# Holy frijole, I've been making grilled cheese sandwiches wrong all these years **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [March 31, 2018, 3:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/holy-frijole-ive-been-making-grilled-cheese-sandwiches-wrong-all-these-years/811529 "2018-03-31T15:48:06Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 3
**Author:** ![Yorkshire\_Pudding](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/y/59ef9b/32.png) [@Yorkshire\_Pudding](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Yorkshire_Pudding)\ **Post date:** [April 1, 2018, 9:09am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/holy-frijole-ive-been-making-grilled-cheese-sandwiches-wrong-all-these-years/811529/41 "2018-04-01T09:09:50Z")
> [@Aspidistra](#): > > “Broil” is one of those words I can never really reconcile myself to. Sounds too much like “boil” which I think we can all agree is something that should never be associated either with cheese or hot crispy bread Yes! Exactly that! ---
**Author:** ![CairoCarol](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cairocarol/32/3825_2.png) [@CairoCarol](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CairoCarol)\ **Post date:** [April 1, 2018, 9:20am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/holy-frijole-ive-been-making-grilled-cheese-sandwiches-wrong-all-these-years/811529/42 "2018-04-01T09:20:36Z")
Tomato slices and spinach leaves have been briefly mentioned (and both are great), but I still think there is a lot of room to explore what goes well with a grilled cheese sandwich besides the cheese, bread, and butter. When I was a kid, we always used to put pickle relish onto the sandwiches, after they were cooked. As my tastebuds have grown a wee bit more discerning over the years, I no longer think that sounds tasty. However, a few thin slices of a good kosher dill pickle on a well-made sandwich would not be amiss. I also make a homemade papaya chutney that is quite nice with almost anything, including a grilled cheese sandwich. Any other suggestions? . ---
**Author:** ![snfaulkner](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/snfaulkner/32/433_2.png) [@snfaulkner](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/snfaulkner)\ **Post date:** [April 1, 2018, 9:57am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/holy-frijole-ive-been-making-grilled-cheese-sandwiches-wrong-all-these-years/811529/43 "2018-04-01T09:57:02Z")
> [@CairoCarol](#): > > Tomato slices and spinach leaves have been briefly mentioned (and both are great), but I still think there is a lot of room to explore what goes well with a grilled cheese sandwich besides the cheese, bread, and butter. > > When I was a kid, we always used to put pickle relish onto the sandwiches, after they were cooked. As my tastebuds have grown a wee bit more discerning over the years, I no longer think that sounds tasty. However, a few thin slices of a good kosher dill pickle on a well-made sandwich would not be amiss. I also make a homemade papaya chutney that is quite nice with almost anything, including a grilled cheese sandwich. > > Any other suggestions? > > . 4lbs of assorted corpse sliced always goes great! ---
**Author:** ![Yorkshire\_Pudding](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/y/59ef9b/32.png) [@Yorkshire\_Pudding](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Yorkshire_Pudding)\ **Post date:** [April 1, 2018, 10:25am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/holy-frijole-ive-been-making-grilled-cheese-sandwiches-wrong-all-these-years/811529/44 "2018-04-01T10:25:24Z")
English mustard’s a winner (especially wholegrain, for texture), as is Marmite or green chilli sauce (chillies and cheese…who knew?!). As far as my kids are concerned, there is a general rule of thumb that absolutely anything is enhanced by barbecue sauce, cheese toasties being no exception. ---
**Author:** ![DPRK](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/4491bb/32.png) [@DPRK](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DPRK)\ **Post date:** [April 1, 2018, 12:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/holy-frijole-ive-been-making-grilled-cheese-sandwiches-wrong-all-these-years/811529/45 "2018-04-01T12:21:25Z")
> [@dalej42](#): > > No! No! No! Real butter is a gift from the gods. Mayo was probably created by a guy wearing horns! The thing I don’t get is, assuming one wanted to employ that technique but not leave out the butter, why use mayonnaise instead of some form of hollandaise? ---
