Grilled Cheese Sandwich (with Video)

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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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.

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.

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