The Best Grilled Cheese of Your Life

5 from 5 votes

The Best Grilled Cheese of Your Life

Let me introduce you to how to make the Best Grilled Cheese of Your Life! Fresh challah bread, ultra stretchy cheese in the middle, and a crisp, crunchy cheese skirt on the outside of the sandwich. Did I mention the bacon? BOOM.

Prep Time5

Cook Time7

Total Time12

Course: Main Course, Snack

Cuisine: American

Servings: sandwiches

Calories: 790kcal

Author: The Food Charlatan

Ingredients

8 slices challah bread
4-6 tablespoons butter at least
8 thick slices of sharp cheddar* cheese or more
8 slices bacon cooked
1 + cup shredded cheese*

Instructions

Slice the challah bread into 1/2 or 3/4 inch slices. You will need 8 slices of bread (for 4 sandwiches).
In a wide nonstick skillet, heat about 2 tablespoons of butter over medium low heat until melted. Add 2 slices of bread to the butter in the pan. Make sure you get butter on the bottom of each slice of bread.
Add 2 thick slices of cheese to one piece of bread. Or add more, I'm no judge.
Place the other slice of bread, butter side up, on top of the cheese.
Add 2 strips of cooked bacon on top of the sandwich.
Sprinkle about 2 tablespoons of shredded cheese on top of the bacon.
Melt another 1/2 tablespoon butter in the pan, off to the side. Carefully flip the sandwich over onto the melted butter, so that the cheese and bacon are on the bottom of the pan. Cook on medium low for 3-4 minutes until crispy and grilled.
Add another 2 tablespoons of cheese to the top of the sandwich. Flip so that the cheese is on the bottom, and cook until crispy, another 3-4 minutes.
Repeat with remaining bread, cheese, bacon, and butter until all 4 sandwiches are done. When each sandwich is finished, put it on a cooling rack in the oven, so that the bottom stays crispy! (see note)

Notes

*You can use any kind of cheese you like. The restaurant dish that I recreated this from says they use 3 kinds of cheese. I used sliced cheddar and Velveeta in the center. (I love the flavor of cheddar best, but Velveeta melts so beautifully. So I did both. Not necessary unless you're posting your cheese stretch on the Internet.) I used sharp white cheddar cheese and Monterey jack for the shredded cheese.

If you are making these sandwiches for a crowd, put the finished sandwiches in the oven to keep warm. Preheat your oven to the "keep warm" setting (170 degrees F.) Set a cooling rack over a baking sheet and place it in the oven. This will help keep the bottoms crispy. (I use this same method for pancakes and waffles. Nobody like a soggy bottom.)

How to store, reheat, and freeze grilled cheese

Storing leftover grilled cheese

If you somehow manage not to devour the whole thing in one sitting, you can store leftover grilled cheese in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3 days. Let it cool completely before wrapping so it doesn’t steam and get soggy.

Reheating leftover grilled cheese

Skip the microwave if you can. It tends to make the bread rubbery. Instead, warm your sandwich in a skillet over medium-low heat for a few minutes per side. This brings back that golden crunch on the outside while melting the cheese inside. You can also reheat in a toaster oven at 350°F for about 5–7 minutes (not a regular toaster unless you want your toaster filled with melted cheese forever). An air fryer works great, too!

Freezing leftover grilled cheese

Grilled cheese actually freezes better than you’d think. Once the sandwich has cooled, wrap it tightly in plastic wrap, then foil, and stash it in a freezer bag. It will keep for up to 2 months. To reheat, bake straight from frozen at 375°F for 15–20 minutes, flipping halfway through, until the cheese is gooey and the bread is crisp again, or reheat in the air fryer

Nutrition