Is there any food vessel that lends itself more to a multitude of options than a grilled cheese sandwich? Well, maybe the humble potato but we’ll save that for another blog post. Today it’s all about the magic and simplicity of two slices of bread and cheese.
In honor of National Grilled Cheese Day on April 12, 2023, we tapped our employees to share their favorite twists on this classic sandwich. Here’s a list of the flavor combos and preparations they love:
- Try different cheeses. Sure, good old American cheese is hard to beat in a grilled cheese, but our employees love their sandwiches with Swiss, cheddar, smoked gouda or Cooper sharp, mozzarella, or Gruyere. Try one, or all – it’s sure to be tasty!
- Is butter better? This was hotly debated among our employees – some were purists with butter as the preferred “schmear” on the outside of the bread. Others suggested twists like garlic butter, herb butter, olive oil, garlic parmesan butter (the parmesan crisps up while toasting), or even mayo.
- Layers of flavor. One of the more unique suggestions was a sandwich made with thinly sliced tart apples, Gruyere (or other sharp cheese), Dijon mustard, sliced ham or bacon, and peach preserves. These layers of flavor and texture amp up this simple meal. What flavor combos do you love? Try making it into a grilled cheese sandwich. Spinach and artichoke was another popular flavor combo. Another employee said she makes hers with homemade crab dip and we even had a suggestion of a pizza-style grilled cheese with sauce, mozzarella, and provolone.
- The bread matters. This was another hot topic, with lots of different preferences. Some employees preferred a hearty multigrain bread option, a few liked thick, pillowy Texas Toast, while others suggested brioche, homemade sandwich bread, or traditional white. What’s your favorite?
- Meat lovers. If meat is a part of your diet, then according to our survey, our employees have tons of options for you! Bacon was the most popular addition to a grilled cheese sandwich, with others like ham (carved from the bone or sliced deli ham), brisket, pepperoni, and sausage all making the list. Someone even said they’ve enjoyed theirs with sloppy joe meat included!
- Accessorize. We had suggestions of sandwich additions that ranged from pickles to spinach and everything in between. Some of the more popular ones were tomatoes, whole grain mustard, hot sauce, BBQ sauce, honey mustard, pesto, and avocado. These additions are all huge flavor boosters.
- Sandwich pairings. The go-to pairing for grilled cheese is tomato soup, as we all know, and our employees were no different. However, we had a few who like to dip their grilled cheese sandwiches in ketchup (weird or yummy – you decide!) and there was some debate on the merits of canned vs. boxed vs. homemade tomato soup. Whatever your preference, this classic pairing remains at the top of the leaderboard.
Regardless of whether you’re a grilled cheese sandwich purist or willing to get a little adventurous, this sammy shines because of its versatility. Not only is it sure to please no matter how you make it but it’s a budget-friendly option for lunch or dinner any day of the week. So, in honor of National Grilled Cheese Day, how are you going to dress up your grilled cheese sandwich? The possibilities are endless.