The humble grilled/toasted cheese sandwich

[TastyReuben]

Ok, MrsT wanted a grilled cheese sandwich the other day, and she pointed out, “Just grilled cheese! None of your fancy stuff!” - I’ve been known to “gourmet up” my grilled cheese sandwiches in the past.

Here’s her sandwich:

Looks fine. It’s brown and crunchy. It’s oozy melty. She loved it. Four ingredients: some olive oil, some butter, some cheese, and some bread. Every school kid’s favorite, couldn’t be simpler.

However…when I have the time, and I’m making one for myself, I like to fix it up a little, adding some of this, a little of that, and just a touch of the other.

I’ll reveal later what some of my favorite additions/enhancements are, but I’d like to hear from you all first.

So…if you’re so inclined to “zhuzh up” (as the kids like to say) your grilled cheese sandwiches, how do you do so? What do you like to add or do differently?

 

[Barriehie]

Tomatoes, pickles, sliced meats, thin onions, whatever is in the fridge! (Oh yeah, almost forgot Cheetos, chips, tortilla or potato...)

 

[medtran49]

My plain old grilled cheese is a decent white bread, kraft sliced cheese and butter. If I get fancy, it will be a nicer bread and a better cheese like gruyere, a good cheddar, butterkaise, etc.

 

[Puggles]

With no less than 64 pounds of cheese. I've also heard that some people use mayo instead of butter when making these. I always thought that was a little weird.

I would use multiple cheeses, like a good cheddar, some smoked gouda and muenster. Then after it's done take a cut in half garlic clove and rub it on the crunchy outside of the bread.

 

[SatNavSaysStraightOn]

What do you like to add or do differently?

When I could eat them, the bread was buttered on the outside, cheese and onion on the inside and then the went into the toastie maker. Nothing more.

 

[medtran49]

I've also heard that some people use mayo instead of butter when making these. I always thought that was a little weird.

I tried the mayo thing once just to try it. That should tell you something.

 

[Barriehie]

I tried the mayo thing once just to try it. That should tell you something.

Mayo on one slice on the inside and extra "budder" on the other one!

 

[msmofet]

I like plain grilled cheese usually. Sometimes I enjoy American, Swiss and ham grilled on seeded rye. Or American or Velveeta with tomato and/or bacon. I like white or rye bread for grilled cheese
Also open faced - toasted buttered English muffin topped with American cheese under broiler to melt and brown cheese.

 

[kaneohegirlinaz]

Toasted Tuna Melt & Chips/Crisps
Also (no photo, sorry) Panini Pressed sandwich of any kind, YUM!!!

 

[karadekoolaid]

Growing up, there was no such thing as a toasted cheese sandwich. It was just cheese on toast; and the cheese had to cover every, single millimetre of the (buttered) bread. If we were feeling fancy, then some "Wuster" sauce splashed on top. That was it.
When I started going to pubs, at about 8 18 yrs old, there were these fancy machines that made grilled/toasted cheese and onion sandwiches, with a clear triangular format. Since I lived in the backwoods and pub food was limited to crisps, peanuts and (on Thursdays), pickled prawns, the toasted cheese and onion sandwich was a Godsend, or rather a slightly expensive way of not staggering home as kissed as a poot.
At some stage, between 1981 and now, Brits changed the name to a "toastie", probably so they could charge more.
I'm still perfectly happy with a heavily buttered slice of white bread, milimetrically covered with mature cheddar, and grilled until it bubbles.
However, when I make a grilled/toasted cheese sandwich, it might have a few slivers of raw onion in it, but more likely, a slathering of smoked tomato, or green mango chutney.

 

[badjak]

I like cheese & tomato toasted sandwiches. Bith closed and open faced, but only if the cheese is properly melted!
Or cheese and salami, or ham.
With onions, or without. With tomatoes (or without).
Generally some basil or oregano added (and something chili)

I open faced, I like anchovies or capers or olives as well. I just treat them as if pizza

 

[Z-Cook]

So many cheeses, so little time

Wholegrain bread from the real bakery, thin lick of homemade wholegrain mustard, slivers of sweet spiced tangy pickle, taleggio cheese, paper thin slices of applewood smoked ham.

Brioche slices, Dijon mustard, Brie de Meaux or Camenbert Le Rustiqe, torn prosciutto, cornichons on the side.

Wholewheat bread, fresh cranberry sauce, some pickled red cabbage, slivers of smoked turkey, Stilton.

 

[Z-Cook]

With no less than 64 pounds of cheese

You have 64 lbs of cheese?

 

[The Velvet Curtain]

We tend to do cheese on toast rather than cheese toasties, unless I am doing a proper croque monseur. I have recently started to improve the cheese topping to move it a step closer to a Welsh Rarebit without making the roux:

Enough grated mature cheddar to cover two slices of toast - it has to be good quality.
1 egg
Half teaspoon of mustard or to taste, I use dijon
A few shakes of Worcestershire sauce (everyone say it with me)
Ground black pepper

Mix well in a bowl and spread liberally over toast making sure you cover every corner - drippage is allowed. Place under the grill until browned and bubbling.

 

[SandwichShortOfAPicnic]

Yep I prefer cheese on toast to a toasted cheese sandwich. I don’t like waiting an eon for the molten lava to cool down and I like a single piece of bread heavily loaded beyond all reason, it just doesn’t fit in a sandwich. I still make a toastie every now and then.
If theres a gluten free one on a menu when I’m out and about I will always order it though, just because it’s a thrill being able to order normie food that’s usually off limits.

Edit: one of the following usually makes and appearance - spring onion, branston pickle, piccalilli, gherkins, a layer of cream cheese under the cheddar, ham or theres a balsamic red onion chutney which is great with cheese and they are my go to toastie extra ingredients.