The best cheeses for grilled cheese — the top melters and flavor cheeses for the perfect grilled cheese sandwich, and how to blend them.
The grilled cheese sandwich lives or dies by its cheese. Here's a guide to the best cheeses for grilled cheese, balancing melt and flavor for the perfect sandwich.
What Makes a Great Grilled Cheese Cheese
The ideal grilled cheese cheese melts smoothly and gooily (for that satisfying pull and ooze) and has good flavor. The best sandwiches often use a blend — a smooth melter for texture and a flavorful cheese for taste. Meltability and flavor are the two keys. Here's a guide to the best cheeses for grilled cheese, from the classic melters to flavorful options and great blends, so you can build the perfect grilled cheese.
The Classic Melters
For melt, a few cheeses are grilled-cheese classics. American cheese melts flawlessly into ultra-smooth, gooey perfection (the diner classic) — unbeatable for melt, if mild. Medium cheddar melts well and adds familiar, tangy flavor (the most popular choice). Young mozzarella melts into a stretchy, gooey pull. Monterey Jack melts smoothly and mildly. Havarti melts creamily. These are the reliable melters that give grilled cheese its essential gooey, melty texture. They form the base of most great grilled cheeses.
Flavorful Cheeses to Add
For more flavor, add or use flavorful melting cheeses. Gruyère melts beautifully with rich, nutty flavor (a gourmet favorite). Sharp cheddar adds tangy bite (blend with a smooth melter, as very sharp cheddar can be grainy alone). Fontina adds luscious, earthy richness. Comté brings nutty depth. Gouda adds sweet, nutty notes. Smoked cheeses (smoked Gouda, scamorza) add smoky flavor. These flavorful cheeses elevate a grilled cheese beyond the basic, especially blended with a smooth melter. They make a grilled cheese more sophisticated and delicious.
The Best Blends
The secret to a great grilled cheese is often a blend — combining a smooth melter with a flavorful cheese for both gooey texture and great taste. Classic winning blends: sharp cheddar + Gruyère (flavor + smooth melt); cheddar + American (flavor + flawless melt); mozzarella + a flavorful cheese (stretch + taste); Gruyère + fontina (rich and luscious). Blending lets you get the best of both meltability and flavor. So for the ultimate grilled cheese, blend a smooth melter with a flavorful cheese. This is what many of the best grilled cheeses use, balancing ooze and taste.
Cheeses to Use Carefully or Avoid
Some cheeses need care in grilled cheese. Very aged, dry cheeses (aged Parmesan, very sharp aged cheddar) can turn grainy or oily if used alone — blend them with smooth melters. Crumbly fresh cheeses (feta) and non-melting cheeses (halloumi, paneer, queso fresco) don't melt into the gooey texture grilled cheese needs (though they can be used in non-traditional ways). For a classic gooey grilled cheese, stick to good melters (alone or blended), and avoid relying on poor melters. So use very aged or non-melting cheeses carefully (blended or not at all) for a traditional grilled cheese.
Building the Perfect Grilled Cheese
For the best grilled cheese: choose a good melter (or a blend of a melter + a flavorful cheese), grate or thinly slice it for even melting, use sturdy bread buttered (or mayo'd) on the outside, and cook over medium-low heat (covered briefly) so the cheese melts fully before the bread burns. A blend like sharp cheddar and Gruyère, or cheddar and American, on good sourdough is hard to beat. So pick great melting cheeses (blended for flavor and melt), and use proper technique. With the right cheese and method, you'll make a perfect, gooey, flavorful grilled cheese.
Frequently Asked Questions
What's the best cheese for grilled cheese?
A good melter — American (flawless melt), medium cheddar (melt + flavor), mozzarella (stretch), Monterey Jack, or Havarti — often blended with a flavorful cheese like Gruyère or sharp cheddar for the best of melt and taste.
Should I blend cheeses for grilled cheese?
Yes, often — blending a smooth melter (like American or mozzarella) with a flavorful cheese (like sharp cheddar or Gruyère) gives both gooey texture and great flavor, making the best grilled cheese.
What cheeses don't work for grilled cheese?
Non-melting cheeses (halloumi, paneer, queso fresco), crumbly fresh cheeses (feta), and very aged dry cheeses alone (which can turn grainy) don't give the gooey melt grilled cheese needs — blend or avoid them.