# In praise of the grilled cheese sandwich **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [November 12, 2016, 3:45am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/in-praise-of-the-grilled-cheese-sandwich/771585 "2016-11-12T03:45:51Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![StarvingButStrong](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/starvingbutstrong/32/335_2.png) [@StarvingButStrong](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/StarvingButStrong)\ **Post date:** [November 12, 2016, 4:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/in-praise-of-the-grilled-cheese-sandwich/771585/21 "2016-11-12T16:54:12Z")
But it has to be real mayonnaise. I tried it once with Miracle Whip, and it was sad. Not enough oil in it, I guess. ---
**Author:** ![DSYoungEsq](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/c6cbf5/32.png) [@DSYoungEsq](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DSYoungEsq)\ **Post date:** [November 12, 2016, 5:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/in-praise-of-the-grilled-cheese-sandwich/771585/22 "2016-11-12T17:21:55Z")
> [@Chefguy](#): > > You can fry a grilled cheese with mayo. Really. Just smear the bread with with it instead of butter. You end up with a beautifully browned crust with a slight eggy flavor that complements the cheese. I am aware of this combination. I steadfastly refuse to try it, for much the same reason I refused initially to try Bailey’s: I knew I would like it too well. I do, however, often use mayonnaise instead of butter for simple sourdough toast. 🆒 ---
**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:** [November 12, 2016, 5:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/in-praise-of-the-grilled-cheese-sandwich/771585/23 "2016-11-12T17:58:59Z")
I’ve tried mayo instead of butter, and while it wasn’t exactly _bad_, it didn’t work nearly as well. And of course you can add all sorts of things to a melty grilled sandwich, and it’s very often good, but I think that at some point it ceases to be properly a “grilled cheese sandwich”. For a simple grilled cheese, my preference is rye bread, colby or brick cheese, and a sprinkling of rosemary. ---
**Author:** ![dropzone](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dropzone/32/7515_2.png) [@dropzone](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dropzone)\ **Post date:** [November 12, 2016, 6:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/in-praise-of-the-grilled-cheese-sandwich/771585/24 "2016-11-12T18:00:00Z")
> [@Gatopescado](#): > > Must go with a cup of Vegetable Beef soup! Just like Mom did it. Through those 40 years, and despite my constant reminders, she dismisses my claims that soup ain’t dinner. A nice, non-tomato-based broth with veggies, on the side, is nice. “You need to add barley.” At least it was on the side for once. “By now you should know that I hate barley.” “Add the barley.” If I’m warned that it’s Soup Night, I sneak home a Whopper. More soup for her. > [@standingwave](#): > > It’s simple yet complex. You have the tasty [Malliard reaction](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Maillard_reaction) of the toasted bread combined with melted cheese which [makes cheese taste even more decadent](http://www.popsci.com/science/article/2012-09/fyi-why-does-cheese-taste-better-when-its-melted). Science! Logged in to add a missing comma (dear God, I loves me my commas), but got bored. She used to be a chemist at a flavor company. I will mention it next time we’re in the car. I won’t need to concentrate on anything but driving for 45 minutes, minimum. > [@Chefguy](#): > > You can fry a grilled cheese with mayo. Really. Just smear the bread with with it instead of butter. You end up with a beautifully browned crust with a slight eggy flavor that complements the cheese. That is sick. And obviously delicious. However, there is the possible disadvantage of being healthier and lower calorie than butter. I’m passing it along to Thing 1, who bought herself a ceramic griddle (unlike teflon, it won’t kill our birds) for eggs and such. I’m teaching her how to make scrambled eggs the way her mother likes them (“Just have Daddy make them.”), but that’s another thread. ---
**Author:** ![Dr.Girlfriend](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dr.girlfriend/32/193_2.png) [@Dr.Girlfriend](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dr.Girlfriend)\ **Post date:** [November 12, 2016, 6:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/in-praise-of-the-grilled-cheese-sandwich/771585/25 "2016-11-12T18:07:02Z")
> [@Gatopescado](#): > > Must go with a cup of Vegetable Beef soup! Just like Mom did it. Yes! I had this for lunch just the other day. My work partner decided we needed to get out of the office for a bit and we went across the street to this little dive bar type place. They have this fantastic grilled cheese with sourdough bread and three different cheeses. The soup was tomato-y enough and a little spicy and just enough shredded beef. So good. ---
