# Grilled cheese sandwich-what the heck am I doing wrong? **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [February 16, 2014, 3:45am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/grilled-cheese-sandwich-what-the-heck-am-i-doing-wrong/681459 "2014-02-16T03:45:08Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![DummyGladHands](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/49beb7/32.png) [@DummyGladHands](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DummyGladHands)\ **Post date:** [February 16, 2014, 3:45am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/grilled-cheese-sandwich-what-the-heck-am-i-doing-wrong/681459/1 "2014-02-16T03:45:08Z")
Margarine on the bread, cheese, moderately hot pan, but they get weirdly soggy and stick. Too much water in the margarine? Less margarine? This is how I’ve always made them, but suddenly I am a failure. ☹ ---
**Author:** ![randwill](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/a3d4f5/32.png) [@randwill](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/randwill)\ **Post date:** [February 16, 2014, 3:46am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/grilled-cheese-sandwich-what-the-heck-am-i-doing-wrong/681459/2 "2014-02-16T03:46:30Z")
I use butter and melt it in the pan first. ---
**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:** [February 16, 2014, 3:47am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/grilled-cheese-sandwich-what-the-heck-am-i-doing-wrong/681459/3 "2014-02-16T03:47:09Z")
Use butter. Most margarines, especially the diet ones, can be over half water. ---
**Author:** ![Leaffan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/leaffan/32/299_2.png) [@Leaffan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Leaffan)\ **Post date:** [February 16, 2014, 3:47am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/grilled-cheese-sandwich-what-the-heck-am-i-doing-wrong/681459/4 "2014-02-16T03:47:41Z")
Sounds like a temperature issue to me. Higher temperature and a preheated pan should resolve it, no? ---
**Author:** ![Johnny\_L.A](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/johnny_l.a/32/1084_2.png) [@Johnny\_L.A](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Johnny_L.A)\ **Post date:** [February 16, 2014, 3:50am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/grilled-cheese-sandwich-what-the-heck-am-i-doing-wrong/681459/5 "2014-02-16T03:50:49Z")
Too much margarine. I cook my grilled cheese sandwiches at lower heat, so that the cheese melts before the bread toasts. ---
**Author:** ![Chefguy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chefguy/32/138_2.png) [@Chefguy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chefguy)\ **Post date:** [February 16, 2014, 4:52am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/grilled-cheese-sandwich-what-the-heck-am-i-doing-wrong/681459/6 "2014-02-16T04:52:19Z")
> [@Johnny\_L.A](#): > > Too much margarine. > > I cook my grilled cheese sandwiches at lower heat, so that the cheese melts before the bread toasts. Same here. I also cover the pan to help things along, then take it off for the final crisping. For the OP: if you don’t want to pop for real butter, try using olive oil to toast your sandwiches. Works like a charm. ---
**Author:** ![eulalia](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/eulalia/32/457_2.png) [@eulalia](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/eulalia)\ **Post date:** [February 16, 2014, 5:02am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/grilled-cheese-sandwich-what-the-heck-am-i-doing-wrong/681459/7 "2014-02-16T05:02:36Z")
Olive oil’s good. So’s bacon grease if you’re not too worried about saturated fat. Great with pepper jack or Swiss cheese. If you’re going to use margarine you have to melt it and let some of the water evaporate. ---
**Author:** ![LVBoPeep](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/858c86/32.png) [@LVBoPeep](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/LVBoPeep)\ **Post date:** [February 16, 2014, 5:07am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/grilled-cheese-sandwich-what-the-heck-am-i-doing-wrong/681459/8 "2014-02-16T05:07:06Z")
Ewww…margarine? Make sure your pan is evaporating drops of water if you throw it on it. Use butter, cover if you are using cheese thicker than kraft slices (which I never like except for a just-like-my-mom-made-me grilled cheese sandwich). ---
**Author:** ![DummyGladHands](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/49beb7/32.png) [@DummyGladHands](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DummyGladHands)\ **Post date:** [February 16, 2014, 5:20am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/grilled-cheese-sandwich-what-the-heck-am-i-doing-wrong/681459/9 "2014-02-16T05:20:24Z")
No problem with butter, but olive oil? Brush it on the bread? Just always have used marg. for the higher burn point. ---
**Author:** ![Ruby](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/13edae/32.png) [@Ruby](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ruby)\ **Post date:** [February 16, 2014, 5:20am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/grilled-cheese-sandwich-what-the-heck-am-i-doing-wrong/681459/10 "2014-02-16T05:20:52Z")
The first thing you’re doing wrong is not calling it by it’s proper name…Cheese Toastie. 😉 Secondly, I have to agree with the butter users. I use butter on the bread with a medium hot pan. I also use Velveeta which has a lower melting point. I cover the pan if I’m using cheddar or other real cheese. You may also want to try a dryer, denser bread. While it’s the staple in our house, white “Wonder Bread” can get soggy pretty quickly. ---
