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The best grilled cheese sandwich is made up of the holy trinity of ingredients: lots of butter, crisp golden slices of bread, and ooey-gooey melted cheese. We’ll show you some tips and tricks on how to get the perfect grilled cheese every time. Serve as is, or with some creamy tomato soup on the side.

Plate with a sliced grilled cheese sandwich

If you’re wondering how to make the perfect grilled cheese sandwich, we’ve got you covered. After years of experimenting and trying on different variations, we landed on what we strongly believe is THE BEST grilled cheese recipe and it’s one that we turn to again and again when we’re craving quick comfort food. It’s super simple, but it always — without fail — produces an instantly delicious sandwich with a golden brown exterior and a perfectly melted cheesy center.

Tips for how to make grilled cheese

Low heat: A little bit of patience goes a long way! Keep your heat on low so that the cheese has enough time to melt fully while the bread gets golden and crisp.
Thick-sliced bread: Using bread that’s sliced too thin tends to produce a soggy and flimsy sandwich. We like to use sourdough or harvest bread, sliced about 3/4″ to 1″ thick. But try to avoid cutting too thick or the cheese won’t fully melt.
Use 2 types of cheese: We’ve found that using a combination of freshly grated pepper jack cheese and sliced cheddar yields the best results.
Butter generously!: Don’t be shy in slathering that butter on the bread! It’s what produces that crisp golden exterior that we’re looking for.

All you need is bread, cheese, butter, and a frying pan!

Slices of crisp grilled cheese on a serving plate with parsley for garnish.

How to make the best grilled cheese sandwich

Grate cheese — Use a standard box grater to grate the pepper jack cheese, about 1 cup worth.
Assemble the sandwich — Take one of the bread slices and add 1 slice of sharp cheddar cheese, layer the grated pepper jack on top, and finish with another slice of cheddar. Then top it off with the other bread slice.
Butter away — Slather both sides of the bread (the outer sides) with softened butter.
Heat up the pan and brown the toast — Heat a pan over medium-low heat and place the sandwich in the pan, butter side down. Let it toast for 2-3 minutes, or until the bottom slice is golden brown and crisp. Then flip over and toast the other side for another 1-3 minutes, giving time for the bread to crisp up and the cheese to fully melt. If the bread is browning too quickly before the cheese is melting, lower the heat.
Cut and serve — Transfer the sandwich to a cutting board and cut in half diagonally. Serve and enjoy!

Classic Grilled Cheese Sandwich

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Author: cooktimestory
Total Time: 15 minutes
Yield: 1 1x

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Description

Ingredients

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2 slices sourdough bread
1 cup pepper jack cheese, freshly grated
2 slices sharp cheddar cheese
Salt & pepper
2 Tablespoons softened butter, for spreading on bread

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Instructions

Place the bread slices on a cutting board and add 1 slice of cheddar cheese on one of the bread slices. Layer the grated pepper jack on top of the cheddar and add a pinch of salt and pepper. Then add the other slice of cheddar cheese on top and place the other slice of bread on top of everything.
Generously slather both sides of the bread (the outer sides) with the softened butter.
Heat a frying pan over medium-low heat and place the assembled sandwich in the pan with one of the butter sides down. Add a piece of parchment paper on top, which you’ll use to flatten the bread with a spatula to ensure even cooking.
Cook for 2 to 3 minutes, or until the bottom slice of bread is golden brown and crisp. Then flip the sandwich over and continue cooking until the other slice of bread is also golden brown and the cheese is melted, another 1 to 3 minutes. If the bread is getting too brown and the cheese isn’t fully melted yet, reduce the heat to low.
Slice and serve!