**Author:** ![aceplace57](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/aceplace57/32/3500_2.png) [@aceplace57](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/aceplace57)\ **Post date:** [November 12, 2016, 6:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/in-praise-of-the-grilled-cheese-sandwich/771585/26 "2016-11-12T18:56:43Z")
Velveeta makes a great grilled cheese sandwich. Sometimes I’ll grate some sharp cheddar. The two cheeses work well together. No one’s mentioned sweet pickles? I gotta have a few miniature sweet pickles on the side. Two bites of sandwich, then a bite of pickle. Good stuff. 😃 ---
**Author:** ![dropzone](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dropzone/32/7515_2.png) [@dropzone](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dropzone)\ **Post date:** [November 12, 2016, 7:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/in-praise-of-the-grilled-cheese-sandwich/771585/27 "2016-11-12T19:14:22Z")
Velveeta was designed specifically for grilled cheese. And sauces. Sweet gherkins, a little heavy on the clove? And with some dill? Like me granny made them? Absolutely, though you’re edging into Bohunk Cuisine. ---
**Author:** ![burpo\_the\_wonder\_mutt](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/burpo_the_wonder_mutt/32/365_2.png) [@burpo\_the\_wonder\_mutt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/burpo_the_wonder_mutt)\ **Post date:** [November 12, 2016, 7:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/in-praise-of-the-grilled-cheese-sandwich/771585/28 "2016-11-12T19:24:30Z")
^ You say that like it’s a bad thing. 😉 ---
**Author:** ![nightshadea](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/7ba0ec/32.png) [@nightshadea](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/nightshadea)\ **Post date:** [November 12, 2016, 7:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/in-praise-of-the-grilled-cheese-sandwich/771585/29 "2016-11-12T19:27:20Z")
you know velveeta comes in singles too now right ? weve been buying it for 2-3 years now and my disabled cousin demands cheese on every sandwich other than pb&j can tell the difference when normal kraft singles were bought the store was out of the vel … She refused the 2nd sandwich for the first time ever because the cheese was “yuck” ---
**Author:** ![SeaDragonTattoo](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/df705f/32.png) [@SeaDragonTattoo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SeaDragonTattoo)\ **Post date:** [November 12, 2016, 7:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/in-praise-of-the-grilled-cheese-sandwich/771585/30 "2016-11-12T19:28:48Z")
> [@dropzone](#): > > Donde esta? “I don’t care why you’re late as long as you’re not drinking.” And bring something for her. > > She once, aged 15, in a bathing suit, fried a mess of crappie in bacon fat. One fellow presented his prospects to her father, and planned to wait. I’ve had her crappie, and her beauty and bathing suit were superflous. Cookies & Carnitas on North Broadway. Cross Street might be Ardmore or very close to there. ---
**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:** [November 12, 2016, 7:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/in-praise-of-the-grilled-cheese-sandwich/771585/31 "2016-11-12T19:49:43Z")
Rye bread with Mexican Velveeta is very tasty. ---
**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:** [November 12, 2016, 11:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/in-praise-of-the-grilled-cheese-sandwich/771585/32 "2016-11-12T23:15:24Z")
> [@dropzone](#): > > That is sick. And obviously delicious. However, there is the possible disadvantage of being healthier and lower calorie than butter. I’m passing it along to Thing 1, who bought herself a ceramic griddle (unlike teflon, it won’t kill our birds) for eggs and such. I’m teaching her how to make scrambled eggs the way her mother likes them (“Just have Daddy make them.”), but that’s another thread. As noted above, it doesn’t quite brown evenly enough. But one could throw some butter in the pan and then put the mayo-smeared sandwich in. That would give it enough oil to fry in. ---
**Author:** ![Doug\_K](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/b5ac83/32.png) [@Doug\_K](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Doug_K)\ **Post date:** [November 12, 2016, 11:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/in-praise-of-the-grilled-cheese-sandwich/771585/33 "2016-11-12T23:22:56Z")
> [@Mean\_Mr.Mustard](#): > > Lots of variations - and I get that, I experiment with the GC too - but a straight-up grilled cheese is simple perfection. > mmm Anything other than bread, cheese, and butter or margarine and it ceases to be a grilled cheese sandwich. That’s not saying a grilled sandwich with other ingredients can’t be tasty, just that they are not grilled cheese sandwiches. ---
