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How to Make Grilled Cheese with Laura Werlin
By Meredith Arthur, Eric Slatkin, and Blake Smith
Laura Werlin has pointed us in the right direction before when it comes to cheese. The noted cheese expert and author of Laura Werlin’s Cheese Essentials now turns her critical gaze to the apotheosis of cheese expression: the grilled cheese sandwich. Only a few factors—the butter, the cheese, the bread—yet so many possibilities for a wrong turn.
My dad makes the best grilled cheese, in my opinion. Been years since I've had one, but they're great. He slices his own sharp cheddar cheese, not too thick & not too thin, and puts in on rye, preferably dill rye when he can find it. He uses an iron round griddle. He puts margarine in the pan, but also on the bread. It turns out just fine. =) I think that grating the cheese is a bit much.
I've been making delicious, heavily applauded grilled cheese for years. The pen-ultimate combo being: Sourdough and Cheddar. I just slice it really thin with a good sharp cheese or chefs knife.
Tip: Don't have good knife handy ? I cut off enough for what I need with a junk knife, and then shave that it all up with a vegi peeler. Nice, delicate super-thin slices every time.
A little on the silly side, Miss Laura, but an amusing enough effort that may even have helped some hopeless cementheads out there.
Thick sliced sourdough is the best for grilled cheese, and I don't grate it I just slice lots of thin slices and using a lid helps the cheese melt especially with thick bread!
Invest in a good quality thin square metal spatula (instead of a cheap plastic rounded one) and then you can scrape any amount of crusted cheese off any pan of any finish you could think of.
Plus it seems to me the real point of a grilled cheese meal is to save time and cleanup, so using a cheese grater to grate your cheese seems counterproductive.
Also, you can slice cheese with a knife...+READ
Invest in a good quality thin square metal spatula (instead of a cheap plastic rounded one) and then you can scrape any amount of crusted cheese off any pan of any finish you could think of.
Plus it seems to me the real point of a grilled cheese meal is to save time and cleanup, so using a cheese grater to grate your cheese seems counterproductive.
Also, you can slice cheese with a knife without going infomercial goofy with the thicknesse. Werlin was going at it like those infomercials when they have actors pretend opening a jar is nearly impossible without buying the super magical gadget they're selling.-COLLAPSE
To all the non-stick vs cast iron people, when someone says use a non-stick pan, I assume they are including cast iron in that category; after all, stuff doesn't stick to it. I've never heard of anything that you cook on a non-stick-not-cast-iron skillet that you couldn't cook on cast iron but maybe I'm showing my ignorance.
lame, boring and assumes peoples ignorance.
her 'splotchy' sandwich with 'too thick bread' and 'half melted cheese' looks delicious. who wants to eat that? this guy.
-JK
Ok, I too put Kraft slices in the "non-food" category, and find their texture rubbery to the point of being completely unappealing. But I'm also a fan of the occasional can of Spam (which many on Chow paradoxically embrace as a guilty pleasure) which, one could argue, is even more disgusting because it is a fake meat. The point is, I think Chow sets out to celebrate food and all the ways it can...+READ
Ok, I too put Kraft slices in the "non-food" category, and find their texture rubbery to the point of being completely unappealing. But I'm also a fan of the occasional can of Spam (which many on Chow paradoxically embrace as a guilty pleasure) which, one could argue, is even more disgusting because it is a fake meat. The point is, I think Chow sets out to celebrate food and all the ways it can bring us joy, whether it be in the form of a sublime and complex dish, or a trashy comfort food. Is it really necessary to judge each other so harshly?-COLLAPSE
"press down"?! NEVER! I personally use a thin slice of something like an Italian bread and don't press down. doesn't sound like it would make a difference, but try it ...it really does
Never press down on a grilled cheese sandwich.
