When it comes to making the perfect grilled cheese sandwich, there’s only one rule you really need to know:
Low and slow, baby. Low and slow.
When you take your time and toast your grilled cheese sandwiches over medium-low heat instead of hurrying them along, the cheese has plenty of time to melt thoroughly and the bread attains that gloriously, perfectly golden brown crispiness you dream of when you’re thinking of the perfect grilled cheese sandwich.
A few other things go into making the perfect grilled cheese, too. So how do you whip one of these bad boys up to perfection? Here’s how we do it.
1. Start with great ingredients.
The bread
Starting with a great bread is important. We buy a simple white sandwich bread from the bakery at our local grocery store. It’s got a chewy crust, fluffy interior and slightly sourdough tinge to it. And it really does make for a perfect grilled cheese.
The butter
We use only real butter, and – this is important – it’s at room temperature so it’s nice and easy to spread. Then you’re not tearing up your bread with cold, hard butter and swearing over your sandwich. That’s bad juju, and nobody wants bad grilled cheese juju.
We use unsalted butter, but that’s only because that’s all we usually have in the house.
Salted is fine, too!
The cheese
I like a good medium cheddar – mild is too, well, mild, and sharp is just a little too potent for straight-up grilled cheese in my opinion. We use Tillamook medium cheddar, which is just perfect. (By the way, if you’re concerned about rennet in your cheese, you’ll probably be as thrilled as I was to learn that most of Tillamook’s cheeses are made with a vegetable-based rennet. Yay!)
2. Butter the bread
Generously slather one side of each piece of bread with your room-temperature butter. The buttered sides will be on the outside of the sandwich, so if your bread is a crazy shape like mine was and you want the pieces of bread to match up when the sandwich is closed, plan accordingly.
3. Add the cheese.
Turn the bread over, unbuttered side up. Add a single layer of cheddar sliced 1/8-inch to 1/4-inch thick. Cover every last little bit of the bread, overlapping here and there if necessary.
4. Close it up
Top the sandwich with the second piece of bread, buttered side up.
5. Grill that bad boy, low and slow
If you’re using an electric griddle, set the temperature to about 275 degrees. Or use a roomy saute pan over medium-low heat.
Place the sandwich on the preheated cooking surface and let it cook for about 5 minutes, checking occasionally to make sure it’s not burning (it probably won’t at such low heat, but cooking surfaces vary from kitchen to kitchen). It’s tempting, but don’t press down on the sandwich! Unless you like your grilled cheese extra flat, in that case, go for it.
After the first five minutes, carefully flip the sandwich with a spatula and cook the other side for 5 minutes.
Flip and cook each side for a couple more minutes each. The bread should start to get golden brown and the cheese nice and melty.
After about 15 minutes of cooking over medium-low heat, increase the heat to medium and, turning every so often, watch the sandwich carefully until the bread is perfectly toasted a golden brown.
6. Enjoy
Yes, this is a step. An important one!
Remove the sandwich from the heat, carefully cut in half if you would like, and enjoy your perfect grilled cheese sandwich.
If you try this recipe, please leave a rating! And, if you find it share-worthy – which I hope you do – please share. Tag #kitchentreaty on Instagram, Facebook, or Pinterest, and don’t forget to check out my other recipes!
How to Make a Perfect Grilled Cheese Sandwich
Ingredients
- 2 slices bread (your favorite sandwich bread is perfect!)
- 2 tablespoons butter (room temperature for easiest spreading)
- 3 ounces of your favorite medium cheddar cheese (we love Tillamook medium cheddar)
Instructions
- Generously slather one side of each piece of bread with your room-temperature butter. The buttered sides will be on the outside of the sandwich, so if your bread is a crazy shape like mine was and you want the pieces of bread to match up when the sandwich is closed, plan accordingly.
- Turn the bread over, unbuttered side up. To one piece of the bread, add a single layer of cheddar sliced 1/8-inch to 1/4-inch thick. Cover every last little bit of the bread, overlapping here and there if necessary.
- Top the sandwich with the second piece of bread, buttered side up.