**Author:** ![Musicat](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/musicat/32/20189_2.png) [@Musicat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Musicat)\ **Post date:** [November 12, 2016, 11:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/in-praise-of-the-grilled-cheese-sandwich/771585/34 "2016-11-12T23:43:57Z")
> [@Snowboarder\_Bo](#): > > I like my grilled cheese sammich with mushrooms, tomato and lettuce. Tomato and lettuce is nice. I like mine with ham and/or turkey. And sometimes omit the mushrooms and replace lettuce with alfalfa sprouts, and add jalapeno slices. Oh, and add onion. And sometimes it gets so thick I leave off the cheese. And I don’t always toast it. Now that’s a great grilled cheese sandwich! > [@Doug\_K](#): > > Anything other than bread, cheese, and butter or margarine and it ceases to be a grilled cheese sandwich. That’s not saying a grilled sandwich with other ingredients can’t be tasty, just that they are not grilled cheese sandwiches. Heretic! Thou art banished from my kitchen for blasphemy! ---
**Author:** ![Trancephalic](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/trancephalic/32/380_2.png) [@Trancephalic](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Trancephalic)\ **Post date:** [November 12, 2016, 11:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/in-praise-of-the-grilled-cheese-sandwich/771585/35 "2016-11-12T23:53:42Z")
[![](https://i.ytimg.com/vi/dxu75V4HHAk/hqdefault.jpg "Elmer Fudd - Grilled Cheese Song - Looney Tunes Show Merrie Melodies") ](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dxu75V4HHAk) ---
**Author:** ![purplehearingaid](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/7bcc69/32.png) [@purplehearingaid](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/purplehearingaid)\ **Post date:** [November 13, 2016, 12:05am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/in-praise-of-the-grilled-cheese-sandwich/771585/36 "2016-11-13T00:05:52Z")
We had a grilled cheese maker growing up , it made the best sandwiches . I was using it for awhile but the cord started to fall apart. I like to have it with a bowl of tomato soup . ---
**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:** [November 13, 2016, 12:52am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/in-praise-of-the-grilled-cheese-sandwich/771585/37 "2016-11-13T00:52:50Z")
> [@purplehearingaid](#): > > We had a grilled cheese maker growing up , it made the best sandwiches . I was using it for awhile but the cord started to fall apart. I like to have it with a bowl of tomato soup . We did, too. We called her “mom”. ---
**Author:** ![HeXen](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/c89c15/32.png) [@HeXen](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/HeXen)\ **Post date:** [November 13, 2016, 1:27am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/in-praise-of-the-grilled-cheese-sandwich/771585/38 "2016-11-13T01:27:03Z")
I actually prefer a single slice of bread, cheese then put into a toaster oven and I like the cheese burnt a little. As apposed to a typical grilled cheese which Imo just wastes a slice of bread for no reason other than filler. Little story, when I was like 7 yrs old, I had this friend and his family was very poor. They had a gas oven and I remember how he was taught to make grilled cheese sandwiches. He put his cheese sandwich on a spatula, turn on the gas oven and reached in with the spatula to toast the sandwich near the blue flame. Often times when I went over to his house, he would toast us up a couple to eat. If nothing else, he was certainly very dependent, I don’t even remember his folks being around half the time. ---
**Author:** ![Dr\_Paprika](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dr_paprika/32/3042_2.png) [@Dr\_Paprika](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dr_Paprika)\ **Post date:** [November 13, 2016, 2:07am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/in-praise-of-the-grilled-cheese-sandwich/771585/39 "2016-11-13T02:07:02Z")
Love me a grilled cheese. Bacon is best, will settle for plain. Keep your Velveeta, American cheese is fine but use a brand that contains lots of cheese and not just moisture. Kraft singles work. Better yet, Monterey Jack, American and a sharp cheddar. ---
**Author:** ![aceplace57](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/aceplace57/32/3500_2.png) [@aceplace57](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/aceplace57)\ **Post date:** [November 13, 2016, 2:08am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/in-praise-of-the-grilled-cheese-sandwich/771585/40 "2016-11-13T02:08:32Z")
Gotta give a shout out to a grilled ham and cheese sandwich. That was my standard order at drug store lunch counters. Always enjoyed watching the cook butter the bread, make the sandwich, and put it on the grill. Best sandwiches you could get. The drug store counter cook always had melted butter in a bowl. He used a brush to butter the bread. They really covered the bread thoroughly. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/in-praise-of-the-grilled-cheese-sandwich/771585.md?page=1) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/in-praise-of-the-grilled-cheese-sandwich/771585.md?page=3)