I always put the butter directly in the pan, and I never end up with "splotchy" bread. You can end up with similarly poor results if you don't butter the bread thoroughly. Either technique works, you just have to do it right,
I put plenty of butter in the pan, and then sort of wipe it all up with the first slice of bread, then do the same when I flip the sandwich. Turns out perfectly every time....+READ
I always put the butter directly in the pan, and I never end up with "splotchy" bread. You can end up with similarly poor results if you don't butter the bread thoroughly. Either technique works, you just have to do it right,
I put plenty of butter in the pan, and then sort of wipe it all up with the first slice of bread, then do the same when I flip the sandwich. Turns out perfectly every time. This method also works a lot better for people who like to keep their butter in the fridge; no tearing the bread.-COLLAPSE
what no mustard? using a thin bladed knife works better for cutting cheese than say a chefs knife. I haven't got used to using a santaku like in video. I just am used to my other knives. tho I like the idea of a wide knife for wacking garlic and picking up chopped stuff. will have to try grating cheese.
I always grate the cheese, and always use mayo. Nothing wrong with a couple of Kraft singles with Wonderbread though.
Sorry, I think pressing the sandwich *is* key. Much like a panini. If you ain't pressin', stop messin'.
Hmm... I've always just done thin slices of brick cheese, but never grated it, and I've always had good results.
I am one who CAN NOT stand the taste of Kraft Singles.
I do agee with geting the right thickess of bread and chesse but I never had a problem with putting butter in the pan
as far as the cheese I also often use Kraft type but I also love to play around with other cheeses
by the way I use one layer of chesse on both slices with a covered frypan that way by the time the cheese melts the botton of the bread slices are golden brown
PS harder cheeese...+READ
I do agee with geting the right thickess of bread and chesse but I never had a problem with putting butter in the pan
as far as the cheese I also often use Kraft type but I also love to play around with other cheeses
by the way I use one layer of chesse on both slices with a covered frypan that way by the time the cheese melts the botton of the bread slices are golden brown
PS harder cheeese also do not work as well is some of then just do not melt and very soft cheeses often run right off the bread-COLLAPSE
Kraft Singles = How did you ever find Chow.com?
Kraft Singles = ridiculous choice
For me grilled cheese is a QUICK and easy comfort food. Butter the outside of the bread, throw a slice (or 2) of Kraft singles in between, turn the stove up to almost high, cook for 1 minute or less, turn off stove, turn over sandwich, clean up mess, pour milk, cut sandwich and eat. Total time 3 minutes at most. Cheese is always melted.
Side note..... my mother loves the bread almost burned...+READ
For me grilled cheese is a QUICK and easy comfort food. Butter the outside of the bread, throw a slice (or 2) of Kraft singles in between, turn the stove up to almost high, cook for 1 minute or less, turn off stove, turn over sandwich, clean up mess, pour milk, cut sandwich and eat. Total time 3 minutes at most. Cheese is always melted.
Side note..... my mother loves the bread almost burned black. She's from the days when her mom would cook toast on a woodstove.-COLLAPSE
Depending on the cheese, a little olive oil is awesome instead of butter, in some cases I'll sprinkle some store bought, dried, italian seasoning on the olive oil.
Informative and SOOO FUNNY! Thanks, you ARE doing it all right!
I this video is basically on the right track with two exceptions. Non-stick pan? Really? No please, these are bad for your health and don't make you a better chef. A cast-iron or even a good quality stainless steel pan will work just fine.
Also, preheating your pan for two minutes is just a waste of good fire (and time). You should be starting with a cold pan. Ease your cheese into getting all...+READ
I this video is basically on the right track with two exceptions. Non-stick pan? Really? No please, these are bad for your health and don't make you a better chef. A cast-iron or even a good quality stainless steel pan will work just fine.
Also, preheating your pan for two minutes is just a waste of good fire (and time). You should be starting with a cold pan. Ease your cheese into getting all melty.
Otherwise, the biggest thing that people do wrong with grilled cheese sandwiches isn't even addressed here. BURNING: that's the biggest mistake. The biggest omission in the video is that Laura just says to turn on the stove, but doesn't say what temperature. Newbies will crank it up to full blast and then wonder two minutes later why their kitchen is full of black smoke.
The correct method is to turn on your stove to medium, or medium-low (depending on the thickness of the sandwich).
Oh and for those who recommend Kraft singles? Shudder...-COLLAPSE
Melting the butter in the pan is fine-She shows a half-hearted attempt at using melted butter- I put enough butter to coat the entire bottom of the pan with a nice puddle-then after I lay in the sandwich, I turn it around the pan like a sponge -the bread soaks up the butter evenly with no splotchy areas whatsoever.
