Take a trip down memory lane and sink your teeth into The Ultimate Grilled Cheese Sandwich.
Remember the good ol’ days when school lunches were served by a group of friendly lunch ladies? Many of us have fond memories of sitting at the cafeteria with our friends at one of those long wooden tables to enjoy things like Salisbury steak, square slices of pizza, peanut butter and jelly, and, of course, the ubiquitous grilled cheese sandwich. For some of us, grilled cheese was the option we chose when we didn’t like whatever was on the menu that day. Those lunch ladies didn’t want the picky eaters among us to starve, you see. So why was this all-American sandwich a standard, you may wonder? Because no kid could possibly resist its meltingly gooey goodness.
Truth be told, however, that grilled cheese sandwich from back in the day wasn’t exactly gourmet food. It consisted of industrial white bread with a thick, greasy layer of industrial American cheese. Did we complain? Of course not! But chances are that now that we’re older and wiser, our taste buds may have become a little more demanding. And that’s why we’re bringing you the ultimate grilled cheese sandwich! No plastic bread or cheese here, but only the good stuff. We’re talking thick slices of perfectly crisp, buttery bread generously layered with three types of cheese, bacon, ham, and a little tomato to balance things out.
Now all you need is a bowl of tomato soup for dipping!
Make it your own
You’re an adult now, which means you get to make your own choices and are free to create the grilled cheese sandwich of your dreams. Perhaps that’s a chic version with Comté cheese, caramelized red onions, and sautéed wild mushrooms. Or an Italian-style sandwich with mozzarella, provolone, sun-dried tomatoes, and basil. It could be that you love punchy flavors, so your grilled cheese sandwich will consist of Habanero cheddar, spicy chorizo, and roasted red peppers. Want to make it vegan? That’s an option, too! There are plenty of excellent plant-based cheeses available that melt just like the real deal.
How do I store leftovers?
Though a grilled cheese is best enjoyed fresh, you could keep it in the fridge for about 2 days. Wrap it tightly in plastic wrap and place it in an airtight container. Reheat the sandwich in a toaster oven until hot and bubbling again. For longer storage, flash-freeze the sandwiches for 1 hour on a baking tray before transferring them to a Ziploc bag. They will keep well in your freezer for up to 3 months. You can also prep these ahead and freeze them without grilling them. Simply butter and layer the bread with the ingredients, flash-freeze, and store in a Ziploc bag.
Serving suggestions
The perfect pairing, in our opinion, would be a bowl of Homemade Tomato-Basil Soup. You could also try it with this earthy and subtly sweet Roasted Butternut Squash Soup. For something a little more refreshing that will also cut through all that richness, pair it with our Tomato, Watermelon, And Blueberry Salad.
The Ultimate Grilled Cheese Sandwich
Ingredients
- 4 thick slices of sourdough bread
- 2 tablespoons butter softened
- 4 slices pepper jack cheese
- 4 slices provolone cheese
- 4 slices sharp cheddar cheese
- 4 slices cooked bacon
- 2 slices deli ham thin-sliced
- 1 Roma tomato sliced
Instructions
- Preheat a skillet over medium heat.
- Generously butter one side of each slice of bread with 1/2 tablespoon of butter. Place 2 slices of bread buttered-side down on the hot skillet.
- Divide the cheeses, bacon, ham, and tomato over each slice of bread.
- Top with second slice of bread, buttered-side up.
- Cook grilled cheese sandwiches 2 minutes per side, until the cheese is melted and the bread is golden brown.
I love mixing up grilled cheese flavors. My daughter would eat grilled cheese daily if we made it.