'Worst Grilled Cheese Of All Time': TikTok Is Not A Fan Of Gordon Ramsay's Sandwich

Gordon Ramsay is known for doing many great things in the food world. And while he ranks among the most successful chefs and restaurateurs in history, his career has not without its fair share of blunders. Large-scale failures, such as Ramsay's attempt to bring his Fat Cow restaurants to the United States, have plagued the chef sporadically over the years, but you could argue no slip-up has been as publicly bashed as his attempt to make a high-end grilled cheese during an episode of his YouTube show "Ramsay Around the World" in 2020. While most would expect an expert chef such as Ramsay to nail grilled cheese every time he makes it, this attempt at leveling up the dish left plenty to be desired among fans online (especially TikTok) due to what many believe to be a poor choice of ingredients and poor execution from the British chef.

In fact, James Patrick Ellingsworth III of @worthcooking even went as far as to say it was legitimately "the worst grilled cheese of all time" before replicating it in his own kitchen and hating it for himself. This sentiment has been shared by many in the comment section of Ellingsworth (as well as those who have viewed the video over the years), with several deeming Gordon's effort to make a great grilled cheese completely phoned-in and generally appalling for someone known for yelling at novice chefs on TV for their inability to master simple recipes.

To understand the story of Ramsay's terrible grilled cheese sandwich, we must first look at the ingredients he used. Ramsay journeyed to the island of Tasmania to acquire Romano with Pepperberry and Asiago cheese, both of which are generally considered much too dry for use in a grilled cheese. For those unaware, different kinds of cheese work well on grilled cheese — including some fairly high-end ones like Gruyère — but the two remarkably tasty cheeses Gordon utilized simply aren't soft or meltable enough to fit that bill. Ramsay's choice to put the cheese on thick pieces of country bread is generally considered a smart idea for grilled cheese, but the fact that he cooked it over an open fire meant the bread began to burn long before the heat was able to reach the cheese.

Likely the most polarizing choice Ramsay made in this whole process was his addition of kimchi. The celebrity chef believed the ingredient could give the sandwich some much-needed spice and texture while also pairing well with the Romano with Pepperberry cheese. While we are actually big fans of adding kimchi to grilled cheese, many found the addition to be unnecessary given the tried-and-true nature of the simple recipe.

Ramsay has since apologized for the video, claiming he was in a rush while making it and even making another grilled cheese on camera in an attempt to redeem himself. This attempt led to more backlash online for being overcomplicated and not melty enough, leaving many unsure of whether the Michelin-starred chef was actually capable of making a grilled cheese properly.