# Dopers...Grilled Cheese **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [August 17, 2011, 2:47am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dopers-grilled-cheese/592983 "2011-08-17T02:47:18Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Superdude](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/superdude/32/13450_2.png) [@Superdude](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Superdude)\ **Post date:** [August 17, 2011, 2:47am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dopers-grilled-cheese/592983/1 "2011-08-17T02:47:18Z")
Okay, so **Girl Wonder** and I are having a disagreement, and I turn to you for help. When making a grilled cheese, do you butter both sides of each piece of bread, or only the outside? I was brought up on two pieces of bread, buttered on both sides. **Girl Wonder** claims that only one side of each piece should be buttered. All due respect to her, but this is obviously idiotic. What say you? ---
**Author:** ![running\_coach](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/running_coach/32/15836_2.png) [@running\_coach](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/running_coach)\ **Post date:** [August 17, 2011, 2:54am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dopers-grilled-cheese/592983/2 "2011-08-17T02:54:50Z")
Outside only, for the browning and crisping. ---
**Author:** ![IvoryTowerDenizen](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ivorytowerdenizen/32/17937_2.png) [@IvoryTowerDenizen](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/IvoryTowerDenizen)\ **Post date:** [August 17, 2011, 2:56am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dopers-grilled-cheese/592983/3 "2011-08-17T02:56:00Z")
Outside only. Makes it crispy. ---
**Author:** ![blondebear](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/blondebear/32/1022_2.png) [@blondebear](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/blondebear)\ **Post date:** [August 17, 2011, 2:56am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dopers-grilled-cheese/592983/4 "2011-08-17T02:56:18Z")
Outside only. ---
**Author:** ![Defensive\_Indifference](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/defensive_indifference/32/6502_2.png) [@Defensive\_Indifference](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Defensive_Indifference)\ **Post date:** [August 17, 2011, 2:58am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dopers-grilled-cheese/592983/5 "2011-08-17T02:58:54Z")
> [@runner pat](#): > > Outside only, for the browning and crisping. I agree with this. My wife, however, butters both sides. She’s from Wisconsin, though, where I believe you are required by law to add at least two dairy items to every sandwich. ETA: she also puts tomatoes on her grilled cheese, which is just wrong on every level. ---
**Author:** ![gotpasswords](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/c57346/32.png) [@gotpasswords](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/gotpasswords)\ **Post date:** [August 17, 2011, 3:05am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dopers-grilled-cheese/592983/6 "2011-08-17T03:05:15Z")
Outside only. If you butter the inside (Yeesh… MORE fat?) how will the cheese be able to stick to the bread and hold it together? ---
**Author:** ![Chronos](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chronos/32/134_2.png) [@Chronos](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chronos)\ **Post date:** [August 17, 2011, 3:08am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dopers-grilled-cheese/592983/7 "2011-08-17T03:08:33Z")
Outside. And the only reason not to put tomatoes on a grilled cheese, if you have them, is if you’re just making a tomato sandwich instead. As an aside, try a pinch of rosemary in grilled cheese, too. ---
**Author:** ![pabstist](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/e99b99/32.png) [@pabstist](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pabstist)\ **Post date:** [August 17, 2011, 3:16am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dopers-grilled-cheese/592983/8 "2011-08-17T03:16:29Z")
I melt the butter in the pan and then put in the unbuttered sandwich. ---
**Author:** ![Ruby](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/13edae/32.png) [@Ruby](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ruby)\ **Post date:** [August 17, 2011, 3:17am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dopers-grilled-cheese/592983/9 "2011-08-17T03:17:00Z")
Outside only. Tomatoes on grilled cheese is yummmmy! ---
**Author:** ![Lacunae\_Matata](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/8491ac/32.png) [@Lacunae\_Matata](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lacunae_Matata)\ **Post date:** [August 17, 2011, 3:20am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dopers-grilled-cheese/592983/10 "2011-08-17T03:20:33Z")
Outside only. Of course, it could be worse: My stepdad is quite convinced that one should butter the outside, and spread mayonnaise on the inside, since, apparently, a grilled cheese needs more added fat. Of course, he is from West Virginia… 😉 ---
