How To Make Grilled Cheese Gourmet
Grilled cheese is the perfect comfort food to brighten any day but, sometimes your childhood classic needs an upgrade. Check out these tips to take your grilled cheese to the next level.
Upgrade your bread
The Classic – Everyone knows you can’t go wrong with plain old white bread. If you’re going for comfort and familiarity there’s nothing like this childhood classic.
Elevated – Even though there’s nothing wrong with the classic that doesn’t mean that your grilled cheese can’t be taken to the next level. Every grocery store will offer different types of rolls and bread so experiment. Turn a brioche bun inside out or buy some sourdough and experiment.
Gourmet – Try a loaf with extra flavor baked in. Head to your local bakery and see if they have an olive or rosemary fresh bread. See how your grilled cheese will taste when you exchange plain white bread with a beautiful, thick crusted slice. There’s nothing better than fresh bread, except when you add melted cheese!
Upgrade your spread
The Classic – Grilled cheese is usually made with either mayonnaise or butter spread to help fry up the outside of your bread and make it golden brown.
Elevated – A simple way to add pizzazz to butter and mayonnaise? Combine it with some of the other condiments you already have on hand. Pesto, siracha, honey mustard whatever you have on hand will add some extra punch to your mayonnaise or butter.
Gourmet – To make the grilled cheese truly gourmet add fresh herbs into your spread. Fresh rosemary, garlic, and basil with some flakey salt and pepper will make any sandwich stand out.
Upgrade your cheese
The Classic – I don’t know what is more classic comfort food than a grilled cheese made with cheese slices.
Elevated – The easiest way to take your sandwich to the next level is to buy quality cheddar slices over the processed ones. One thing to keep in mind with quality cheese, it doesn’t melt the same as the typical slices so have patience.
Gourmet – Moving away from the classic cheddar base is the best way to make grilled cheese gourmet. If you are looking for an oozy, melty, creamy cheese brie is the way to go. If you want a nutty or earthy flavor go with some gruyere. Both cheese’s melt well and will raise the bar on all future sandwiches.
Upgrade your extras
The Classic – No extras here. The beauty of the classic is its simplicity. All you need is bread, spread, and cheese.
Elevated – The obvious answer here is bacon, another ingredient that makes everything better. A great extra to add with bacon is sliced tomato for a fresh and light element.
Gourmet – Extras are another easy way to make a grilled cheese gourmet. Instead of bacon, you can class up your meat options with prosciutto or chorizo. You can add caramelized onion, fig jam, apricots, pear slices and about a million other options. Extras are where you can really personalize your meal so add whatever you desire. Some combinations will be better than others so keep trying new ones out.
Upgrade your sides
The Classic – When picturing a grilled cheese I think most people see a nice hot bowl of tomato soup sitting beside it. The two are a match made for dipping and dunking.
Elevated – Who doesn’t love fries? Add a little something to your meal with some spicy, sweet potato fries to counteract the cheesiness of your sandwich. An added bonus if you pair the fries with a chipotle dipping sauce you can dip both the fries and the sandwich!
Gourmet – If you’ve already upgraded on you grilled cheese too heavy of a side can overpower the sandwich. Keep the grilled cheese as the star of the show and partner it with a light and fresh salad with vinegarette dressing. Simple and clean is the best way to compliment your complex creation.
