5 Ways To Upgrade Basic Grilled Cheese

Chances are you've been eating grilled cheese sandwiches for almost as long as you've been able to eat solid foods. All you need is two slices of bread, two slices of American cheese, and a smear of butter, and you can turn a plain cheese sandwich into a gooey, melty, savory delight, as tasty on its own as it is dipped into a bowl of tomato soup. And if you've never made anything but the plainest, least fussy version of a grilled cheese sandwich, you've still enjoyed one of life's greatest, simplest pleasures.

But anything worth doing is also worth fussing over, isn't it? If you're willing to get a little creative, add some new ingredients into the mix, or even experiment in food science, you'll be rewarded with a grilled cheese experience you may think back to years later. Some of these tips are more general, encouraging you to play around with fillings and whatnot; others are a little more specific. In any case, this will hopefully be the start of a hot, cheesy, delicious journey for you.

You might not think there's much room for disagreement over something like a grilled cheese sandwich, but arguments persist nonetheless. Chief among them: Is butter or mayo better on your bread? It's a matter of whether you want to add deeper, richer flavor (in which case butter is superior), or if you want a golden-brown exterior with less risk of burning (in which case you go for mayonnaise). But what if you didn't have to choose?

That's right: Instead of picking just butter or mayo for your sandwich, you can soften up some butter and mix it with some mayonnaise for the best of both worlds. Alternatively, you can spread mayonnaise on the bread and add some butter in your skillet, or you can use Martha Stewart's trick, which gives your grilled cheese an extra gooey bite, while keeping mayo on the outside. No matter what, you'll be glad you didn't have to choose.

If you've never moved beyond regular old white bread for your grilled cheese sandwich, we don't exactly blame you. It's probably what you grew up eating, after all, and it's easier to keep a sleeve of white bread on your counter than it is to fuss around with a bread box. (Bread boxes really do keep bread fresh, though.) But man cannot live on bread alone, nor can he eat square after square of white bread grilled cheese without getting a little bored.

Sourdough is usually the best choice for grilled cheese, as it adds a bit of complexity to the sandwich's flavor while also providing a nicely craggy surface for browning. But any number of choices will work for a grilled cheese, from malted grain (more complexity, solid texture) to brioche (as sweet and fluffy as a cloud). Heck, if you're looking to wean yourself off the most familiar choice, you can spring for one of those fancier country-style loaves of white bread. There's no shame in that.

American cheese may not be your favorite cheese in the world, but it's the go-to for grilled cheese (and other applications) for one simple reason: It's the perfect choice for melting. While there are all sorts of cheeses that will melt to a respectable degree in a grilled cheese, like cheddar or Gruyere, they may not have that creamy, glossy mouthfeel you crave — to say nothing of stubborn dry cheeses like parmesan. But there are a few ways to fix that, if you want to get really fussy about it.

By using a steamer, instant flour, and milk or heavy cream, you can slowly melt some of the more stubborn cheeses into a vat of liquid gold, perfect for smearing onto your grilled cheese sandwich. Or if you want to get really fancy, you can get your hands on some sodium citrate, which is used as an emulsifier, and combine it with shredded cheese to turn any cheese — yes, any cheese at all — into a perfect melter.

When you bite into a hot, tasty grilled cheese sandwich, you're tasting the wholesome graininess of the bread, the nutty tang of the mayonnaise (and/or the richness of the butter), and the creamy goodness of the cheese. But what if you added another dimension of flavor to your sandwich? Why not try a little something sweet?

Nutella is a popular option for grilled cheese, with the chocolate hazelnut spread lending your sandwich flavor in a few different directions: not only sweet, but also nutty and just a touch salty. If you'd rather give your grilled cheese a fruity twist, jam or jelly is a good choice, ansd you can choose just about any flavor you'd like, too. Or if it's pure, straightforward sweetness you'd like, you can go ahead and add a nice drizzle of honey. These ingredients may sound a little strange if you've never had them with grilled cheese before, but they're worth a try, aren't they?

One of the best things about a grilled cheese sandwich is that its creation is utterly straightforward. Place one side down on a hot skillet, wait a couple of minutes, flip it over, wait a few more minutes, and hey presto. Adding any more steps might seem like unnecessary complications. But if you want to really boost your lunch to the next level, you can amp up your grilled cheese with an ice cube.

Once you've browned your sandwich on both sides, lower the heat, pop an ice cube into the other side of the pan (away from the sandwich), and replace the pan's cover for a minute. What this does is make steam, which can both melt the cheese as thoroughly as possible and still keep the bread tender and soft. It's the best use of an ice cube since the cult classic movie "Friday."