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No offense to National Cat Herder Day, Clean Your Desk Day, and Walk Around Things Day, but no unofficial holiday is cheesier than National Grilled Cheese Day on April 12. Make this the year of the epic cheese pull by nailing your ooey-gooiest sandwich yet.
Reigning supreme as one of the most comforting food combos on Earth, grilled cheese has deep roots in Ancient Rome. But the version we know best — also called a croque monsieur, tost, or gallete au fromage in other parts of the world — got its start in the 1920s. Over a hundred years later, we’re still obsessed. There’s a reason grilled cheese was astronaut Suni Williams’ first meal when she returned home after being stuck in space for nine months.
Culinary experts claim Gruyère works best for its warm, nutty flavor and meltability. But just about any variety of cheese does the job. “Give me that. There’s like $8 of Jarlsberg in there,” Nate said, devouring Andrea’s grilled cheese in “The Devil Wears Prada.” (Jarlsberg cheese is Norwegian and a little more mild than Switzerland’s Gruyére.) Whatever cheese you choose, let there be grill marks, crunchy crusts, creamy middles, and butter for days. With recipes like these, you’ll be celebrating National Grilled Cheese Day every day of the week.
Borden’s Grilled Cheese Of The Year: “Protein Powerhouse”
This is not a drill. After a nationwide vote, Borden Cheese just named its first ever Grilled Cheese of the Year. And it’s got way more protein, and flavor, than your average cheese “swamich.”
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Bite into 40-plus grams of protein from cheddar, mozzarella, deli-sliced chicken breast, and Greek yogurt. Garlic, Dijon, and paprika add kick, and you can level up the fiber with seedy bread. Taste what the brand calls “the most indulgent, mouth-watering melt” of your life.
Preacher’s Grilled Cheese from “Virgin River”
Fans of the Netflix series “Virgin River” would love any sandwich made by the show’s most accomplished chef, but this is one extra special treat. You can order Preacher’s Grilled Cheese at Netflix House and Netflix Bites, but it’s just as easy to make at home.
A simple tomato soup recipe accompanies the grilled cheese ingredient lineup, featuring sourdough bread, garlic aioli or mayo, and four different cheeses for the full effect. Keep the American slices intact, but shred the fontina, sharp cheddar, and creamy butterkäse cheeses for truly iconic meltiness.
Ina Garten’s Ultimate Grilled Cheese with Bacon
I would put all my money on anything in Ina Garten’s East Hamptons kitchen, but her Ultimate Grilled Cheese is particularly mouth-watering. Using her favorite “good” ingredients, she transforms a standard lunch into a show-stopping sensation. Don’t forget the applewood smoked bacon.
Thick-sliced sourdough gets buttered on the outside and slathered with a mixture of mayo, Dijon, and parmesan on the inside. Layer in the bacon under a generous pile of shredded Gruyère and cheddar cheese, toast it till golden brown in a panini press, and you’ll never go back to basic grilled cheese again.
“The” Classic Grilled Cheese by Tillamook
Well, the 78,000 people who’ve ordered the Tillamook Classic Grilled Cheese can’t be wrong! This fan-favorite recipe comes from the happy cows munching on the grass along the Oregon coast. And may it never disappear from the flagship Tillamook Creamery menu. (Okay, that and the fried cheddar cheese curds.)
Tillamook sharp yellow cheddar and medium white cheddars take center stage, melted between two thick slices of sourdough. A seasoned butter-and-mayo spread caramelizes on the outside of the sandwich for what the family-run dairy calls “grilled cheese greatness.”
Viral Crème Brûlée Grilled Cheese
This wouldn’t be a nationwide party without one grilled cheese recipe that takes it over the top. Go sweet-and-savory with Crème Brûlée Grilled Cheese made popular by Grammy-winning artist and Mr. Selena Gomez, Benny Blanco. Try it before you judge it because it might be the manic flavor combo you didn’t know you needed.
@itsbennyblancocrème brûlée grilled cheese♬ Little Things – Adrián Berenguer
Blanco mixes Cinnamon Toast Crunch Cinnadust with butter and sugar to form the outside coating for the sandwich. He also swears by Kraft singles and Wonder Bread, advising, “Don’t use any other bread. Don’t be stupid.” The result is a cheesy, buttery, dessert-like hug for your mouth. If you like fries dipped in milkshakes or hot honey pizza, this one’s got your name written all over it.
Secret ingredient upgrades for grilled cheese:
- A thin layer of mustard adds a little kick to rich, fatty flavors.
- A few dabs of Worcestershire sauce between cheese slices levels up umami without soggy bread.
- In-season fresh figs or fig jam serve elevated charcuterie board energy.
- A classy schmear of Boursin adds flavor and creaminess to the rest of the cheese filling. (Try an onion and herb or rosemary and black garlic Boursin.)
You can even make grilled cheese croutons to upgrade a bowl of your favorite soup. Luckily, you really can’t go wrong melting cheese between two slices of bread. Like “Schitt’s Creek”’s Moira Rose told her son David when he asked how to fold in the cheese, “Here’s what you do … you just fold it in.” Bon appétit.
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