Perfect Grilled Cheese On The Grill
Buttery and crunchy on the outside. Oozy and gooey on the inside. And no pan to clean up. Grilled cheese on the grill is pure comfort food tweaked for spring and summer.
This is my new favorite way to make a grilled cheese sandwich. No fuss. No mess. Great for making a lot all at once. And seriously delicious.
The recipe includes the basics – bread, cheese, butter or mayo – but we’ve included lots of options for extra fillings.
You can prep everything ahead and do the final melt just before serving. This makes it ideal when trying to make 6-8 sandwiches at the same time.
Ingredients – tailored to your taste
I did some research on best breads and cheeses for perfect grilled cheese. Or just use your favorites. Although purists, like my husband, would never use anything but cheese, some of us are happy to experiment, so I’ve listed a few filling suggestions for inspiration.
Breads
- good old white bread, sour dough, pumpernickel, rye bread, multigrain bread, English muffins, challah, ciabatta.
- Avoid bread slices that are too thick or the cheese will take much longer to melt. And, pretty obvious, avoid bread with holes so the cheese doesn’t drip through!
Cheeses
- Use melty cheeses like American or yellow cheddar (for more classic grilled cheese) or Fontina, Brie, Gruyere, Provolone, Havarti, any jack cheese, Manchego or Gouda (for fancier grown-up grilled cheese).
Optional fillings
- spreads: yellow mustard, Dijon, fig jam, marmalade, olive tepanade
- herbs: minced chives, basil, tarragon
- fillers: thin apple slices, peaches, chopped olives, pickles, sundried tomatoes, capers, fresh tomatoes
- meats: ham, bacon
- veggies: sauteed mushrooms, caramelized onions, roasted red peppers
Step by step instructions
Tip
If you’re putting extra fillings in your grilled cheese, a more pliable bread will work better than a sturdier bread.
Shortcut
Buy pre-shredded or pre-sliced cheese.
Make Ahead
You can prep everything except for the last step of melting the cheese in the sandwiches.
What to serve with grilled cheese
I love to serve grilled cheese with chips (of course!), grilled coleslaw, homemade baked beans , homemade creamy tomato soup or a salad with grilled vegetables and quinoa.
If you like this recipe, please leave a 5 star rating 🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟in the recipe card below. And if you REALLY like it, consider a review in the comments. Thanks very much!
More cheesy sandwich recipes
- easy cheese quesadilla recipe with filling ideas
- cheesy chicken quesadilla recipes
- make ahead breakfast burritos
Perfect Grilled Cheese on The Grill
Ingredients
- 4 slices bread Note 1 about 1/2 inch/1.3 cm thick
- 4 slices cheese Note 2 or 2/3 cup/75 grams shredded cheese
- 4 teaspoon soft butter or mayonnaise
Instructions
- HEAT GRILL TO MEDIUM-HIGH (425-450F/218-232C)
- GRILL ONE SIDE OF BREAD SLICES: Butter each slice of bread on one side. Grill one side of bread slices, butter side down, for about 1-2 minutes total (depending on thickness of bread), turning quarter turns a couple of times to get nice grill marks. Be careful not to burn it. Remove bread to a cutting board or tray. TURN OFF ONE SIDE OF GRILL.
- BUILD SANDWICHES: Lay bread slices on board, grilled side down. Pile cheese(s) on half the slices (the non toasted side), then cover with the other slices (toasted side up) to make a sandwich.
- HEAT SANDWICHES TO MELT CHEESE: Place sandwiches on indirect heat (the part of the grill you turned off). Close the lid and heat for about 6-9 minutes or until cheese is fully melted. Transfer to plate. Cut in half and serve immediately.
Recipe Notes
- Best Breads: good old white bread, sour dough, pumpernickel, rye bread, multigrain bread, English Muffins, Challah, ciabatta. If you’re putting extra stuff in your grilled cheese, a more pliable bread will work better than a sturdier bread.
- Best Cheeses: Melty cheeses are best like American or yellow cheddar (classic) or Fontina, Brie, Gruyere, Provolone, Havarti, any jack cheese, Manchego or Gouda (for fancier grown-up grilled cheese).
- Optional additional fillings:
- spreads: yellow mustard, Dijon, fig jam, marmalade, olive tepanade
- herbs: minced chives, basil, tarragon
- fillers: thin apple slices, peaches, chopped olives, pickles, sundried tomatoes, capers
- meats: ham, bacon
- veggies: sauteed mushrooms, caramelized onions, roasted red peppers
- Make Ahead: Everything except for the last step of melting the cheese can be prepped ahead.