**Author:** ![puzzlegal](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/puzzlegal/32/3827_2.png) [@puzzlegal](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/puzzlegal)\ **Post date:** [April 1, 2018, 12:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/holy-frijole-ive-been-making-grilled-cheese-sandwiches-wrong-all-these-years/811529/46 "2018-04-01T12:39:35Z")
I eat both grilled cheese that’s two slices of bread with cheese between, cooked on a grill at a diner, and “grilled cheese” (really toasted cheese) that’s a slice of bread toasted (in my toaster oven) then briefly removed to add cheese (and sometimes a slice of tomato) and reinserted in the toaster oven until the cheese is melted. I like them both. They are very different sandwiches that have similar ingredients and the same name. ---
**Author:** ![RTFirefly](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/c77e96/32.png) [@RTFirefly](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RTFirefly)\ **Post date:** [April 1, 2018, 12:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/holy-frijole-ive-been-making-grilled-cheese-sandwiches-wrong-all-these-years/811529/47 "2018-04-01T12:47:45Z")
How I’ve made mine is to butter one side of each slice of bread, put them on the griddle (butter side down of course), put cheese on top of each slice, then join the two by their cheesy sides when the cheese is sufficiently gooey to stick, and the undersides are the right color. Next time, I’ll try putting the butter on the griddle beforehand. One advantage of buttering the bread is that the butter’s exactly where you want it from the get-go. My expectation is that I’d have to use a lot more butter if I melt it on the griddle first, but we’ll see. ---
**Author:** ![DummyGladHands](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/49beb7/32.png) [@DummyGladHands](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DummyGladHands)\ **Post date:** [April 1, 2018, 1:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/holy-frijole-ive-been-making-grilled-cheese-sandwiches-wrong-all-these-years/811529/48 "2018-04-01T13:27:59Z")
Mayo has been my go-to instead of butter since I read about it here. And sometimes I put a heavy pan on top of the sandwich itself to hurry up the melting. ---
**Author:** ![DesertDog](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/desertdog/32/11503_2.png) [@DesertDog](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DesertDog)\ **Post date:** [April 1, 2018, 1:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/holy-frijole-ive-been-making-grilled-cheese-sandwiches-wrong-all-these-years/811529/49 "2018-04-01T13:44:48Z")
> [@eschereal](#): > > In the US, “grill” for cooking means a hot flat piece of metal (such as a griddle). Most of these “grilled cheese sandwiches” described above are done in a frying pan. I’ve never been able to grasp how [this](https://www.campchef.com/media/catalog/product/cache/1/image/1200x675/e9c3970ab036de70892d86c6d221abfe/S/G/SG60_3.jpg) and [this](https://d2gg9evh47fn9z.cloudfront.net/800px_COLOURBOX6939252.jpg) are both “grills” in American. ---
**Author:** ![Son\_of\_a\_Rich](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/son_of_a_rich/32/5439_2.png) [@Son\_of\_a\_Rich](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Son_of_a_Rich)\ **Post date:** [April 1, 2018, 1:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/holy-frijole-ive-been-making-grilled-cheese-sandwiches-wrong-all-these-years/811529/50 "2018-04-01T13:52:40Z")
> [@CairoCarol](#): > > Tomato slices and spinach leaves have been briefly mentioned (and both are great), but I still think there is a lot of room to explore what goes well with a grilled cheese sandwich besides the cheese, bread, and butter. > > When I was a kid, we always used to put pickle relish onto the sandwiches, after they were cooked. As my tastebuds have grown a wee bit more discerning over the years, I no longer think that sounds tasty. However, a few thin slices of a good kosher dill pickle on a well-made sandwich would not be amiss. I also make a homemade papaya chutney that is quite nice with almost anything, including a grilled cheese sandwich. > > Any other suggestions? > > . I add jalapeno to the cheese to hot it up a bit. ---
