The Best Grilled Cheese Sandwich
By Olivia Hayes
Prep
5 min
Cook
5 min
Total
10 min
Servings
1
Level
Easy
A grilled cheese sandwich takes 10 minutes from cutting board to plate, with five minutes of prep and five on the stove, and I use sourdough with sharp cheddar and Gruyère or raclette, cooking it covered over medium-low heat for crisp bread and a melted middle (the lid is the useful bit here).
Mayonnaise goes on the outside of the bread and Dijon stays inside one slice, then I grate the cheese, pile it over the mustard, and set the second slice mayo side up. The lid stays on while it cooks, trapping steam near the center, and the bread toasts. I skip sliced cheese unless I'm using brie, which needs slicing. It avoids a thick slab in the middle.
I reach for a cast-iron skillet when I want deeper browning, though a nonstick skillet does the job when that's what is clean, and butter coats the pan before the sandwich goes in. Cast iron holds steady heat and gives the bread a darker surface without a grill press at home.
Sourdough has a little tang that I like with sharp cheese, though regular white bread is fine when that's what you have, and I slice the finished sandwich into triangles for serving.
Why you'll love this recipe
- Built for one, so you don't need to scale down a casserole when dinner is just for you.
- You won't have chopping to do or a mixing bowl to wash, and you don't need a special sandwich press.
- One skillet handles the job, from the buttered pan to the toasted sandwich.
- It has room for different cheeses and sauces, or for vegetable and fruit toppings, including pickled ones.
- The covered skillet gives the filling time to melt while both sides of the bread toast.
Ingredients
- •2 slices sourdough bread
- •mayonnaise (for the outside of the bread)
- •Dijon mustard
- •1 ounces sharp cheddar cheese (grated, use 1 to 2 ounces depending on the size of the bread)
- •1 ounces Gruyère or raclette cheese (grated, use 1 to 2 ounces depending on the size of the bread)
- •butter (for coating the pan)
Instructions
- 1
Set the bread slices on a cutting board and spread a thin layer of mayonnaise over the top side of each slice.
- 2
Turn one bread slice over and spread Dijon mustard on the other side.
- 3
Pile the cheddar and Gruyère or raclette over the mustard.
- 4
Top with the remaining bread slice, with its mayonnaise side facing out.
- 5
Heat a nonstick or cast-iron skillet over medium-low heat and melt enough butter to coat the bottom.
- 6
Add the sandwich, cover the skillet, and cook for 2 to 3 minutes, until the bottom bread slice is golden brown and crisp.
- 7
Flip the sandwich, cover again, and cook for 1 to 3 minutes, until the second side is golden brown and the cheese is melted.
- 8
Reduce the heat to low if the bread gets too brown before the cheese is fully melted.
- 9
Slice the sandwich and serve.
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