Say Goodbye To Soggy Grilled Cheese Sandwiches With This Simple Trick

With a dish as simple as a grilled cheese, high-quality ingredients and clever technique are the keys to a truly excellent sandwich. For the simplest grilled cheese, just buttered bread filled with cheese and griddled until crisp on the outside and gooey in the center, there's little room for improvement — or so you might think. But the internet is always full of new hacks for accomplishing old tasks, and making a grilled cheese sandwich is no exception. In this particular trend, the soggy center of the grilled cheese is fixed by toasting the bread on both sides. The result? A sandwich that is not only twice as crisp, but also twice as buttery.

The method is simple. All you have to do is butter your bread like you typically would, then place it butter-side down in a low to medium-heat pan (Correct pan temperature is critical for a good grilled cheese). Once that side of the bread is toasted, flip it over, butter the other side, and finish making the sandwich as normal. With all sides of the bread toasted you are assured a cheesy, buttery crunch with every bite.

But since you're already turning the buttered side of the sandwich inside out, why not add some cheese to the outside as well? By melting a bit of cheese in the pan before adding your bread, you can easily add a parmesan or cheddar crust to your grilled cheese. Zero risk of a soggy sandwich with that setup.

A proper grilled cheese begins with good, hearty bread, as those starchy slices make up the majority of your sandwich. The butter, too, is important. With so few components, they all need to be delicious. High-quality butter is a must, but to take things one step further you can even use compound butter for your grilled sandwich.

As far as fillings go, there is no need to stick to those orange slices of processed foodstuff that so many of us grew up on (Though there's no shame in the game, either; American cheese is perfect for melting). You can play with all sorts of cheeses, just make sure you stick to varieties that melt easily. For a supremely melty combo with pops of salt, smoke, and roasted red pepper, give ham and pimento cheese a try. Another easy but classy choice is to bring classic caprese salad flavors into your sandwich, stuffing it with mozzarella, tomatoes, and basil pesto (Just be sure to salt your tomatoes to avoid a soggy sandwich). 

If you like to dabble in sweet and savory combinations, think about filling your sandwich with brie cheese and slices of pear. Or, add some fruit preserves for a simpler grilled cheese upgrade. (Apple butter and cheddar are a great combo here.) Finally, while this one sounds a bit weird, we have it on good word that adding Nutella to your grilled cheese sandwich is actually delicious. So, there you go: plenty of creative fodder for further forays into griddled sandwiches.