Do you love grilled cheese sandwiches? If so, you'll love this sourdough grilled cheese recipe. It's easy to make and tastes delicious. Plus, the sourdough bread gives it a unique flavor that you won't find in ordinary grilled cheese sandwiches.
Why You Will Love This Recipe
Grilled cheese is a classic comfort food, and adding sourdough bread to the mix makes it even better. This recipe is easy to follow and results in a delicious and filling sandwich.
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Ingredients
Use the sourdough sandwich loaf of bread in the store if you don't make your own. You can use smoked Cheddar or some smoked Gouda to blend with the Cheddar in the recipe for an amazing flavor combination also!
- Sourdough sandwich bread (the 2 lb sliced loaves that are too wide for the toaster!)
- Cheddar Cheese, grated
- Butter, softened
Optional Ingredients to spread on the bread
- Bacon
- Onion Jam
- Fig Jam
- Mustard
- Chutney
Full ingredient amounts and preparation instructions are in the printable recipe card at the bottom of this post.
Why Sourdough Bread?
When making a grilled cheese sandwich, you want a bread that has enough substance to it that it doesn't deflate during grilling to a crispy brown. A robust bread with a zing of flavor itself. Well, sourdough baked in sandwich style loaves is the answer.
This type of bread is sturdier than your regular white bread, and it definitely has a lot more flavor. A sourdough bread grilled cheese can hold up to the grilling time to melt the cheese and have a crunchy crusty bread exterior.
That bit of sour zing in the bread actually complements the cheeses when they are melted. Hands down, it's the best bread for grilled cheese sandwiches.
Best Cheeses to Use for Grilled Cheese
There are so many cheeses to choose from, but which ones make the best grilled cheese sandwich? The kind of grilled cheese that cheese pulls away in strings when you separate a freshly cut sandwich.
Gooey, delicious hot cheesy goodness. And, were NOT talking about American process cheese or Velveeta! There are some natural cheeses that melt much better than others. Here is a great starting list:
- Smoked Gouda - the smokey flavor just really enhances cheddar, with extra stretch and pull when melted.
- Cheddar - Mild Cheddar melts and 'pulls' better than sharp or extra sharp. Blend the sharp and extra sharp cheddar with other cheeses for maximum flavor and stretch.
- Fontina - fontina is a stretchy and easily melted cheese.
- Havarti - has a buttery and gentle creamy taste, is semi-soft and has a mellow aroma. It's a great cheese to mix with sharper Cheddars that don't stretch as much as the mild Cheddars.
- Muenster - has the best of all three elements – a silky melting texture; a rich, buttery flavor; and the perfect fat content for heating up without oil separating.
- Mozzarella - called a 'cooks kiss' on pizza, mozzarella mixed with cheddar can bump up the stretch appeal. Mozzarella melts creamy. Cheddar and Mozzarella are the two cheeses used to make Starbucks Grilled Cheese.
- Gruyere - nutty and a little salty, it has incredible 'pull' and cooks up with or without other cheeses to make an amazing grilled cheese.
- Montery Jack -This mild, creamy white cheese is an even better melter than cheddar, and is extra lovely mixed with a little sharp cheddar. Use regular Montery Jack, or Pepper Jack.
- Blues - Gorgonzola and other blue veined cheese are tangy and sharp, but when used sparingly to blend with other cheeses, and intensity of flavor and stretch appeal.
How to Make a Grilled Cheese Sandwich
Take a look at the list of cheeses above that work the best in a grilled cheese sandwich. Choose one, two, or even three cheeses to grate up and have ready for your grilled cheese sandwiches.
Step 1. Grate the Cheese and Butter the Bread
The chef's secret to a perfect grilled cheese sandwich is coarsely grating the cheese, not slices. Grate 2 to 3 ounces of cheese per large sandwich.
If you are making sandwiches for a family meal, you can use a Cuisinart coarse grater blade (or any food processor that has a grater blade) to grate a large quantity of cheese. Empty the food processor bin of grated cheese into a large bowl so you can toss and mix several cheeses together to make your special blend.
Calculate 2 - 3 ounces of grated cheese per sandwich. The sourdough bread I am recommending is usually too large to fit in the toaster (so annoying!), so it is a larger deli size of sandwich.
Butter both sides of one slice of bread. Pile up and spread the cheese on the buttered slice of bread.
If you are using the electric griddle, those rectangular ones that we often only dust off for Holiday morning breakfast, plug it in and get it medium hot.
If you are using a cast iron grill skillet, spray it first with some non stick spray. Any skillet will work, but I like the panini-like grill lines that the cast iron grill skillet leaves. Heat the skillet to medium also.
Full ingredient amounts and preparation instructions are in the printable recipe card at the bottom of this post.
Step 2. Top the Sandwich and Place on Heat
Now we are cooking! If you are making multiple sandwiches on the electric griddle, start them all (or as many that fits on the griddle) at the same time. The easiest way is to lay the cheese covered slice of bread on the hot electric griddle surface, or hot skillet.
Butter the side of the other slice of bread that will touch the cheese while the griddle or skillet is toasting the other side. Place this second slice of bread on top of the grated cheese covered slice that's cooking.
Press down gently and then butter the topside of the sandwich, the side of the second slice of bread.
