From The Blog

Gourmet Grilled Cheese

Comfort food does not have to be boring. Even with more time at home, cooking nightly gourmet meals is not a reality for most of us. That’s why we love grilled cheese. It requires few ingredients and can be as easy or elaborate as you make it. All you need is a pan with some bread, butter and cheese to begin this journey. Use your imagination to build the rest!

As lifelong grilled cheese lovers, we can offer a few tips to create your own gourmet sandwich at home. From our kitchen to yours, Cheers! (or should we say Cheese?!)

• Use more than one cheese. We recommend at least two, but three is even better. Cheeses should be complementary, yet different enough to create unique flavors. For example, we used Monterey Jack, Brie and Swiss style here for a winning combo.
• Butter is your friend. That’s right – no one ever said grilled cheese was a low cal snack! Butter is key to creating rich flavor and a buttery crisp crust. Slather softened butter on your bread before you assemble for a nice, even distribution.
• Invest in good bread. You can certainly put cheese between two slices of Wonder Bread. But if you are trying to elevate your grilled cheese from good to great, what’s on the outside counts! We think classic sliced sourdough is an excellent starting point. Other approved options include seeded multigrain bread, a nice rye (hello, Swiss!) or even thick, liberally buttered slices of homemade bread.
• Create a parmesan crust. This is, hands down, one of the key steps to a gourmet grilled cheese. A buttery parmesan crust makes all the difference! Once your sandwich is placed over heat, sprinkle liberally with parmesan cheese (we actually like the packaged kind for this). Once browned, flip your sandwich and sprinkle onto the other side. Flip once more to ensure a cheesy, golden crust on both sides.
• Be adventurous with add-ons. Cheese loves company! Caramelized onions, sliced tomatoes, sliced apples, jam, chutney and even bacon are some of our favorites. Use the same discretion you would use when cooking or creating a cheese board. Have fun playing with different combinations, but be sure flavors still complement each other. For example, apples and brie are a classic duo that would also pair well with a sweeter jam. Sliced tomatoes, on the other hand, are just as delicious, but pair better with a savory cheddar cheese.
• Yes, you can drink wine with your grilled cheese. We are going gourmet, after all! Pair your grilled cheese based on the cheese type and ingredients within. For example, a buttery brie-laden sandwich calls for Chardonnay all the way, while a grilled cheese layered with bacon jam might have you reaching for the nearest Zinfandel.