- If you're using an electric griddle, set the temperature to about 275 degrees. Or use a roomy saute pan over medium-low heat. Place the sandwich on the preheated cooking surface and let it cook for about 5 minutes, checking occasionally to make sure it's not burning (it probably won't at such low heat, but cooking surfaces vary from kitchen to kitchen). It's tempting, but don't press down on the sandwich! Unless you like your grilled cheese extra flat, in that case, go for it.
- After the first five minutes, carefully flip the sandwich with a spatula and cook the other side for 5 minutes.
- Flip and cook each side for a couple more minutes each. The bread should start to get golden brown and the cheese nice and melty.
- After about 15 minutes of cooking over medium-low heat, increase the heat to medium and, turning every so often, watch the sandwich carefully until the bread is perfectly toasted a golden brown.
- Remove the sandwich from the heat, carefully cut in half if you would like, and enjoy your perfect grilled cheese sandwich.
Nutrition Facts
More melty-gooey-good grilled cheese recipes:
- White Pizza Grilled Cheese – for-real deliciousness.
- Artichoke Arugula Pesto Grilled Cheese – yesss.
- Spinach & Artichoke Grilled Cheese – like the classic dip, only better. Proof that’s possible!
- Chipotle Butternut Squash & Pepper Jack Grilled Cheese – spicy!
- Cranberry, Pear, & Brie Grilled Cheese – perfect for using up leftover cranberry sauce. (Make extra sauce so you have an excuse!)
- Balsamic Strawberry & Brie Grilled Cheese Sliders tasty AND cute.
- And even more grilled cheese sandwich recipes – 32 melty, gooey, savory, fruity, and just plain over-the-top grilled cheese sandwiches.
I’m so glad you’re here! I’m a vegetarian home cook, certified plant-based pro, and mom. I’m married to an enthusiastic carnivore, and my mission is to achieve peace in the kitchen – one tasty recipe at a time. These days, I also try not to ask to speak to the manager.
Mm this really does look perfect. Now you have me craving a grilled cheese!
So simple yet so yum. Doesn’t get any better than oozy cheese between two slices of fluffy toast. Yum!!
The last time I made grilled cheese, I ended up charring it on one side. It was totally black. So. Much. Shame. I guess I need to try lowering the heat!
Turn the heat up a little. I followed the directions exactly and ended up with melted butter when I flipped them after 5 min on 275.
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20 minutes is way too long to cook a grilled cheese sandwich! The temperature was also too low. After I turned up the temperature to 325 degrees the bread got nicely golden brown, more so than the sandwich pictured. It was perfect!
I use about a 10″ non-stick pan on an electric stove. I turn it to about 5 or 6 (9 is highest) which, according to comments above, may be wrong. My bread has been sticking to the pan, creating a mess, even after I have spread it generously with soft margarine. Is a non-stick pan best for grilled cheese? What temperature setting should I use from 1-9?
Tried your way of making grilled cheese sandwiches. I’m always messing mine up. So, they came out perfect. But I used regular sliced velveta cheese & ham slices (Oscar Meyer. But so good! Thanks so much! I was trying to cook too fast, that’s the trick.
It’s looking so tasty, Can i use brown bread in this
Temperature need to be mentioned as 275 degrees what. Is it Celsius, Fahrenheit or kelvin?
I’ve always made grilled cheese the way my dad (who was a cook in the army) did it. If I did not have soft butter, I would melt some hard butter and then lay down the outersides of 2 bread slices to get them buttered; I then removed and assembled the sandwich. Cook on low heat with a pot lid over it so the cheese melts faster. Just keep an eye on each side until the bread cooks to the color you prefer. I’ve always used just plan sandwich bread and regular sliced american cheese (3-4 slices depending on thickness of the cheese slices). Once cheese has melted under the lid, you can bring up the flame to brown the bread faster.
Sounds delicious! Thank you for sharing!
Eccellente
I LOVE GRILLING I AM THE GRILL DADDY
noice
When you increase the temperature from 275° to “MEDIUM”, to what degree is the grill raised?
Just like you said it would be. One word, KILLER!
The most delicious grilled cheese I ever made! It’s absolutely amazing.
THE PERFECT GRILLED CHEESE SANDWICH…stress free & so yummy!!!! I may not be able to boil water, but I can now make a perfect grilled cheese!!