread in the skillet with the butter side down.
- Stack cheeses on one piece of toast: cheddar, havarti, then gouda. Once the bread is golden brown, close the sandwich with the crisp sides on the outside.
- Continue cooking until the bread is a rich golden brown, flipping once and press down lightly to help the bread stick to the cheese. Total cooking time should one 5-6 minutes. Keep the heat on medium-low for the bread to toast slowly, giving your cheese a chance to fully melt and adhere to the bread.
- Once you see the cheese has melted and breads are browned, remove to a plate and cut in half diagonally to serve. Repeat with the next sandwich.
Notes
Nutrition Per Serving
Filed Under
More Sandwich Recipes
If you love this Grilled Cheese Sandwich, then you won’t want to miss these popular sandwich recipes:
- Reuben Sandwich
- Smash Burgers
- BLT Sandwich (with the best Sauce)
- Hamburgers
- Chicken Salad Sandwich
- Sloppy Joe Recipe
What a genius sandwich! Had cravings for just that in my pregnancy. Thank you from Germany!
congratulations on your pregnancy, Elena! Thank you for your lovely comment!
This is so good and I found that I was making grilled cheese the wrong way this entire time! Will remember to use Texas toast, three types of cheeses and to put the skillet on low not medium or medium high (when I get impatient). Thanks you!
You’re so welcome! Happy to know that you loved it and you found your new go-to recipe!
I told my husband I am going to the store to buy three types of cheese. Came back made it and he loved it, So did I. Thank you for sharing your amazing recipes.
You’re welcome! Great to hear that you both loved this sandwich recipe.
Artisan grilled cheese sandwich!
Natasha – Thanks so much for the quick, easy and tasty grilled cheese sandwich. Made with good bread, too. No fuss. No muss.
You are very welcome, Joan. Thank you for your review!
Noooo….thank you, Natasha. My husband loved it; me, too; great sandwich.
hi Natasha, I’d really like to try your Grilled cheese sandwich with a hamburger patty in the middle. How would I go about cooking that, grill the patty all the way and then put between the layers of cheese? or partially cook the patty? help!
I would cook the patty all the way before putting it between the layers of cheese just to be sure that it’s well cooked.
My daughter was not feeling well so I wanted to make her favorite comfort meal; Grilled Cheese with Tomato Soup. I was intrigued to try this grown up version with real cheeses: Used Havarti, Gouda and Provolone (forgot you used Cheddar)…Her response was “Thanks Mom! It was sooo bomb!”…I have to agree. Thank you for our favorite Grilled Cheese!!
That’s great to hear and I’m glad your daughter is feeling better.
I aways put the butter directly on the hot griddle and put the bread on top of the puddle of butter. I put more butter down when it is time to flip for the other side. It works great and doesn’t wrip or mush my bread.
That is good too, thanks for sharing that with us!
BEST GRILLED CHEESE sandwich ever-the cheese pull was awesome!! This is the only way I will make this sandwich from now on-plus with the addition of your tomato soup…..yum😋
That is awesome feedback, thank you so much Anne!
One of my favorite comfort food meals. One day, because we didn’t have white bread, my hubby made the sandwich with sharp cheddar and SOURDOUGH BREAD. Now that has become our favorite since I can’t tolerate much white bread but sourdough is allowed. It takes a bit to adjust to this new bread, but now I love it. I can use it with savory fillings such as cheese or lean protein, but not so deluxe with peanut butter and jelly of cinnamon toast.
That sounds so delicious as a sourdough grilled cheese sandwich! Thanks for sharing!
I followed your recipe for grilled cheese sandwich and creamy tomato soup for lunch. My family loved it! Your recipes really work!
Aww, that’s the best! Thank you so much for sharing that with me, Ellen. I’m all smiles
Love the mixing of cheese the best grill cheese ever
Thank you Natasha you and family take care
You’re very welcome, Theresa. I’m happy to hear that you loved this recipe!
Your grilled cheese is very good, reminding me when we were kids for a quick lunch during winter but we always combined with mushroom soup. Next time will try the tomato soup.
Glad you enjoyed it! I hope you’ll love all the recipes that you will try.
Such a glorious sandwich!! I have never used Havarati cheese before! I also add a little sprinkle of garlic salt on top of the cheeses, we are garlic lovers in this house!
That sounds amazing! Thank you so much for sharing that with me, Shellie! I’m so glad you enjoyed it!
I substituted the bread with sourdough. It was fantastic! I used a cast iron skillet on low heat as directed. Thank you.
Thank you so much for sharing that with me.
Went to the store and somehow forgot the bread. So instead I used Texas Toast Garlic bread. Cooked it the same way and it was AMAZING.
Thanks for another great recipe.
I’m so glad you had that on hand!
Awesomest cheese pull ever- I thought you were gonna run out of arm-length!!
Isn’t it great! So good and cheesy! I’m glad you enjoyed it also, Violet!
add ham, chili powder and refried beans out of a can to the ultimate grilled cheese…
I haven’t tried that before, Dennis! Thank you so much for sharing that with me. That sounds like a fully loaded grilled sandwich.
Love this mix of cheeses in a grilled cheese. I also like to use blue cheese or swiss cheese in my grilled cheese. Good call on the Texas toast. Takes the sandwich up a notch! Delicious and so perfect with tomato basil bisque!
The best mix! I’m so glad you enjoyed it!
I’ve never tried gouda in a grilled cheese sandwich before. Delish! I love how the flavors of all three cheeses blend together to make one extra cheesy sandwich.
It is SO good! I’m so glad you enjoyed that!
My kids LOVED this grilled cheese! It was AMAZING!
That is the best when kids love what we moms make. That’s so great!
Just made this yesterday as am in Singapore i used sun dried tomato pesto and red pepper walnut pesto and plant based mozzarella also i skipped butter and cheeses as am dairy free i tried this in my new air fryer super delicious Thanks Ramya
Thank you so much for sharing that with me.