The grilled cheese sandwich—stretchy cheese oozing from between two crispy slices of bread—is everywhere, from food trucks to fine dining, and has been tried with nearly every ingredient imaginable.
Our national love for this comfort food mainstay dates to the 1920s, when it debuted as an open-faced “melted cheese” or “toasted cheese” sandwich. By the 1930s, it became known as the “cheese dream”—an affordable meal that Depression-era Americans could rely on to fill them up.
Today, grilled cheese reigns supreme for likeability, having edged out grilled chicken and turkey sandwiches as “America’s favorite” in a recent YouGov survey. (In fact, out of 22 choices, grilled cheese was the only sandwich option that over half of respondents said they really liked.) Perhaps that’s why we’ve designated April 12 National Grilled Cheese Sandwich Day but celebrate the offering all month—nay, all year—long.
What’s the best way to craft a grilled cheese for the modern palate?
Versatility is the grilled cheese sandwich’s single greatest strength. And operators are capitalizing on it.
Melt Bar & Grilled, a fast casual chain of 13 locations in and around Cleveland, Ohio, offers everything from the basic “Kindergarten” (and yes, that’s on the adult menu) to over-the-top options such as Korean barbecue, chicken and waffles, pizza rolls, and even macaroni and cheese inside a standard grilled cheese sandwich.
The Truffle Melt from New York’s Melt Shop, meanwhile, is made with muenster, mixed greens and truffle oil—and taps into some consumers’ desire for more sophisticated flavor profiles.
From basic recipes to elevated offerings, the quality and combination of ingredients can take an otherwise average sandwich to new creative heights. Here are answers to some questions operators experimenting with grilled cheese options tend to ask.
The short answer: There’s no wrong cheese. While there’s debate over the value of one cheese over another—muenster has great stretch, manchego melts without going gooey—they all have properties and flavor profiles that make them menu-worthy.
Here are just a few that bubble to the top:
There’s really no limit to how many cheeses you use in a dish, but be sure to focus on blending complementary cheeses. A bit of earthy Stella® Gorgonzola Cheese adds depth to a mild cow milk cheese, such as Stella® Fontinella, without overpowering the fontinella’s creaminess and superior melting properties.
The original open-faced grilled cheese sandwiches were made with shredded American cheese. Some chefs say it’s still the best method, arguing that shredded cheese melts faster, which ensures the bread won’t burn while you’re waiting for the cheese to soften.
Here’s how to make each method work for you:
The choice of bread and how you dress it will certainly affect your results. Both mayonnaise and butter will create a golden-brown bread, but mayo has a lower smoke point than butter. Cover the outside of the bread corner to corner to achieve an even toast. To add extra crunch, sprinkle Stella® Parmesan Cheese on your bread.
With so many options and applications, every operator can find ways to customize America’s favorite sandwich for their menu. The depth of cheese products and flavor profiles also makes it easy to create specialty and seasonal items that help keep menus feeling fresh throughout the year. It’s no wonder, then, that America’s favorite sandwich is also an operator’s best choice for low-cost, high-profit innovation.
Learn more about our extensive family of products for the perfect grilled cheese and find more recipe ideas here.