Who doesn’t love a grilled cheese?
Besides me at age 6… I didn’t like cheese… IDK.
As strange as it is not to like cheese, I eventually grew out of it and embraced cheese’s goodness.
Vegas and I got to attend a cheese a wine class as part of the San Diego Bay Wine & Food Festival a couple of weeks ago. Â The class was called “Cheese: A Class to Make You Melt”… and melt we did! Â How could you not when the class starts out with a plate of cheese a a generous wine pour?
The class was lead by cheese guru Laura Werlin and pairings were presented from Ferrari-Carano.
Side note: totally jealous of her hair.
So where does the strange bug good come in? Â With her sandwiches. Â She did a couple of simple things that I could kick myself for nothing thinking of on my own.
Chips and Queso Grilled Cheese.  You might guess the fillings – cheese, mashed avocado, bacon.  But the outside.  That’s what made it.  She crushed chips, mixed them with melted butter, and used the chip butter on the outside of the bread to grill it.
*Stunned. Silence.*
Did you ever pick the crispy burnt cheese bits off of a pan or edge of a pizza when you were a kid?  I loved it.  Still do.  So why not take that concept to a grilled cheese?
For her next brilliant trick, Laura added cheese to the butter on the outside of the sandwich to create the burnt cheese effect. The crunch on the outside and the yummy melty cheese and tomato jam… I could have rolled around in that deliciousness.
I won’t oversell it, but I’ll end with an final genius tip:
Cover pan while cooking your sandwich.  It keeps the air around the sandwich hotter, melting cheese faster so you don’t have to cook too long and risk burning the bread. Â
Whaaaaat?!
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I have a feeling this will be the winter of the grilled cheese at our house. Â Vegas’ eyes rolled back in her head.
Did you know the cover the pan trick?
What’s your favorite addition to a grilled cheese?
Dang those are awesome tips! Me thinks I need to get my hands on some GF bread to make one of these… Adding cheese to the butter, genius!
AHHHH
I make grilled cheese all the damn time around here and had no no no idea about that PAN TRICK!!!!!!
Chips baked into the bread?!?! Genius!
Mind. Blown. I cannot believe I have been living without these sandwiches and have not covered my grilled cheese as I cook it. This.is.awesome.
Right?! Seems so obvious now. Oy.
I used to love grilled cheese now I can’t eat much dairy. My poor stomach….it just doesn’t do well with it.
So many good ideas and tricks! I love a good grilled cheese!
Whoa. Chip butter and the burnt cheese effect??? That is genius!
The cover the pan trick is the only way to get properly melted cheese, regardless of the situation (especially with burgers, too). ANd allllll the burnt cheese. That is my favorite part (I’m not a big cheese person, but I love me a frico)
Funny thing… I KNEW that about grilling burgers. I don’t know how I never translated it to cheese. UGH.
When I was a kid, my mom used to put mozzarella cheese on a piece of tin foil and toast it until it got melty and a little burny. I need to do this again.
My sister did that with shredded cheese and microwaved it on a plate. I thought she was so weird.
i love grilled cheese with mushrooms!
Okay, so now I’m considering making grilled cheese for breakfast!! Also, when I make homemade pizza on my pizza stone (they are a must have kitchen item), I sprinkle a little extra cheese on the stone to cook up nice and crispy while the pizza bakes. 🙂
Ohhhh… brilliant idea for the pizza stone!
OMG that sounds absolutely insane!!!! The most exotic grilled cheese I’ve had was with ham and tomato. I need to try this, stat!
Add avocado. Trust me.
Omg, haha! Grilled cheese and I have a funny relationship. I hated it as a kid and then randomly fell in love the year before I was diagnosed with celiac and stopped eating dairy 😛 Sad, short-lived obsession! (Need to recreate!)
yep, genius. crispy burnt cheese bits for the win. I should make bite like that. kidding.. kinda
I could see a savory burnt cheese and toast ball…
Never would have thought to cover the pan, I always press down on the bread!
Love me some grilled cheese I need to go to a class like that!
I do the lid on the pan trick, but the other ideas are PURE GENIUS KITCHEN SORCERY. I will be implementing immediately.
oh and hey, ONE WEEK FROM TOMORROW we will be in SD! weeeeeeeee
Right?! I feel so slow right now…
P.S. Come to SD for real! 😉
omg i need a grilled cheese NOW
Yes. Yes, you do. 😉
Give me all the grilled cheese!! Cheese melted in with the butter on the outside – seriously how do you even get better than that!! I’m down for this strange but good any day!
How in the world did YOU not like cheese?? I’m still stuck on that statement. 🙂
I have no idea. I also didn’t like red meat. But I loved bologna and mayo sandwiches. Never said I was normal!
Chip butter- stunned silence indeed!!!
And tomato jam?! Stop, please, you’re killing me!!!
Grilled cheese!! Sign me up, count me in, I’m there. I also actually have potato chips in my pantry right now which is kind of rare. It must be a sign.
It’s a sign you should make me one. Right after you come to SD. 😉
Oh my gosh that chip crusted one..what are you doing to me Laura?! Answer: filling my hopes and dreams with grilled cheese
The crispy burnt cheese is one of my favorite things. Sometimes I’ll do it to my omelets on purpose.
I love the pan covering tip- I hate waiting for the cheese to melt.
I go that with omelets too! It’s the perfect appetizer to breakfast. 🙂
I love a good grilled cheese! Putting a lid on the pan when cooking the grilled cheese is such a good tip! I do it all the time.
I rarely make grilled cheese sandwiches but I do cover the pan for other recipes… I think this should go on my “to cook” list for this summer. Gotta do more “easy” recipes! =P