I am a fan of grilled cheese. It's a great comfort food. I always butter the bread, not the pan, but I use a very low heat so that the heat penetrates and melts the cheese before the bread is too dark. Try experimenting with different cheeses and different breads.
As for Kraft Singles, do you KNOW why they're called that and not something with "cheese" in the name? Because less than 50% of the...+READ
I am a fan of grilled cheese. It's a great comfort food. I always butter the bread, not the pan, but I use a very low heat so that the heat penetrates and melts the cheese before the bread is too dark. Try experimenting with different cheeses and different breads.
As for Kraft Singles, do you KNOW why they're called that and not something with "cheese" in the name? Because less than 50% of the product is, in fact, cheese. The closest the FTC - a U.S. Government agency, not some anti-American "commie" conspiracy - has come to allowing Kraft to label it as cheese is to call it a "pasteurized prepared cheese product".-COLLAPSE
"how to turn on the stove" would be the necessary pre-requisite for anyone who found this enlightening. For all the kraft haters, this here is Amurica, take ur commie butt back to Russia.
I also meant to add that, while covering can help, you can also have the sogginess problem others have commented on. This will be exacerbated with wet add ins like, ham, pickles, mustard or green chilies. A better way to go is to keep your heat low enough so that the bread really heats and toasts all the way through the cheese without burning the bread/butter. Also, put your top slice of bread on...+READ
I also meant to add that, while covering can help, you can also have the sogginess problem others have commented on. This will be exacerbated with wet add ins like, ham, pickles, mustard or green chilies. A better way to go is to keep your heat low enough so that the bread really heats and toasts all the way through the cheese without burning the bread/butter. Also, put your top slice of bread on immediately and it acts like a little lid helping with the full heating process but without trapping too much moisture.
I'm not a big panini fan and 2 pans are one pan too many to clean, but if that works for you, who am I to yuck on your yum.-COLLAPSE
This woman's wrong with the lid - using a glass lid that completely covers the pan will trap moisture and condensation and could make the bread soggy
I just use two cast iron skillets that I heat up - put the sandwich in one then the other pan on top of the sandwich - the weight and heat makes it act like a panini press
and oh yeah a thin layer of dijon mustard makes it so much better
Oh! wow I didn't realize you actually needed some cheese for t his sandwich!
Thanks for pointing out the obvious.
You also don't need to really grate your cheese, just slice it very thin,can be done with any good sharp knife or I even have an adjustable cheese plane and can make razor thin slices.
Most places I've seen make grilled cheese sandwiches without covering them and they never...+READ
Oh! wow I didn't realize you actually needed some cheese for t his sandwich!
Thanks for pointing out the obvious.
You also don't need to really grate your cheese, just slice it very thin,can be done with any good sharp knife or I even have an adjustable cheese plane and can make razor thin slices.
Most places I've seen make grilled cheese sandwiches without covering them and they never burn-you just need to have the cheese sliced thin enough.
Most grocery stores sell pre sliced cheese of any kind.-COLLAPSE
This is Chow for pete's sake! This is for those of us who've moved beyond Kraft single slices! Branch out people-- even in a grilled cheese sandwich. I'm not being a food snob (ok, I am), but there are so many fabulous things out there and life is short.
Here's a "tip" for you honey. Don't cut your cheese slices 2 inches thick and they'll melt just fine. No need to clean your grater{another "tip"].
I've got to endorse the pressing. In fact, my grandmother used to make grilled cheese with bacon that was pressed with a weight (actually an old cast iron clothes iron) and cooked with LOTS of butter in a fifty year old cast iron pan. This is the grilled cheese of my childhood and my dreams.
Ok, I don't like the grated cheese version 'cause I end up with cheese everywhere. But you still can get fabu cheese, just buy it from the deli couter or take the block from the "artisanal" kiosk over to the counter and ask them to slice it for you. They'll usually even grate the hard stuff for you. You tell them how thick or thin you want the slice and hey presto, evenly sliced cheese perfect...+READ
Ok, I don't like the grated cheese version 'cause I end up with cheese everywhere. But you still can get fabu cheese, just buy it from the deli couter or take the block from the "artisanal" kiosk over to the counter and ask them to slice it for you. They'll usually even grate the hard stuff for you. You tell them how thick or thin you want the slice and hey presto, evenly sliced cheese perfect for sandwiches, cooking, roll ups.
