How to Make a Perfect Grilled Cheese Sandwich

That only happens over gentle heat, with thin, room-temperature cheese and a lid.

Most failures are timing problems, not recipe problems. High heat browns the bread in two minutes while the cheese in the middle is still a cold slab. Slow it down and the rest is easy.

Grilled cheese at a glance

This grilled cheese table gives the numbers to keep in mind before you start.

How to make grilled cheese

Here is how to make grilled cheese in one skillet, with the cheese and heat doing the work.

Ingredients for grilled cheese

These are the ingredients for grilled cheese, a single sandwich with a butter-and-mayonnaise crust.

• 2 slices sturdy bread, such as sourdough or country white, about 1/2 inch (1.25 cm) thick
• 1 1/2 oz (45 g) mild, fast-melting cheese such as young cheddar or Monterey Jack, sliced about 1/8 inch (3 mm) thick
• 1 oz (30 g) sharp cheddar or Gruyère, coarsely grated
• 1 tablespoon (14 g) soft butter
• 1 teaspoon mayonnaise (optional, for a crisper crust)
• Pinch of salt

Steps for making grilled cheese

Follow these steps for making grilled cheese, and keep the burner low the whole time.

1. Take the cheese out of the fridge 20 minutes ahead so it is cool but not cold.
2. Stir the butter and mayonnaise together and spread a thin, even layer over one side of each bread slice, all the way to the edges.
3. Set a skillet over medium-low heat for 2 minutes so it warms evenly.
4. Lay one slice in the pan, butter side down, and cover it with the sliced cheese edge to edge, then the grated cheese, then the second slice, butter side up.
5. Cover the pan with a lid and cook 3 to 4 minutes, until the underside is deep golden brown and the cheese edges have started to slump.
6. Press down gently with a spatula, flip in one confident move, and cook uncovered another 2 to 4 minutes until the second side is equally golden.
7. Check the middle by pressing the top: it should feel soft, and cheese should ooze at the edges. If the bread is dark but the cheese is firm, drop the heat and cover again for a minute.
8. Rest the sandwich on a rack or board for 1 minute so the cheese sets slightly, then cut on the diagonal.

The best cheese for grilled cheese

The best cheese for grilled cheese melts before the bread browns, so pair a fast melter with a flavor cheese. Deli American, young cheddar and Monterey Jack flow easily; sharp cheddar and Gruyère bring taste but need help from the melter.

The full pick-by-pick ranking, with combinations and ratios, is in the best cheeses for grilled cheese guide, so this page does not repeat it. For the sandwich above, young cheddar plus a little sharp cheddar is the simple default; the US standard for cheddar caps moisture at 39 percent, so even young cheddar is a firm cheese that needs thin slices (21 CFR 133.113). A small amount of Gruyère swapped in for the sharp cheddar gives a nuttier, more restaurant-style sandwich.

American cheese earns its reputation by being built to melt. It is a processed cheese, and the federal standard for pasteurized process cheese food permits emulsifying salts such as sodium citrate and several phosphates, which keep the fat and protein from separating when heated (21 CFR 133.173). See what American cheese actually is if you want the label details. Skip very dry, aged cheeses on their own: they turn oily instead of smooth.

Grilled cheese mistakes and fixes

Grilled cheese mistakes nearly all trace back to heat, thickness or cold cheese.

• Burnt bread, cold cheese. The pan was too hot. Lower it to medium-low and use the lid, which warms the top of the sandwich so the cheese melts from both sides.
• Soggy, greasy bread. Too much fat. Use a thin, even spread rather than a puddle of butter, and keep the pan warm enough that the fat sizzles lightly.
• Cheese that never melts through. Thick slabs or a very thick sandwich. Slice thin or grate, and use bread about 1/2 inch thick.
• Bread tearing when you flip. Wait until the first side is deep golden and releases from the pan on its own.
• Cheese oozing out and scorching. Leave a small border at the edge of the bread, and press only gently.

Grilled cheese variations

These grilled cheese variations change one thing at a time, so the method stays the same.

• Tomato and basil: a few slices of tomato, patted dry, between the cheese layers.
• Bacon and onion: crisp bacon and caramelized onion with sharp cheddar.
• Apple and cheddar: thin apple slices with sharp cheddar and a smear of mustard.
• Pepper Jack: swap the Monterey Jack for pepper Jack.
• Open-faced: toast one side, top with cheese, and finish under the broiler.

The British cousin, with a sealed press and different habits, has its own page: how to make a cheese toastie.

Storing grilled cheese

Storing grilled cheese is easy even though the sandwich is best fresh. Cool the sandwich and refrigerate it within 2 hours; USDA says leftovers keep 3 to 4 days in the refrigerator and should be reheated to 165°F (FSIS leftovers guidance). Reheat in a skillet over low heat with a lid, or in a 350°F (175°C) oven or toaster oven for 8 to 10 minutes. A microwave makes the crust soft, so use it only if you do not mind that.

You can assemble the raw sandwiches an hour ahead and keep them wrapped in the fridge, then cook straight from cold with the heat a touch lower and an extra minute under the lid.

Grilled cheese questions

Here are quick answers to common grilled cheese questions.

Should grilled cheese use butter or mayonnaise?

Grilled cheese works with either butter or mayonnaise. Butter gives the richer flavor, while mayonnaise spreads thinly and browns evenly, so many cooks blend a little of both.

What heat is best for grilled cheese?

Grilled cheese cooks best over medium-low heat, which gives the cheese time to melt before the bread darkens. Cover the pan for the first side to speed the melt without raising the burner.

How much cheese goes in a grilled cheese?

A grilled cheese holds about 2 to 3 ounces of cheese, thinly sliced or coarsely grated. More than that rarely melts through before the bread is done.

Can you make grilled cheese in an air fryer or oven?

Grilled cheese works in an air fryer at about 370°F (188°C) for 6 to 8 minutes, flipping once, or on a sheet pan in a 425°F (220°C) oven. The skillet still gives the most even crust.

What bread is best for grilled cheese?

The best bread for grilled cheese is sturdy and medium-thick: sourdough, country white or pain de mie. Very thin sandwich bread burns before the cheese softens.

Your next grilled cheese

Your next grilled cheese comes down to low heat, thin cheese and a lid. Start with young cheddar and a little sharp cheddar, butter the bread edge to edge, and wait for the second side to match the first.