Use a wide spatula, and press down on the sandwiches as they brown. Keep the heat on Medium Low to Medium. Slower browning means more time to melt the cheese.
Lift up one of the sandwiches to check the level of browning. When it is where you like it, use the spatula to flip the grilled cheese sandwich. Repeat with each sandwich on your electric griddle or in your skillet.
TIP: If using a round skillet, cook the sandwiches individually, as the room is needed to properly center the heat. Don't try to cook two as the same time. The browning will be uneven.
Full ingredient amounts and preparation instructions are in the printable recipe card at the bottom of this post.
Step 3. Brown on Both Sides and Serve
After the flipped side has browned up nicely also, transfer the sandwich or sandwiches to a platter. Serve with soup, salad, or fruit.
Full ingredient amounts and preparation instructions are in the printable recipe card at the bottom of this post.
Serving Suggestions
Serve this gourmet grilled cheese sandwich by itself or with our copycat Panera Tomato Soup or Cuban Chicken Soup, some crispy potato chips or a Tropical Fruit Salad, and you are all set!
Substitutions
Read over the best types of cheeses in the list above to choose the cheese that works for you. There are some non dairy cheeses you can also substitute for a pretty good sandwich also.
Variations
In the ingredient list above there is a short list of optional ingredients. Those are the flavor burst condiments that when just a little is slathered on one side of the bread before grilling, transform a lowly grilled cheese into a Gourmet Grilled Cheese! Some additional flavors to combine in a grilled cheese sandwich are:
- Fruits - Thin sliced apples, slices of fig.
- Vegetables - thin sliced red onions, pickled red onion, spinach leaves, avocado slices, and roasted red peppers.
- Deli Meats - choose meats that break away easy, like prosciutto, coppocola,
- Jams, Chutneys, other Condiments - consider cranberry sauce, fig jam, black truffle oil or mustard, tomato preserves, olive spread, garlic confit, sweet bread & butter pickles, Chick Fil A Sauce, etc.
Equipment
The right skillet will make or break a grilled sandwich, of any kind. If making more than four consider getting the electric griddle. Kind of old fashioned compared to so many of today's more modern appliances, it let the cook enjoy the meal with the family instead of standing and flipping.
- Square Cast Iron Grill skillet
- Electric Griddle - to cook several grilled cheese sandwiches at the same time!
Storage
If you have leftovers, just refrigerate loosely in aluminum foil packets. Reheat in a warm oven so the cheese can soften and the sandwich crisps back up.
Tips for Success
- To add a ton of flavor to a simple grilled cheese, spread one slice of bread with ingredients like chutney, pepper jelly, tomato jam, or bacon jam. It will totally transform the flavor profile to gourmet status.
- If you use a cast iron skillet that has the grilling ridges, you will get a sandwich that looked like it was made in a Panini maker!
- If making a lot of sandwiches, you can also use a non stick coated flat electric griddle. This way they all cook at the same time!
Frequently Asked Questions
There's a family of semi-firm cheeses - among them, queso panela, queso fresco, paneer, halloumi, feta, cotija, ricotta and soft goat cheese - that won't melt over direct or indirect heat in your kitchen.
American cheese is a type of processed cheese made by mixing one or more types of cheeses, including Cheddar cheese, washed curd cheese, Colby cheese, and granular cheese (1). Despite being called “American cheese,” its official name is “pasteurized process cheese food.”
Food Safety
- Do not use the same utensils on cooked food, that previously touched raw meat
- Wash hands after touching raw meat
- Don't leave food sitting out at room temperature for extended periods
- Never leave cooking food unattended
- Use oils with high smoking point to avoid harmful compounds
- Always have good ventilation when using a gas stove
See more guidelines at USDA.gov.
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📖 Recipe
Sourdough Grilled Cheese Sandwich
Ingredients
- 8 slices sourdough bread sandwich bread style
- 6 tablespoon butter softened
- 10 oz Cheddar cheese, medium grated
- 2 oz smoked Gouda grated
Instructions
- If using an electric griddle, preheat to medium. If using a cast iron skillet or skillet, spray with non stick spray and heat to medium.
- Using the grater blade for a food processor, or the large grate side of a box grater, grate the cheeses into a bowl. Toss to blend.10 oz Cheddar cheese, medium, 2 oz smoked Gouda
- Butter both sides of four slices of the bread. Divide the grated cheese among all four slices. Butter one side of the other slices of bread. Lay on top of the grated cheese and press down gently to secure.8 slices sourdough bread, 6 tablespoon butter
- Transfer the sandwich to a skillet, or sandwiches to the electric griddle. Butter the top side of the second slice of bread.
- Brown slowly on one side so the heat can melt the cheese. When browned to your liking, flip with a spatula. Repeat browning process to the other side.
- Transfer to a serving platter or plate and serve immediately.
Notes
- If you use a cast iron skillet that has the grilling ridges, you will get a sandwich that looked like it was made in a Panini maker!
- If making a lot of sandwiches, you can also use a non stick coated flat electric griddle. This way they all cook at the same time!
- To add a ton of flavor to a simple grilled cheese, spread one slice of bread with ingredients like chutney, pepper jelly, tomato jam, or bacon jam. It will totally transform the flavor profile to gourmet status.
Nutrition
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