These Are the Best Cheeses for a Grilled Cheese Sandwich.
The bread component of any sandwich is important, but when it comes to grilled cheese, you’ll want to go with the bread component of the same name. Most recipes claim to contain the best, most ideal combination of fats and dairy to create the perfect grilled cheese, but what if you prefer a stretchy cheese? Or maybe a completely melted liquid puddle of cheese is more your style. The goal of any comfort food is to make yourself happy. Instead of ranking the cheeses according to my personal preferences, here’s a quick guide to choosing the best cheese for a grilled cheese sandwich for the most important person in the room. (I am talking about you.)
Best Cheese for Grilled Cheese
Cheese is made up of protein, fat, water and acid. ( Read more about the elements of cheese here .) Depending on the ratio of these four pillars, you will get different reactions when exposed to heat. This could mean using all the same type of cheese, or you could try combining cheeses to get different results.
The best cheese for stretchy sandwiches
If the party is about quality cheese, then the percentage of elastic protein is important.
For more elasticity try:
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Mozzarella
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Gouda
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Havarti
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Gruyere
Choose younger cheeses, as cheeses aged more than a year do not have enough moisture to melt and stretch as well as their younger counterparts.
The best cheese for sweet sandwiches
Not everyone wants the endless burden of cheese. Sometimes you need less stretching and more soft melting cheese. Fat content in this case will play a major role, allowing the protein clusters to move further apart from each other.
For cheese that melts so smoothly you’ll cry, try:
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Taleggio
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Munster (By popular demand, and I agree.)
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Cheddar
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Raclette
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Fontina
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American (This is the cheese we all hate, but let’s face it, it can melt.)
The best “cheese” for liquid cheese magma
There is a stage of the past sticky. A place few people venture to, but if you dare, you can make a grilled cheese that’s practically bursting with rendered dairy. For a nearly runny cheese sandwich, choose ones that contain more fat and water. I recommend using very soft cheeses in addition to, let’s call them, “cheese snacks.”
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Velveeta
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Tostitos Salsa Con Queso
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Cheese Whiz
Apply a little heat and they will reward you with yellow liquid sin. If you can’t put a cheese snack on your sandwich bread, try:
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Triple cream brie without rind
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Cheese Gournay (eg Boursin)
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Creamy goat cheese
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Good old cream cheese.
Don’t worry, if you want your dream grilled cheese to have a little bit of everything, there are some combinations to explore. If you like to stretch your melt a little, add a little Gruyere to your fontina. Add to that the secret slander of Cheez Whiz (we all know Philly is up to something with those cheesesteaks). Be brave. The grilled cheese of your dreams is waiting for you.
Here’s my current favorite cheese combination: a slow-moving, gooey grilled cheese with just the slightest stretch and soft cheesy flavor.
Best Grilled Cheese Sandwich Recipe
Ingredients:
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2 slices strong bread (I sliced grainy ciabatta on a heavy slant)
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1 tablespoon salted butter
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1 slice American cheese
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1 ounce havarti
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½ ounce muenster
1. Butter one side of each slice of bread. Place one slice in the pan, oil side down. Don’t turn on the heating yet.
2. Layer the cheeses. If you can’t find sliced havardi or muenster, just cut off a piece and sprinkle the cheese on the bread. They’re both semi-soft, so I like to tap them with my fingers to smooth them out.
3. Cover the sandwich with another slice of bread, butter side up. Turn the heat to medium-low and cover the pan with a lid. The steam and ambient heat will help melt the cheese completely.
4. After a few minutes, turn the sandwich over to brown the other side. There is no need to close the lid again. Cool slightly on a wire rack before eating.