Finding the perfect flavor combinations for the perfect sandwich.
Take a trip to the Rogue Creamery Cheese Shop in Central Point, OR. Located on State Highway 99, a little over 30 miles north of the California border, you can’t miss it.
Outside, a larger-than-life sign atop the veiny, blue-and-white building calls out the creamery as the home of Oregon Blue. Inside, you’ll find one of the most incredible-tasting grilled cheese sandwiches.
“People travel from all over the world to try our Classic Grilled Cheese recipe. In the past year alone, we’ve sold 10,000 grilled cheeses,” says Marguerite Merritt, cheese emissary and brand manager.
Incorporating blue cheese into grilled cheese is a novel concept for many, and not all blue cheeses are ideal for crafting such a sandwich, adds Merritt. “But our classic Oregon Blue cheese has a moderate, nuanced blue flavor that provides depth and complexity without being overwhelmingly strong or bitter.”
She says the team tested some 20 combinations before landing on what is now the “classic,” which consists of shredded Touvelle cheese — an American Original semi-firm cheese that combines cultures and techniques from Cheddar, Jack, and Alpine cheesemaking traditions — crumbled Oregon Blue and a drizzle of honey.
“The bread we use contains a touch of brown sugar and was created specifically for us by our neighbors at Coquette Bakery. The cheeses, honey, and bread create a rich, satisfying, and crave-worthy sandwich,” says Merritt.
If you can’t make it in person, the creamery offers its Classic Grilled Cheese sandwich kit online. It contains 7 ounces each of Oregon Blue and Touvelle, honey sticks, dark chocolate with sea salt, and a recipe card. Just add bread. One bite, and you’ll taste the possibilities of a grilled cheese remake far beyond grandma’s processed American cheese on white bread.
GREATEST THING SINCE SLICED BREAD
Grandma’s era does get the credit for creating the modern grilled cheese.
“Humans have made bread and cheese for thousands of years, so both have been a diet staple long enough to feel innate and comforting. However, the craze over grilled cheese dates to the origins of commodified cheese in America. When sliced bread and pre-packaged sliced American cheese became available, it created a cheap and easy lunch, dinner, or snack for the working class. It’s filling, easy, and super delicious! It’s easy to see why it’s become a staple of our culture,” says Isabelle Brosen, assistant manager of events and education at Murray’s Cheese, an artisan cheese retailer headquartered in New York, NY.
Another reason grilled cheese is so famous is the nostalgia factor, adds Rebecca Vega, the digital marketing manager for Martin’s Famous Potato Rolls and Breads, based in Chambersburg, PA, who has created several grilled cheese recipes using the company’s bread. “Many of us grew up enjoying grilled cheese sandwiches as children on a typical weeknight or a day home from school, so now that meal has become a classic comfort food item. Today, you’ll often find ‘Grown-Up Grilled Cheese recipes,’ which expand the basic concept to include a wider variety of flavors geared toward a more sophisticated palate.”
THE BASIC RECIPE: BREAD, CHEESE & HEAT
The perfect grilled cheese starts with the bread.
“Sourdough is my favorite,” says Murray’s Brosen. “I think the slight tanginess works in beautiful harmony with the acidity in most cheeses.”
Choose a semi-soft to semi-firm cheese as the primary cheese. Then, punch up the delectability using other cheeses as a secondary ingredient.
“Cheddar is a classic for grilled cheese sandwiches,” says Murray’s Brosen. “However, I encourage exploring the world of Alpine cheeses. Not only are they fantastic melters, but the flavor profiles in Alpine cheeses are out of this world.”
Roth Grand Cru is an alpine-style cheese that melts magnificently and has a slightly sweet and nutty flavor, according to Abby Despins, director of communications and digital for Emmi Roth USA, in Stoughton, WI. “Also, our Original Havarti, which is super creamy and mild, is perfect for grilled cheese on its own or paired with a stronger-flavored cheese.”
Younger Goudas, like Royaal and Vlaskaas, from the Netherlands-based Beemster, are grilled sandwich winners, too. “The younger cheeses are softer and melt nicely and quickly. The complexity of our cheese is especially great. So, there’s still a lot of flavor when cooking with a younger cheese,” says Mary Caldwell, marketing manager.
Flavored Havarti and Gouda, such as Tomato Basil Havarti and Spinach Artichoke Gouda, adds Despins, “offer an easy way to add flavor with a single ingredient.”
Ditto for Beemster’s new Smoked Hatch Pepper Gouda.
As for preparation, Caldwell recommends grating the cheese. “Grated cheese will melt more evenly and faster. That way, your cheese is melted when your bread is golden and toasty.”
Don’t forget the butter.
“To avoid a greasy sandwich, we suggest about ½ tablespoon per slice of bread. Start by softening the butter for an even spread. Then, slather on the outsides of the bread to achieve that perfectly crisp, golden-brown crust. Instead of butter, many grilled cheese pros swear by mayonnaise,” says Emmi Roth’s Despins.
Vega at Martin’s Famous Potato Rolls and Bread tested seven cooking methods to advise the company’s blog readers on which was best for making grilled cheese. “We found that the traditional pan-fried method, whether using a non-stick or a cast-iron skillet, tended to be the best overall. However, a method such as the air fryer can be a very convenient and hands-off alternative, while baking on a sheet pan in the oven is great for preparing multiple sandwiches at once.”