**Author:** ![Two\_Many\_Cats](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/8dc957/32.png) [@Two\_Many\_Cats](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Two_Many_Cats)\ **Post date:** [April 1, 2018, 2:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/holy-frijole-ive-been-making-grilled-cheese-sandwiches-wrong-all-these-years/811529/51 "2018-04-01T14:12:28Z")
> [@DesertDog](#): > > I’ve never been able to grasp how [this](https://www.campchef.com/media/catalog/product/cache/1/image/1200x675/e9c3970ab036de70892d86c6d221abfe/S/G/SG60_3.jpg) and [this](https://d2gg9evh47fn9z.cloudfront.net/800px_COLOURBOX6939252.jpg) are both “grills” in American. The big flat pan is correctly called a griddle. People do use ‘grill’ interchangeably though. ---
**Author:** ![ZonexandScout](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/zonexandscout/32/544_2.png) [@ZonexandScout](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ZonexandScout)\ **Post date:** [April 1, 2018, 2:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/holy-frijole-ive-been-making-grilled-cheese-sandwiches-wrong-all-these-years/811529/52 "2018-04-01T14:56:13Z")
I usually add some thinly sliced ham to my grilled cheese, which makes it almost a necessity to cover the pan while it’s cooking. (The ham insulates one side of the cheese from the heat, so I need a little push to get it melted correctly.) Of course, Kraft singles are heresy. It does melt better (thanks to modern science) but it has absolutely no taste and a weird texture. I always use sharp cheddar (which eliminates the need for any mayo). I’m a little surprised that so many people fry in pure butter or margarine. As other posters have pointed out, it’s a very common practice to use EVO and then toss in a small piece of butter just for the flavor. Don’t most people do this (for lots of foods that one wants fried with butter flavor)? Solves a lot of the butter “problems.” As for buttering the bread directly, I don’t. EVO in the pan, toss in a small bit of butter, and in the sandwich goes. Lift up the sandwich to turn it, drop another small piece of butter where you’re going to put it, and away we go. ---
**Author:** ![Son\_of\_a\_Rich](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/son_of_a_rich/32/5439_2.png) [@Son\_of\_a\_Rich](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Son_of_a_Rich)\ **Post date:** [April 1, 2018, 3:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/holy-frijole-ive-been-making-grilled-cheese-sandwiches-wrong-all-these-years/811529/53 "2018-04-01T15:37:22Z")
> [@ZonexandScout](#): > > As for buttering the bread directly, I don’t. EVO in the pan, toss in a small bit of butter, and in the sandwich goes. Lift up the sandwich to turn it, drop another small piece of butter where you’re going to put it, and away we go. I will try this in my neverending quest for the perfect grilled cheese. ---
**Author:** ![pulykamell](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pulykamell/32/3166_2.png) [@pulykamell](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pulykamell)\ **Post date:** [April 1, 2018, 4:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/holy-frijole-ive-been-making-grilled-cheese-sandwiches-wrong-all-these-years/811529/54 "2018-04-01T16:09:42Z")
> [@Two\_Many\_Cats](#): > > The big flat pan is correctly called a griddle. > > People do use ‘grill’ interchangeably though. That what I was going to say. I call the former a griddle (or “flattop (grill)”) and the latter a grill. From my observation, that’s a pretty common distinction to make (a couple burger places around here advertised both “griddled” and “char” burgers, the former being cooked on a griddle/flattop, the latter on a grill over coals). And, of course, there are “griddle cakes,” which are also cooked on a flattop. Thinking about it some more, I really can’t think of anytime I’ve heard people refer to the flattop as a “grill” – only in the phrase “flattop grill.” And I have heard my friends muse about why it’s called a “grilled cheese” when it’s not grilled. ---