**Author:** ![Superdude](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/superdude/32/13450_2.png) [@Superdude](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Superdude)\ **Post date:** [August 17, 2011, 3:22am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dopers-grilled-cheese/592983/11 "2011-08-17T03:22:05Z")
> [@Ruby](#): > > Outside only. Tomatoes on grilled cheese is yummmmy! Not a tomato fan, but if you put bacon or ham on it, I’m game. The results - so far - are baffling. In my 38 years on this planet, she was the first person I’d ever heard say only one side of each slice need be buttered. ---
**Author:** ![zombywoof](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/9e8a1a/32.png) [@zombywoof](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/zombywoof)\ **Post date:** [August 17, 2011, 3:23am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dopers-grilled-cheese/592983/12 "2011-08-17T03:23:15Z")
> [@pabstist](#): > > I melt the butter in the pan and then put in the unbuttered sandwich. Me too… I weigh mine down with something like a saucer and some canned goods while it cooks for a thin/dense/crispy result, and I definitely like tomato on mine. ---
**Author:** ![zoid](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/zoid/32/336_2.png) [@zoid](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/zoid)\ **Post date:** [August 17, 2011, 3:23am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dopers-grilled-cheese/592983/13 "2011-08-17T03:23:19Z")
> [@Ruby](#): > > Outside only. Tomatoes on grilled cheese is yummmmy! Yep. Outside only and tomatoes rock on GC. ---
**Author:** ![No\_umlaut\_for\_U](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/ea5d25/32.png) [@No\_umlaut\_for\_U](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/No_umlaut_for_U)\ **Post date:** [August 17, 2011, 3:24am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dopers-grilled-cheese/592983/14 "2011-08-17T03:24:31Z")
Inside and outside. Try Muenster cheese on rye grilled. To die for! ---
**Author:** ![twickster](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/ec9cab/32.png) [@twickster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/twickster)\ **Post date:** [August 17, 2011, 3:31am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dopers-grilled-cheese/592983/15 "2011-08-17T03:31:55Z")
Outside only. ---
**Author:** ![SeaDragonTattoo](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/df705f/32.png) [@SeaDragonTattoo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SeaDragonTattoo)\ **Post date:** [August 17, 2011, 3:33am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dopers-grilled-cheese/592983/16 "2011-08-17T03:33:06Z")
I was raised on buttering just the outside of the sandwich for browning in the pan. However… Come to the Dark Side, oh eaters of melty, crispy, toasty, grilled cheese! Butter both sides. _Before putting in any cheese,_ put both slices in the pan and brown one side, _then flip the slices and add the cheese_. Put the browned sides in, assemble the sandwich and proceed with toasting one side, then flip and toast the other. You need to still toast one side at a time to get the cheese properly melted on the inside once it’s added. Once you’ve tried it this way, you will never go back. Granted, I make grilled cheese maybe twice a year. It’s a beautifully full-fat sandwich that I only crave once in a while. The tomato soup is obligatory, to cut the fat in the tummy and palate. ---
**Author:** ![Mosier](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/7ea924/32.png) [@Mosier](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mosier)\ **Post date:** [August 17, 2011, 3:40am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dopers-grilled-cheese/592983/17 "2011-08-17T03:40:08Z")
outside only. sorry. ---
**Author:** ![amarinth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/3be4f8/32.png) [@amarinth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/amarinth)\ **Post date:** [August 17, 2011, 3:57am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dopers-grilled-cheese/592983/18 "2011-08-17T03:57:37Z")
Both sides. Someone gave me the suggestion a couple of years ago and I became an instant convert. ---
**Author:** ![Hedda\_Rosa](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/hedda_rosa/32/1204_2.png) [@Hedda\_Rosa](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hedda_Rosa)\ **Post date:** [August 17, 2011, 4:02am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dopers-grilled-cheese/592983/19 "2011-08-17T04:02:53Z")
Outside only. With tomato, avocado and ham on rye. Heaven. ---
**Author:** ![Arrendajo](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/e0b2c6/32.png) [@Arrendajo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Arrendajo)\ **Post date:** [August 17, 2011, 4:04am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dopers-grilled-cheese/592983/20 "2011-08-17T04:04:06Z")
Outside only, and it must be eaten with mustard. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dopers-grilled-cheese/592983.md?page=2)