There’s truly nothing better than classic Grilled Cheese. Tangy sourdough bread and three types of cheese pressed together in a toasty, melty sandwich; it doesn’t get better than this!

Closeup shot of sliced sourdough grilled cheese.


Grilled Cheese is something most of us grew up eating, whether it was at a diner or in our parents’ kitchen.

And while you can make it basic with some white bread and sliced American cheese, I’ve found that elevating the ingredients and using sourdough bread, and a combination of mozzarella, gruyere, and American cheeses, makes for an even better grilled cheese!

Serving alongside creamy tomato soup for dunking is highly encouraged, and for the full New York diner experience, serve with a side of coleslaw, fries, and a pickle!

Recipe Ingredients

All ingredients for this recipe are shown in the pic below and special notes are made in this bulleted list to assist you.

Ingredients shown: sourdough bread, shredded Fontina, mozzarella and American cheese slices, and butter.
  • Bread. I’ve found the flavor and texture of rustic sourdough bread to be the best for grilled cheese sandwiches. That being said, you can use a different type of rustic bread such as Tuscan bread. I like to buy the whole loaf and slice it into 1/2-inch thick pieces at home. Take caution when using other breads, such as Brioche, as it tends to burn quickly.
  • Cheese. My ultimate blend for grilled cheese includes American, mozzarella, and gruyere but any type of melty cheese can be used.
  • Butter. Use softened salted butter for slathering on the outside of your grilled cheese. Mayonnaise can also be used.

See the recipe card for full information on ingredients and quantities.

How to make it

Each number corresponds to the numbered written steps below.

  1. Soften 6-8 tablespoons of salted butter and spread it onto 1 side of 4 slices of sourdough bread. Grate 1/2 cup of gruyere cheese.
  2. On the unbuttered side of two slices, stack 2 slices of American cheese, 2 slices of mozzarella cheese, and 1/4 cup of shredded gruyere cheese.
Grilled cheese recipe process shot collage group one showing buttering sourdough bread, adding cheese, and placing assembled ready-to-fry sandwiches on baking sheet.
  1. Stack two more slices of American cheese on top of the gruyere.
  2. Close the sandwiches by placing the buttered sides facing up.
  3. Heat a large nonstick pan to a touch less than medium heat and once hot, add 2 tablespoons of butter. Once the butter melts, add the 2 sandwiches.
  4. Rotate the sandwiches as needed to achieve even cooking.
Recipe collage two showing making the grilled cheese in nonstick pan.
  1. Use a spatula or burger press to press down and give the sandwiches better contact with the pan.
  2. Flip the sandwiches every minute or so, two to three times, to achieve even cooking without burning the bread. If the bread starts to burn, lower the heat, or remove the sandwiches from the pan, then return once the pan has cooled down a bit. Once the bread is golden-brown and the cheese has melted, remove from the pan and serve immediately. Enjoy!

Top tips

  • Don’t rush. As simple as grilled cheeses are to make, they are also easy to mess up, especially if the process is rushed by cooking over too high heat. This can cause the bread to burn before the cheese has melted. The ideal heat is really a touch less than medium and having good knowledge of your stove top burners will help here. If at any point your bread is starting to burn, simply remove the pan from the heat, or remove the sandwiches from the pan until it cools down.
  • Use a non-stick pan. Using a quality nonstick pan will make your grilled cheese cooking infinitely easier!
  • Pan contact. To get a better golden-brown color, use a spatula or a smashburger press. A foil-covered brick also works well and is often used by delis.
Hands pulling apart grilled cheese over black plate.

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If you love sandwiches, be sure to give these recipes a try!

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Really Good Grilled Cheese

4.50 from 2 votes
Prep: 10 minutes
Cook: 10 minutes
Total: 20 minutes
Servings: 2 sandwiches
Tangy sourdough bread and three types of cheese pressed together in a toasty, melty sandwich to form the ultimate Grilled Cheese!

Ingredients 

  • 4 slices sourdough
  • 6-8 tablespoons salted butter softened, divided
  • 8 slices American cheese
  • 4 slices mozzarella cheese
  • 1/2 cup shredded gruyere cheese

Instructions 

  • Spread the butter on 1 side of each slice. Stack 2 slices of American cheese, 2 slices of mozzarella, 1/4 cup shredded gruyere cheese and 2 more slices of American cheese on each sandwich. Close the sandwiches leaving the butter sides out.
  • Heat a large nonstick pan to a touch less than medium heat. Once the pan is hot add 2 tablespoons of butter. Once it melts add both sandwiches.
  • Rotate the sandwiches as required to achieve even cooking and use spatula or burger press to get better pan contact. Flip the sandwiches every minute or so, two to three times, to achieve even cooking without burning the bread. If the bread starts burning lower the heat and/or temporarily remove the sandwiches from the pan.
  • Once the grilled cheeses are browned and the cheese has melted, remove from the pan and serve immediately. Enjoy!

Notes

  • If using a whole uncut loaf, cut the pieces about 1/2″ thick.
  • Pressing the grilled cheese with a spatula or smashburger press works great.
  • Any type of melty cheese can be used.
  • Leftovers can be saved for up to 3 days in the fridge and are best reheated over medium-low in a pan.

Nutrition

Calories: 789kcal | Carbohydrates: 48g | Protein: 25g | Fat: 55.8g | Saturated Fat: 34.1g | Cholesterol: 160mg | Sodium: 1195mg | Potassium: 150mg | Fiber: 2g | Sugar: 5.6g | Calcium: 403mg | Iron: 3mg

Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.

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4.50 from 2 votes

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8 Comments

  1. Don G. says:

    5 stars
    Yes, who doesn’t like a good grilled Cheese Sandwich and why does Tomato Bisk Soup go so well with it? My question/suggestion for you Jim is, have you ever had the sandwich with a thin slice of Tomato in the middle after it’s grilled? Try it. It’s really good. Waiting for your answer.

    1. Tara says:

      Hi Don, yes, Jim has had tomato on a grilled cheese sandwich and it is great.

  2. Faye says:

    Hello James. As a foreigner I am not sure what American cheese is. I thought monterey jack was called that. Is it Kraft cheddar? I’m glad you added Gruyere. It lifts so many dishes up.

    1. Tara says:

      Hi Faye, it’s not cheddar, but Kraft does make an American cheese. If you can’t find American cheese you can definitely use other cheeses in it’s place – moneterey jack, muenster, havarti would all be good.

  3. AlexisfromTexas says:

    Have you ever tried making grilled cheese sandwiches in a waffle iron? If you like them crispy, you cannot beat this method.

  4. Neal says:

    Jim: what is the brand and size of your large stainless steel panโ€. I donโ€™t have one that large and it looks like it comes in handy for you often. It also looks like it wasnโ€™t terribly expensive.

    1. Tara says:

      Hi Neal, the tools Jim uses are in the shop linked here on the website. If you’re asking about his 14 inch stainless pan, it’s a Winware. If you’re asking about the non-stick pan he uses here in the grilled cheese recipe that you commented on, it’s a Tramontina.

  5. Carol S says:

    4 stars
    Always thought I knew my grilled cheese until this one!! I always use sourdough but this time I did the Swiss cheese too!!! Thank you! Hubby loved it