3 Untraditional Ways to Make Grilled Cheese

Published April 18th, 2022 by Ambassador Foods

Grilled cheese sandwiches are the quintessential American comfort food. We love them so much that we've even designated a special day to celebrate them. But honestly, grilled cheese deserves to be fawned over and enjoyed every day of the year, not just on Grilled Cheese Day.

Anyone can revel in the ooey-gooey goodness of grilled cheese, and there's even a traditional way of making them: Plop each sandwich into a skillet, taking care to slather your bread with butter, and then fry it up on the stovetop.

However, what if you could make your favorite grilled cheese recipes in a different way? It's time to modernize the grilled cheese-making process with a few tips and tricks, using appliances you already have at home.

Don't worry: You'll still revel in tasting that yummy, crunchy yet melty taste profile you crave. Who knows -- you might even come to prefer these untraditional ways of making grilled cheese over the stovetop version.

Air Fryer Grilled Cheese

When you think of your air fryer, making grilled cheese probably doesn't strike a chord at first. The air fryer is all the rage, but we associate it with making healthier French fries and chicken nuggets.

Well, guess what? Air fryer grilled cheese is totally doable, and it's the bomb. If you make it according to the recommended tips, you'll experience a sandwich that is crunchy on the outside and perfectly melty on the inside. This is absolutely the best of both worlds in terms of grilled cheese.

Why the Air Fryer?

First and foremost, the air fryer doesn't require nearly as much oil to cook food as your traditional stovetop skillet. This means you can enjoy a healthy grilled cheese without the side of guilt that often sneaks in when you eat a pan-fried grilled cheese.

Also, when using the air fryer, you have a bit more control over the temperature. If you have a larger air fryer, you can even make two or three grilled cheeses at once without worrying that they'll stick together into one giant scorched mess.

How to Make It

The air-fried grilled cheese recipe is simple enough:

Coat two slices of bread with butter
Scoop cheese onto one slice of bread, not on the buttered side
Cover with the other slice of bread, butter facing up
Stick a toothpick in each corner of the sandwich to keep it intact
Place in the air fryer and cook at 360°F for 4 to 6 minutes
Flip the grilled cheese and cook for 3 more minutes

Of course, you should feel free to use your favorite type of cheese and bread to round out the recipe to your liking. We recommend using a blend of two or more cheeses for a more refined taste profile. Choose grated cheeses, preferably freshly grated at home, over sliced deli cheeses. Sliced cheese may not melt as easily and as completely in the air fryer.

Also, for this method, try using fresh bakery bread instead of the standard store-bought toaster bread. It crisps up better in the air fryer.

Oven Grilled Cheese

You might use your oven to roast a chicken or bake potatoes, but have you ever considered popping your favorite bread and cheese combo into your oven? You might be surprised to know that oven-baked grilled cheese comes out delightfully crispy if baked correctly. No need to worry about a sad, dry, lumpy sandwich.

Why the Oven

Simply put, baking your grilled cheese in the oven instead of on the stovetop allows you to make your favorite comfort food without a mess to clean up afterward. Also, a baked grilled cheese is a healthy grilled cheese, or at least when compared to a fried sandwich.

Keep in mind that you can make a bunch of sandwiches at a time when using the oven, so your grilled cheese can be an easy crowd-pleaser. Think feeding a crowd of hungry little mouths during a slumber party. Heck, you can even offer a pile of oven-baked grilled cheeses to a hungry construction crew during a home remodel.

No matter the audience, the food will be plentiful if done in the oven, and the crowd will be gratefully fed.

How to Make It

This recipe is easy-peasy:

Slather some butter on two slices of bread
Top one slice of bread with cheese, not on the buttered side
Cover with the other bread slice, buttered side up
Arrange sandwiches in a sheet pan
Bake in the oven for 5 minutes at 360°F

Guess what? You don't have to flip your grilled cheese when you bake it this way. Also, if you want an even crunchier batch of sandwiches, you can cover them with another sheet pan before baking. This insulates them, creating a crunchier toast.

As with any other grilled cheese variation, choose your favorite bread and cheese combo. Try some thick Texas toast or a fresh-baked sandwich loaf, for instance. Also, feel free to use whatever cheese you like, because any cheese melts nicely in the oven.

Grilled Cheese On the Grill

Why is this beloved sandwich called grilled cheese if it's traditionally pan-fried?

Well, it's time to change the dynamic and make it a real grilled cheese. For a toasty char-broiled taste profile, why not try grilled grilled cheese on your backyard barbecue?

Why the Grill

Making grilled cheese on your barbecue is a perfect way to enjoy it during summer. Make it a staple of your cookouts with family and friends, or just enjoy them as a casual weeknight dinner. Either way, you'll fall in love with the smokey, slightly charred sandwich.

How to Make It

Grilled cheese on the barbecue is effortless:

Slather some butter on two slices of bread
Scoop cheese onto one slice, not on the buttered side
Cover with the other slice, buttered side up
Throw on the grill for 2 to 3 minutes
Rotate until you see grilled hash marks
Flip the sandwich and grill for 2 to 3 minutes
Rotate and grill some more until hash marks are visible

For a yummy, crunchy outer crust, mix your butter with a bit of mayo before coating your bread. You'll barely taste the mayo, but your sandwich will be perfectly toasted on the outside with a softer layer of bread from within.