**Author:** ![oliversarmy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/eb8c5e/32.png) [@oliversarmy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/oliversarmy)\ **Post date:** [February 16, 2014, 6:05am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/grilled-cheese-sandwich-what-the-heck-am-i-doing-wrong/681459/11 "2014-02-16T06:05:32Z")
Heat the pan until you can’t stand to put your hand about two or three inches above for three seconds or so. Butter the bread, not the pan. Complete the sandwich before you put it in the pan. Lay it carefully down on the hot pan. Leave it. Don’t get curious. I can’t tell you how long because I don’t know your pan, so lift an edge and see if it’s toasty after about three or four minutes. If it is toasty, flip and wait another two minutes. The pan will be getting hotter, so you don’t have to wait as long. Check it to make sure the new side is toasty. That’s how I do it on a non-stick pan. If you are using stainless or cast iron you have put butter in the pan beforehand to melt and wait for the bread to release after becoming toasty. If you can do this successfully, you are a better cook than me. Or you can put it on foil or parchment paper under the broiler in your oven. Leave the door slightly open and keep an eye on it. Flip before it burns. Or, wrap the sandwich in foil and use your iron on the ironing board. Turn, the steam setting off, though. I can’t give you a lot of help on timing this. Also, after a long commute, wrap it in foil again and put it atop the engine in your car. Close the hood for about four minutes. It may not be toasty but the cheese will be melted. However, my favorite technique is to wrap the sandwich in foil and take it to the Kīlauea lava flows and bake it until done. Expensive, but well worth the trip. Hope this helps. ---
**Author:** ![Washoe](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/ecae2f/32.png) [@Washoe](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Washoe)\ **Post date:** [February 16, 2014, 6:39am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/grilled-cheese-sandwich-what-the-heck-am-i-doing-wrong/681459/12 "2014-02-16T06:39:45Z")
Butter?!? Margarine?!? _Quelle horreur!_ :eek: Mayonnaise, bitches—on both sides of the bread. ---
**Author:** ![ISiddiqui](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/97f17d/32.png) [@ISiddiqui](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ISiddiqui)\ **Post date:** [February 16, 2014, 6:44am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/grilled-cheese-sandwich-what-the-heck-am-i-doing-wrong/681459/13 "2014-02-16T06:44:06Z")
MAYO?!! On a grilled cheese?! I think I just threw up in my mouth, eeck ---
**Author:** ![Washoe](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/ecae2f/32.png) [@Washoe](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Washoe)\ **Post date:** [February 16, 2014, 6:49am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/grilled-cheese-sandwich-what-the-heck-am-i-doing-wrong/681459/14 "2014-02-16T06:49:24Z")
Don’t knock it till you’ve tried it. Perfectly crisped, golden crust every time. ---
**Author:** ![Suburban\_Plankton](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/suburban_plankton/32/219_2.png) [@Suburban\_Plankton](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Suburban_Plankton)\ **Post date:** [February 16, 2014, 6:52am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/grilled-cheese-sandwich-what-the-heck-am-i-doing-wrong/681459/15 "2014-02-16T06:52:32Z")
Mayonnaise makes an acceptable substitute if one has no butter. ---
**Author:** ![don\_t\_ask](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/e68b1a/32.png) [@don\_t\_ask](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/don_t_ask)\ **Post date:** [February 16, 2014, 7:02am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/grilled-cheese-sandwich-what-the-heck-am-i-doing-wrong/681459/16 "2014-02-16T07:02:53Z")
I had never thought of that but mayonnaise makes perfect sense for frying things. After all it’s only oil, mustard, egg and vinegar or lemon juice, all of which would be fine with many fried things. ---
**Author:** ![Foggy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/foggy/32/1082_2.png) [@Foggy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Foggy)\ **Post date:** [February 16, 2014, 7:03am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/grilled-cheese-sandwich-what-the-heck-am-i-doing-wrong/681459/17 "2014-02-16T07:03:09Z")
My mother always put a slice of tomato in the sandwich. My paternal grandmother made great grilled ham & cheese. (sigh) Now I want some Grilled Cheese Sandwiches. Now what am I going to do? ☹ ---
**Author:** ![GuanoLad](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/guanolad/32/42_2.png) [@GuanoLad](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GuanoLad)\ **Post date:** [February 16, 2014, 8:23am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/grilled-cheese-sandwich-what-the-heck-am-i-doing-wrong/681459/18 "2014-02-16T08:23:15Z")
> [@Foggy](#): > > (sigh) > Now I want some Grilled Cheese Sandwiches. > Now what am I going to do? ☹ Do what I did, and make some grilled cheese sandwiches. Then eat them. ---
**Author:** ![Fear\_Itself](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/fear_itself/32/19637_2.png) [@Fear\_Itself](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Fear_Itself)\ **Post date:** [February 16, 2014, 10:39am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/grilled-cheese-sandwich-what-the-heck-am-i-doing-wrong/681459/19 "2014-02-16T10:39:44Z")
Civilised people put dill pickle slices in their grilled cheese sandwiches. ---
**Author:** ![ekedolphin](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ekedolphin/32/10003_2.png) [@ekedolphin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ekedolphin)\ **Post date:** [February 16, 2014, 11:01am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/grilled-cheese-sandwich-what-the-heck-am-i-doing-wrong/681459/20 "2014-02-16T11:01:36Z")
What did you do wrong, you ask? You used sliced bread instead of flour tortillas, of course. 😉 [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/grilled-cheese-sandwich-what-the-heck-am-i-doing-wrong/681459.md?page=2)