Celebrate National Grilled Cheese Day & Month with the Most Epic Grilled Cheese Sandwich Ever!
The Grilled Cheese Sandwich is so epic it has a special National Day (April 12) and a whole month! (April is National Grilled Cheese Month!) To help you celebrate, I’m sharing with tips on how to create the most epic grilled cheese sandwich ever, learned from a local Orlando cheese guru, Tonda Corrente, and one of my favorite Vermont cheeses, Cabot Cheese! This comfort food is not just simple bread and cheese – there’s more to it, to make it truly heavenly!
What Cheese Should I Use to Create The Most Epic Grilled Cheese Sandwich Ever?
You can go classic American. This is the original version made popular in the US starting in the 1920s. Did you know that United States government cookbooks describe Navy cooks broiling “American cheese filling sandwiches” during World War II?
To make it epic, get creative. Use any cheese you want, but one that melts and becomes gooey is your best bet. Cheddar, Provolone, Mozzarella, Pepper Jack are all great options. Get a flavored kind to jazz it up. Always go with the best quality cheese you can find.
I absolutely love the grilled cheese sandwich creations by Tonda Corrente of La Femme Du Fromage, the popular cheese shop at East End Market in Orlando, Florida. During a recent “Cooking With Cabot” event I participated in, she used a combination of Cabot Alpine Cheddar and Sharp Cheddar to create a most unique flavor profile. And of course, they were gooey!
Do you add any other ingredients to make an Epic Grilled Cheese Sandwich?
This is a matter of preference. You can stick to strictly cheese. That is the star of the show!
However, I loved the addition of Parma ham and tomato slice in La Femme Du Fromage’s version to give it some extra flavor and substance. Other ingredient options include apple or pear slices, bacon, tomato jam, chicken, peppers and onions. Get creative!
How Do You Get That Golden Crispy Outside and Gooey inside in an Epic Grilled Cheese Sandwich?
Several different methods of heating the sandwich are used, depending on the region where you live and personal preference. Common methods include being cooked on a griddle, grilled, fried in a pan or made in a panini grill or sandwich toaster. This last method is more common in the United Kingdom, where the sandwiches are normally called “toasted sandwiches” or “toasties”, and in Australia, where they are called “jaffles”.
The secret to the crispy golden outside is to lather the outside of both bread slices with plenty of butter.
Control the heat. You want your pan or griddle at medium/low heat to allow time for the cheese to melt without burning the bread or the butter.
What’s The Insider Secret To Create The Most Epic Grilled Cheese Sandwich Ever?
Tonda Corrente revealed her secret! She adds fresh garlic and butter to the outside of the bread. Basically creating a garlic bread grilled cheese. That’s pretty epic!
What is The Perfect Accompaniment for an Epic Grilled Cheese Sandwich?
The classic accompaniment to grilled cheese is tomato soup. It is America’s favorite comfort food combo!
How do you make it epic? Serve it with Tomato Basil bisque!
Chef Tonda also served a field greens salad with light vinaigrette topped with apple slices and sharp cheddar crumbles with her epic grilled cheese. Apples and cheddar are always a fantastic combination.
An Epic Grilled Cheese Comes From Epic Cheese.
What Makes Cabot Cheese Epic? I only partner and promote brands I love and enjoy. Brands that help me “Make Someday Happen” with their inspiration and support. Here’s what I think makes Cabot Cheese epic.
Yes, their cheeses are great – my absolute favorite is the Alpine Cheddar, a subtle Swiss and Italian Alpine blend with a slight grana texture similar to Parmesan. My other favorites include the spicy Hot Habanero and White Oak Cheddar, another aged cheddar from their Legacy Collection.
More importantly, what makes Cabot Cheese epic is they are owned by a cooperative of farm families. They started in Vermont in 1919 with 94 farm families and although they have grown to 1,100 families throughout New York and New England and they employ over 1,000 people with four plants in three states, they still follow the same principles of supporting each other because they know that they are stronger together.
Another reason I think Cabot Cheese is epic is they have a Department of Gratitude! This is an actual department that does nothing but recognize people in the community who are doing great volunteer work. Following the example of their farm families who are actively involved in their communities, this free program is a way for Cabot to honor and thank you for your volunteer efforts making a real difference in your community.
From time to time, Cabot employees & farmers gift folks with snack cheddar bars visiting firehouses, veteran centers and shelters. Other times they stop where crowds have gathered just to give folks a treat. When you see a plaid van stop, get ready for a ‘Random Act of Cheddar’- you have just been thanked! Go online and register.
The Most Epic Grilled Cheese Sandwich Recipe
- 2 tablespoons salted butter softened
- 1 garlic clove mashed
- 8 slices of your favorite bread
- Salt and ground black pepper to taste
- 3 ounces Cabot Alpine Cheddar thinly sliced
- 3 ounces Cabot Sharp Cheddar thinly sliced
- 4 slices ripe tomato
- 4 slices prosciutto ham
- Mix mashed garlic into the softened butter and slather on both sides of bread slices. Season with salt and pepper.
- Pre-heat large skillet or griddle over medium-low heat.
- Assemble sandwiches with equal amounts of each cheese, 1 slice of tomato and 1 slice of ham.
- Transfer to skillet or griddle and cook until golden on one side, reducing heat if needed.
- Turn over and cook until both sides are golden and cheese is melted.
- Cut each sandwich in half on diagonal and serve with your favorite tomato soup and garden salad.
Invite friends over and celebrate National Grilled Cheese Sandwich Day and Month! Go Make Someday Happen with an epic grilled cheese sandwich.
Cheers!
Go Epicurista
Disclosure: I was a media guest of the Cooking With Cabot Event and no other compensation was provided. I was under no obligation to write this post. All opinions are my own. As always, I only share with you brands I love and enjoy to help inspire you to go Make Someday Happen with every bite, sip and trip you take.
This sounds fantastic! Never thought of adding garlic! I’d share this with my husband Pete, of course. ;)
It was **Mind Blown** when I learned Tonda’s secret to add garlic to the butter! So simple and so good! Thanks for checking out this Epic Grilled Cheese post!