ADD THAT ‘SOMETHING EXTRA’
Taste buds are the limit to what can be tucked inside a grilled cheese. No one knows that better than Kim Wilcox, chef and author of the Great Book of Grilled Cheese: 100+ Recipes for the Ultimate Comfort Food, Soups, Salads, and Sides, published in 2021 by Fox Chapel Publishing. The cookbook grew from the unique grilled cheese sandwiches Wilcox created as specials in her family’s It’s All So Yummy Café in Knoxville, TN.
“We started with grilled cheese of the month as a hook. I’ve kept a scrapbook of each and have created over 130 since I started in 2013. Two of the first were a ham, apple butter, and Swiss, and a pizza grilled cheese with mozzarella,” says Wilcox, who says seasonal ingredients, a walk down the grocery’s international aisle, and even a rap concert have led to inspiration for use of fresh blackberries, Berbere roasted pork, and even spaghetti.
“We were driving back from a music fest in Atlanta, where we celebrated our daughter’s 21st birthday, and I was wracking my brain to come up with a new grilled cheese for the week. Then, I remembered Eminem singing about his ‘mom’s spaghetti.’ So, I made a sandwich with provolone, crushed red pepper flakes, and spaghetti and called it the Slim Shady Supreme. It turned out to be a favorite.”
The more or denser the fillings, the crustier the bread must be, so it doesn’t get soggy. Lightly pre-toasting or using day-old bread also helps for heartier grilled cheese sandwiches.
“Trending flavors include pickle and ‘swicy’ — or sweet and spicy ingredients, and melty mashups — or combining two kinds of cheese. Chile crispy oil and hot honey also are popular,” says Emmi Roth’s Despins. “You can also make easy and unexpected combinations using Dill Havarti with trending pickles, Buttermilk Blue Cheese, and fig jam or a spicy 3 Chile Pepper Gouda with salted or spiced honey.”
Lastly, when you’re at the Rogue Creamery Cheese Shop, order another must-try grilled cheese: the creamery’s Smokey Blue cheese paired with Nutella. “This creates an indulgent dessert-style sandwich,” says Merritt. There’s no kit available for this variation, but the real generations-old appeal of a grilled cheese sandwich is using it as a blank canvas to create the ultimate customized cheesy comfort food.
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The Quintessential Grilled Cheese Splurge
Lobster and caviar may be the ultimate restaurant splurge for some. However, for grilled cheese connoisseurs, tucking into the Quintessential Grilled Cheese Sandwich served at Serendipity 3 should be on the bucket list. The 70-year-old Manhattan-based restaurant in New York City is known for its eclectic American food. For over a decade, its glittery, gooey, gourmet grilled cheese has held the Guinness World Record title for the world’s most expensive sandwich at $214 for a single serving.
“It starts with two pieces of French bread, which Dom Pérignon substitutes for part of the water. The champagne gives the bread a lighter, fluffy texture with a champagne taste akin to sourdough. We spread the bread with white truffle butter and put the very rare Caciocavallo Podolico cheese inside. I first tasted it in Italy, where a relatively small herd of cows produce the milk for this cheese and lactate only two months of the year. The cows graze on wild grasses and aromatic herbs, and this perfume comes through in the taste of the cheese,” says Joe Calderone, chef, creative director and recipe inventor.
The Quintessential Grilled Cheese is grilled in a panini press, and the sides are encrusted with flecks of 23-karat edible gold. It is served on a baccarat crystal plate. Alongside, there’s a cup of tomato soup made with San Marzano tomatoes and lobster chunks, for dipping. Although it’s on the regular menu, Calderone suggests giving the restaurant 48 hours advance notice to prepare.
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How’s Your Grilled Cheese ‘Pull’
Sure, it’s a cheesy advertising trick. But the “cheese pull,” best known as the money shot where the ooey gooey strands of cheese dangle deliciously in the middle when two halves of a grilled cheese sandwich pull apart, never fails to make mouths water.
The longer the pull before the cheese breaks, the better for revving up those primal parts of the brain that say “eat me” in a way only cheese-filled comfort foods can.
Last year, New York City-based artisan retailer, Murray’s Cheese, hosted its first Grilled Cheese Stretch (Murray’s lingo for “pull”) Contest to celebrate National Grilled Cheese Day, April 12. Murray’s supplied the sandwiches, so they were precisely the same, and each participating team gave it their best pull. The winning cheese stretch was 15 feet, and the duo of contestants earned $100 Murray’s Cheese gift cards.
“It was a really fun and popular event that we debuted this year and brought so many cheese lovers together in our Greenwich Village location,” says Isabelle Brosen, assistant manager of events and education. “We plan to host our second grilled cheese stretch in 2025.”
The date will be on or near April 12’s National Grilled Cheese Day.
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Fig and Prosciutto Grilled Cheese
Courtesy Roth Cheese
Ready in 15 minutes
2 slices sourdough bread
2 tbsp butter
2 tbsp fig preserve
2 slices prosciutto
2 oz Roth Grand Cru Cheese, shredded
½ cup arugula, dressed with olive oil and salt
Spread a layer of butter on one side of both slices of bread. Flip over one slice of bread and spread on the fig preserve. Top with two slices of prosciutto, shredded Grand Cru and arugula. Place the other slice of bread on top with the butter side up. Place the sandwich in a preheated, heavy-based skillet or non-stick fry pan over medium-low heat. Cook until the cheese melts and the underside is a deep golden brown. Carefully flip the sandwich over and continue to cook until the cheese is fully melted and the underside is golden and crisp. Remove from heat. Slice in half and serve immediately. Makes 1 serving.
