The 4 Rules You Have To Follow For An Epic Grilled Cheese

With a crunchy outside and a gooey center, the grilled cheese sandwich is an American comfort food that emerged during the Great Depression. There are many ways to make the best grilled cheese sandwich — from the bread choice to the cooking method. However, Kurt Beecher Dammeier, founder of Beecher's Handmade Cheese and CEO of Sugar Mountain, gave Daily Meal four rules, saying "Why make a "perfect" grilled cheese sandwich when you can aim for an "epic" one?"

Along with using plenty of cheese, cooking it dry, and serving it with a dip, Dammeier says that an epic grilled cheese starts with the right bread. In fact, using the wrong kind is one of the biggest mistakes everyone makes when cooking a grilled cheese sandwich. "The perfect bread for grilled cheese cannot be dense. It needs to be relatively loose and without large holes," he explains. "Functionally, this allows the bread to transfer heat more uniformly while also not filling you up so you can enjoy more of the melted cheese deliciousness." Also, he notes that different cheeses work better with different breads, but you should still opt for one without holes.

In Dammeier's expert opinion, the best bread for the perfect grilled cheese is Como loaf, which is also known as Pane di Como — a versatile, Italian rustic bread. Sliced sourdough is his second favorite because its flavor and texture pair well with many artisan cheeses. It's also one of the unexpected breads that will put a fun spin on your grilled cheese. He recommends buying unsliced bread and cutting it yourself, adding that "Having a little bit of irregular shape and size makes the sandwich feel more unique and thoughtful."

If you're on a mission to make the ultimate grilled cheese recipe, cheese-maker Kurt Beecher Dammeier says, "The best way to go is a big, tall pile of grated cheese." His recommendation is 3 ounces of cheese, but you might want a little less or a little more, depending on the size of your bread slices. When it comes to the best type of cheese, he remarked, "I think an aged cheddar, like Beecher's Flagship, is the number one way to go because it doesn't lose any flavor when melted." Aged cheddar cheese has an irresistible sharpness because of its aging process.

Dammeier also likes to add a little "jack or mozzarella cheese" so that the sandwich filling has more pull. These cheeses work well because they contain perfect amounts of acid and calcium "glue" to hold the casein protein strands together while allowing them to stretch. And, if you're feeling adventurous, he says you can try a more unique cheese like Italian taleggio. Taleggio is one of the cheeses from around the world everyone should try on grilled cheese because of its gooey and melty characteristics. Although, he noted that "taleggio and other soft cheeses should not be grated. You'll want to slice it thin, the best you can."

Once you have the ingredients and are ready to cook, Kurt Beecher Dammeier recommends dry bread. "This may be controversial, but I recommend not putting anything on the outside of your bread. All you need is a good steel or iron pan on a stove top [on] medium heat," he said.

If you choose a sugary bread such as brioche, Dammeier tells us that it can burn quicker than the cheese can melt. "In that case," he says, "flip your sandwich several times until you get the right amount of browning on the bread." It should only take two to five minutes in the pan to turn golden brown and get crunchy. Then, he says, "Transfer to a parchment-lined baking sheet and a pre-heated 325-degree [Fahrenheit] oven. The cheese will finish melting in the oven within five minutes."

When the grilled cheese is finished cooking, Dammeier likes to serve it with a sauce, noting that "The best sauce for an epic grilled cheese sandwich has a good amount of acid to it." His favorites include an avocado and tomatillo salsa, a simple chimichurri recipe, or Korean gochujang sauce, which adds a spicy tang to any meal. He notes, "Vinegary condiments match up nicely to the richness of cheese and sweetness of the bread." While he enjoys dipping his grilled cheese into the sauce, he adds that it would work just as well if you apply it to the inside of your bread slices before grilling.