How to Make the Best Grilled Cheese for National Grilled Cheese Day!

Crispy - crunchy outside, a melty inside, and an impressive cheese pull - Happy National Grilled Cheese Day!

Grilled cheese sandwiches are a perfect balance between oozy, melty cheese and perfectly, toasted, crunchy bread. However, not all grilled cheese sandwiches are created equal. There is special skill and care that goes into creating the perfect grilled cheese.

The most important element is, of course, cheese. A grilled cheese is only as good as the cheese used for it.

So, what cheese is best for grilled cheese?

You want to make sure you're using a melty cheese like cheddar, pepper jack, Havarti, gruyere, and Monterey Jack. Look for low moisture cheese when picking as they melt the best. Shredded cheese will also melt more quickly than sliced cheese and create a better cheese pull for optimal effect! However, make sure to shred the cheese yourself rather than buying pre-shredded cheese (pre-shredded cheese has additives to keep it from melting so it's not ideal).

Some delicious options are: Deer Creek's The Stag Clothbound Cheddar, Carr Valley's Aged Gouda, Deer Creek's The Blue Jay, and Cady Creek Farms Rosemary Gouda.

When it comes down to the bread, you can use any bread your heart desires! In my opinion, sourdough and white bread are the best for grilled cheese. Sourdough adds a touch of extra flavor while white bread lets the cheese be the star of the show! Both options have the potential to get super crispy if you follow this method.

The secret to making the best grilled cheese is using a combination of butter and mayonnaise. Use equal amounts, about 1 tbsp of each for 1 sandwich. Soften the butter in the microwave or on the countertop for a few hours. Stir the mayo into the softened butter until fully combined. Spread this mixture on one side of each piece of bread.

Slathering the exterior of the grilled cheese isn't the only addition you can make to the sandwich. What you put inside the sandwich counts as much as what's on the outside! Grainy Dijon mustard slathered on the inside of the sandwich may not be the first condiment you think of for grilled cheese, but it offers the perfect complement to the rich sandwich.

My next tip is too important not to share again - Shred your cheese on your own instead of buying pre-shredded cheese! You'll be grateful you listened to this step when you taste the delicious flavor and see the melty cheese pull for yourself!

The last tip is to cook your grilled cheese low and slow. There's been too many times that I'm so ready to get my hands on my grilled cheese sandwich that I ended up burning the bread and barley melting the cheese because the stove was too hot! Cook your grilled cheese over medium-low heat. Keep an eye on it and flip when the side touching the pan is that perfect golden brown.

Enjoy National Grilled Cheese Day!