Ditto for the artisanal bakery bread, ANY decent mega market bakery will have a bread slicer and they'll slice whatever you ask, thick or thin.
So my favorite? Used to be sourdough with a thin spread of dijon mustard inside with a nice aged swiss or emmentaler in the middle. If you need the meat add a thinly sliced ham. Num num nummy num. I have trouble eating bread now, sob, so I'm having to use Rycrisp crackers instead. It ain't the same.-COLLAPSE
OMG. If you can't make a damn grilled cheese ... THEN YOU PROBABLY SHOULDN'T BE IN THE KITCHEN.
Next up: How to Make Toast.
You should try her tips before knocking them. The reason for the grating is simple, it allows hot air from the covered pan to get inside the cheese easier. Also, smaller pieces of cheese have less thermal inertia, and therefore are easier to heat.
To those who think this recipe isn't mom-friendly: I just tried it and it literally took 5 minutes total. Cheddar grates really really fast, and it...+READ
You should try her tips before knocking them. The reason for the grating is simple, it allows hot air from the covered pan to get inside the cheese easier. Also, smaller pieces of cheese have less thermal inertia, and therefore are easier to heat.
To those who think this recipe isn't mom-friendly: I just tried it and it literally took 5 minutes total. Cheddar grates really really fast, and it cooked in no time. Best grilled cheese I've ever had!-COLLAPSE
I've always buttered the bread, and started using the grated cheese after I stopped using the singles. Never thought to cover it though! Nice tip. Now I'm hungry.
Guess Mom was right after all; butter the bread, lid on to melt the cheese, all good. I have never shredded cheese but must admit I'll try that because it's hard to slice a block of cheese into thin enough pieces.
I love my grilled cheese with a slice of GOOD tomato and a dab of mayo on the inside...yum - Hmm, maybe it's time for lunch right now!
Hold on, I just watched this again. She PRESSED THE GRILLED CHEESE SANDWICH DOWN at the end!?
That is just blasphemy.
That's some I'm-ten-years-old-and-I-just-learned-how-to-make-a-grilled-cheese-sandwich stuff right there,
If you haven't tried grilled cheese with mayonnaise instead of butter, you're missing out on an interesting tang to your grilled cheese sandwiches. It's not for everyone, but I have converted a few of the anti-mayonnaise crowd with this recipe.
I've hosted a grilled cheese sandwich party: I bought a few artisan loaves of bread and everyone else brought a cheese from Whole Foods. We mixed and...+READ
If you haven't tried grilled cheese with mayonnaise instead of butter, you're missing out on an interesting tang to your grilled cheese sandwiches. It's not for everyone, but I have converted a few of the anti-mayonnaise crowd with this recipe.
I've hosted a grilled cheese sandwich party: I bought a few artisan loaves of bread and everyone else brought a cheese from Whole Foods. We mixed and matched with cheeses and other garnishes like were mentioned earlier in the comments. Absolutely amazing.
Campbell's Tomato soup is NOT optional for this event ;-)-COLLAPSE
There is nothing wrong with the video's directions. But, I have seen a gourmet chef make a grilled cheese sandwich with thick bread, non-grated cheese, butter in the pan and no cover - and guess what? It came out great! Why? Because he used A LOT of butter and cooked it on low heat. It just goes to show that there is more than one right way to cook things even though CHOW says otherwise.
And...+READ
There is nothing wrong with the video's directions. But, I have seen a gourmet chef make a grilled cheese sandwich with thick bread, non-grated cheese, butter in the pan and no cover - and guess what? It came out great! Why? Because he used A LOT of butter and cooked it on low heat. It just goes to show that there is more than one right way to cook things even though CHOW says otherwise.
And JBethell, a cast-iron pan is a nonstick pan if it's properly seasoned.-COLLAPSE
Nonstick? What about cast-iron? I don't even own a nonstick pan and I happen to make a fine grilled cheese sandwich.
There is everything, Everything, EVERYTHING wrong with using a Kraft single! The only thing Kraft singles ought to be used for is mulching one's garden. Its not that much more difficult to grate some sharp cheddar or Jarlsberg, or if you really want to go the easy way and used something processed at least use Velveeta. Still processed, but a thousand times better than Kraft singles.
