A grilled cheese sandwich is about the easiest recipe any home cook can make. In fact, it might have been the first-ever recipe you learned how to cook on your own. But don’t let its ease fool you—that’s not the only reason home cooks have been whipping up crispy-on-the-outside, gooey-on-the-inside grilled cheeses for decades.
No one can deny that a grilled cheese sandwich is downright delicious—and, served with a bowl of piping hot tomato soup, it’s the ultimate comfort food. But, there are still a few topics up for debate, like what cheese and bread do you use, do you reach for butter or mayo to get the bread crispy, and, of course, should you cut the sandwich horizontally or diagonally?
There might not be one correct answer, but the dairy experts over at Tillamook have come pretty close to perfecting the grilled cheese sandwich. Their credentials? Tillamook’s Creamery in Tillamook, Oregon, sells more than 100,000 grilled cheese sandwiches every year. So, we asked Tillamook’s executive chef, Josh Archibald, to share his method for making the perfect classic grilled cheese, and here’s his recipe.
How To Make the Perfect Grilled Cheese Sandwich, According to Tillamook
Tillamook, the makers of many award-winning cheeses, butters, and more, has never been one to guard its recipes—including the actual grilled cheese recipe sold at the Oregon-based creamery. Because if you can’t make it to the Tillamook Creamery, you still deserve to try what many Allrecipes editors consider the best grilled cheese they’ve ever tasted.
To make Chef Josh’s perfect grilled cheese, you’ll only need five ingredients and just a hint of patience—yet, no more than 10 minutes of your time.
It may surprise you, but Chef Josh actually doesn’t pick a side in the mayo vs. butter debate. Why? Because he uses both.
The Tillamook grilled cheese starts with thick-cut sourdough bread that’s smeared with a healthy coating of a 1:1 butter and mayonnaise mixture on the outside. The butter-mayo spread gives the classic buttery flavor with the even browning and crispiness of mayonnaise.
The two pieces of sourdough are placed butter-mayonnaise side down on a warm pan, over low heat, then topped with four slices of cheese. Chef Josh recommends two slices of medium Cheddar and two slices of sharp Cheddar for the classic flavor—but Monterey Jack or whole-milk mozzarella can be used for an extra gooey cheese pull. Once the cheese is added, you’ll top the sandwich with the second piece of bread.
Then, the key is to cook the sandwich low and slow, flipping often. You can increase the heat as needed to achieve an even brown, but always start with the pan on low since “you can increase heat faster than you can decrease it,” Chef Josh says in Tillamook’s Instagram video.
Tillamook says the grilled cheese should be cut diagonally, but, we’ll let you decide how you want to cut and serve the sandwich. No matter which way you choose, though, be prepared for one of the best gooey, melty, crispy sandwiches you’ve ever eaten.