**Author:** ![D\_Odds](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/d_odds/32/2882_2.png) [@D\_Odds](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/D_Odds)\ **Post date:** [April 1, 2018, 5:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/holy-frijole-ive-been-making-grilled-cheese-sandwiches-wrong-all-these-years/811529/55 "2018-04-01T17:04:00Z")
> [@cgg419](#): > > [Grilled Cheese Sandwich Recipe](https://www.seriouseats.com/2015/02/best-grilled-cheese-sandwich-recipe-variations.html) > > Best tip from that link: grill BOTH sides of the bread. Melt some butter, put in two pieces of bread, flip them when they’re browned. Then add your cheese, flip the other piece of bread on top, brown the second side of the sandwich, and there is a perfect grilled cheese I’ve been doing it like this since I first started making my own grilled cheese sandwiches. Another trick - medium, maybe even medium-low heat, in order to get that nice, uniform deep golden brown. Personally, I don’t like cooked mayo, but that’s just one of my numerous food quirks. ---
**Author:** ![SmartAleq](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/smartaleq/32/163_2.png) [@SmartAleq](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SmartAleq)\ **Post date:** [April 1, 2018, 6:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/holy-frijole-ive-been-making-grilled-cheese-sandwiches-wrong-all-these-years/811529/56 "2018-04-01T18:08:26Z")
> [@Yorkshire\_Pudding](#): > > As an aside, I’m curious as to whether “Ayup” is a typo of “aye”, a typo of “yup”, an avant garde conflation of both, or a reference to my name… It’s a New England thing–never lived there but have known people from around there and that’s how they say their affirmatives, “Ayup!” It amuses me so I use it as well, both spoken and written. It seems to be a bit more affirmative than most expressions, to my (admittedly weird) mind. ---
**Author:** ![Yorkshire\_Pudding](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/y/59ef9b/32.png) [@Yorkshire\_Pudding](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Yorkshire_Pudding)\ **Post date:** [April 1, 2018, 7:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/holy-frijole-ive-been-making-grilled-cheese-sandwiches-wrong-all-these-years/811529/57 "2018-04-01T19:23:12Z")
Ah, OK. “'ey up” is a stereotypical (and typical) Yorkshire greeting, which is presumably not well known beyond these shores…so a nice coincidence then. And Yorkshire folk tend to say “aye” too… ---
**Author:** ![SmartAleq](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/smartaleq/32/163_2.png) [@SmartAleq](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SmartAleq)\ **Post date:** [April 1, 2018, 7:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/holy-frijole-ive-been-making-grilled-cheese-sandwiches-wrong-all-these-years/811529/58 "2018-04-01T19:35:39Z")
There’s a lot of similarity between New Englander speech and Yorkshire speech, I’ve noticed. If you can parse out what a Mainer is saying you can probably understand his Yorkshire cousin as well. ---
**Author:** ![Wallaby](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/dc4da7/32.png) [@Wallaby](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Wallaby)\ **Post date:** [April 2, 2018, 4:11am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/holy-frijole-ive-been-making-grilled-cheese-sandwiches-wrong-all-these-years/811529/59 "2018-04-02T04:11:36Z")
Try a small dab of oyster sauce on your grilled/toasted/broiled/whatever cheese. Next time, you’ll use a big dab. ---
**Author:** ![snfaulkner](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/snfaulkner/32/433_2.png) [@snfaulkner](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/snfaulkner)\ **Post date:** [April 2, 2018, 4:30am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/holy-frijole-ive-been-making-grilled-cheese-sandwiches-wrong-all-these-years/811529/60 "2018-04-02T04:30:39Z")
> [@Wallaby](#): > > Try a small dab of oyster sauce on your grilled/toasted/broiled/whatever cheese. > > Next time, you’ll use a big dab. This sounds like an April fool’s joke. Do you have to like oysters for this to work? [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/holy-frijole-ive-been-making-grilled-cheese-sandwiches-wrong-all-these-years/811529.md?page=2) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/holy-frijole-ive-been-making-grilled-cheese-sandwiches-wrong-all-these-years/811529.md?page=4)