White bread, American cheese and butter. Isn’t it time that your grilled cheese didn’t look so sad? Isn’t it time for a change? Well, here it is. Most of us fry up our grilled cheese with butter on each piece of bread, ending up with a blotchy mess. Here’s the secret: instead of butter, use mayonnaise.
It’s true. A thin layer of mayo instead of butter on each slice of bread fries perfectly every time. Not to mention it is unbelievably tasty. Instead of random burnt spots all over, you get that golden brown color that we all crave. Now that we have the technique down, here are some ways to spice up the classic grilled cheese.
Photo by Caroline Grew
1. Change up the cheese
American cheese is not the end all be all for this college staple sandwich. The salad bar at the dining hall almost always has different cheeses to choose from. One to definitely try is this reporter’s “Greek grilled cheese”: wheat bread, tomatoes, cucumber, lettuce and feta cheese. Another thing to experiment with is using multiple cheeses on a single sandwich. For those of you who want to get in touch with your inner chef, a particularly good combo is cheddar, fontina and muenster cheeses.
2. Change up the bread
White bread gets a little boring after a while. The dining hall often has potato, wheat, rye, rolls or a baguette of some kind. If you’re inspired by a caprese salad, try a roll or a piece of baguette with mozzarella cheese, tomatoes and some balsamic vinegar. You’ll be surprised how much of a difference in taste you’ll get by just changing the bread.
via nu.spoonuniversity.com
3. Change up the middle
Although cheese is a very important part, it doesn’t have to be the only part. Throwing some interesting things into the mix will really spice it up. Two experiments that were a success were apples and sriracha with cheddar cheese and guacamole and bacon with monterey jack cheese. It may sound a little strange but don’t diss it till you try it. For more creative ideas check this out.
via nuspoonuniversity.com
If you feel like going out for some grilled cheese instead, check out these sites:
- Right here in Newark, DE: Meltdown
- If you call the Boston area home (this reporter’s top pick): Roxy’s Grilled Cheese
- For the day trips to DC: GCDC
- Or take a bite out of the big apple: The Meltshop