Grilled cheese is so damn good. Regardless of the type of cheese or bread, one can usually make it turn out really good.
That said, there are some things you can do to bump a grilled cheese up a notch. Better cheese, better bread, and a few additions make this version fantastically good.
What’s so different? In this case, the cheese, the jam and a little trick I learned from Serious Eats to make the bread more crispy. Read the recipe to find out the trick!
What you’ll need for 2 sandwiches:
- Four medium-thick slices of bread—the best types for grilled cheese sandwiches are those that toast well
- Enough slices of soft or semi-soft cheese to cover a slice—I used brie, but you could also use camembert or Taleggio
- 2 slices of American or Jarlsberg cheese
- Enough raspberry or other dark-berry preserve to cover 2 faces of bread
- Enough mayonnaise to cover 6 faces of bread (about 6T)
What to do:
Begin heating a large frypan over medium heat. The pan should reach 325-350 degrees for cooking the grilled cheese. How do you know the pan temp? Use an infrared thermometer. They’re indispensable for cooking.
Lay out the four pieces of bread on a large cutting board. Spread mayonnaise on one side of each slice and place them mayo-side down in the pan. Cook for about 3.5 minutes, until the cooked side is toasted. Remove from the pan and place the bread toasted-side up on your cutting board.
Spread a thin layer of preserves on two of the slices, and top them with an even layer of cheese slices. Keep the cheese no less than 0.25 inches from the edge of the bread so it doesn’t melt and spill out while cooking. Top the cheese with the two remaining bread slices, cooked-side against the cheese. Spread mayo on the top slices and flip the sandwiches mayo-side down into the frypan.
At this point, you’ll have the un-toasted side of the bread slices facing upward on the cooking sandwiches. Carefully spread mayo on these un-toasted sides of the slices, either in the pan using an offset spatula, or carefully remove the top slice from the cooking sandwich without disturbing it–careful, the cheese may already be melting. Cook for 3.5 minutes, or until the bottom slice is toasted.
Flip the sandwiches over and cook for another 3.5 minutes. At this point, your sandwiches should be ready.
Enjoy!
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