Honest to god, I thought that things like buttering the bread and not the pan, as well as using a nonstick, were common knowledge. That's how my mom makes it. However, grating cheese and using lids are things that I haven't seen before. I'll have to try that. ;)
One beef I do have, though, is with her demonization of sliced cheese. That cheese was very poorly sliced. You should slice it rather...+READ
Honest to god, I thought that things like buttering the bread and not the pan, as well as using a nonstick, were common knowledge. That's how my mom makes it. However, grating cheese and using lids are things that I haven't seen before. I'll have to try that. ;)
One beef I do have, though, is with her demonization of sliced cheese. That cheese was very poorly sliced. You should slice it rather thin (roughly 1/4 of an inch), not thick, and to cover the sandwich if you're using sliced block cheese. This delivers a perfectly oozy and delicious grilled cheese sandwich every time. :)
However, it all depends on how you want to make it. Like hamburgers, you can interpret a grilled cheese a variety of ways. Sliced block cheese, grated, singles... if you know how to do it, use it all. Oh, and throw some bacon on it too. Bacon makes everything better.-COLLAPSE
I wish she had gone into more detail about different types of cheese. Cheddar is the classic but it;s too oily for my taste.
I suggest smoked gouda, mozzarella, jack or pepperjack, and extra sharp cheddar. These all make good combos.
Adding bacon sounds good as does adding sweet pickles, chopped scallions, sauteed onions and/or mushrooms, smoked ham or other thin-sliced deli meats, or thin...+READ
I wish she had gone into more detail about different types of cheese. Cheddar is the classic but it;s too oily for my taste.
I suggest smoked gouda, mozzarella, jack or pepperjack, and extra sharp cheddar. These all make good combos.
Adding bacon sounds good as does adding sweet pickles, chopped scallions, sauteed onions and/or mushrooms, smoked ham or other thin-sliced deli meats, or thin slices of roasted tomato.-COLLAPSE
Yeah I don't think she's coming out against pre-sliced bread or cheese, mostly just correcting people who think they will make a more awesome sandwich by going more "artisan" using bread and cheese they thickly slice themselves. I think the lid, grating the cheese if you're using block cheese, and putting butter directly ON the bread are the key factors here. Om nom nom.
jmorri26 is totally right. There's nothing wrong with using a Kraft single between presliced bread (ie. Wonderbread). For those tight on time ain't nothing wrong wit dat! If you want to do it just like the video says and you have the time then go for it. The lid works great and the flavours are more complex when you go with a block of cheese (esp. aged) and fresh baked bread. Vary the cheeses or...+READ
jmorri26 is totally right. There's nothing wrong with using a Kraft single between presliced bread (ie. Wonderbread). For those tight on time ain't nothing wrong wit dat! If you want to do it just like the video says and you have the time then go for it. The lid works great and the flavours are more complex when you go with a block of cheese (esp. aged) and fresh baked bread. Vary the cheeses or even mix them. My wife likes to add a few slices of crisp bacon with the cheese... mmmm bacon. Dang now I'm craving for a grilled cheese.-COLLAPSE
Wow, I love the You're Doing It All Wrong segments, but in my whole life I've never seen someone make a grilled cheese the way she said they do! It's grilled cheese people! 99.9% of us slap a slice of Kraft singles on sandwich bread in a hot buttered pan and call it a day. Worked for generations.
BUT, the lid is true and grating is true. Makes a wonderful sandwich.
I just don't think this...+READ
Wow, I love the You're Doing It All Wrong segments, but in my whole life I've never seen someone make a grilled cheese the way she said they do! It's grilled cheese people! 99.9% of us slap a slice of Kraft singles on sandwich bread in a hot buttered pan and call it a day. Worked for generations.
BUT, the lid is true and grating is true. Makes a wonderful sandwich.
I just don't think this method was really aimed at a mom with hungry kids demanding lunch now. They don't listen too well when you tell them to wait while you grate this block of cheese and get this butter to room temp :-)-COLLAPSE
So glad she brought up the lid. It's the least intuitive part of making a great grilled cheese sandwich! Learned it from watching Ham on the Street on Food Network of all places.