I use white bakery bread, real butter and Velveeta. The best melty grilled cheese ever!
That’s how I’ve always done it. Buttering the bread directly seems an extraneous step.
To some people, fat is fat, and it’s non-dairy (yeah I know, grilled cheese 
). I get it, but I like my grilled cheeses to taste buttery so I have to use butter.
I think the mayo method is for the butter-the-outside people. It gives you a more even spread of fat than butter usually does (unless you keep your butter at near room temperature where it’s sufficiently spreadable). Thus, you get a nicer more evenly brown crust. At least that was my impression the times I tried it.
I learned about it when air frying fish fillets like tilapia. Spreading mayonnaise on the fillet then applying breadcrumbs/panko works extremely well. I like the taste and they are equal calorie wise (butter/mayo)
Ah yes — a press does wonders for completion of this task.
But…but…but Mayo doesn’t taste like butter!!1! There’s a reason it’s called butter. I don’t know that reason but I know it’s not because it tastes like mayonnaise.
I’ve seen the hack, but the version I’ve always used is yogurt (generally full fat, less additives). Most of time, it works better for me, because the yogurt does a good job of moisturizing and slightly tenderizing the meat (I use this on chicken mostly) as well as providing the medium for my spice blends to merge with the meat. Tandoori, a good ‘Italian’ or ‘Provencal’ blend, even Blackened options.
I don’t have anything against good (emphasis) mayo, but homemade always seems like a bit too much work and/or cost (Pasteurized eggs just in case, good oil, etc) and shelf-stable options just taste of everything that makes them ‘safe’.
I will admit I’m also one of the ones that melts the butter in the pan and butters the exterior bread that way, so, more than a bit lazy. And this is one of the dishes I definitely prefer salted butter for, which makes an unhealthy dish (especially with bacon and two slices of cheese) just that much more unhealthy.
I always made homemade mayonnaise when my kids were little because it was a teaching thing (emulsions). I currently occasionally make my own from scratch, using our hen’s eggs.
nm wrong thread
I just had a grilled ham-and-cheese sammy, spreading mayo on the outside of the bread. It was fine, but butter is better.
For some reason I prefer buttering the bread slices versus melting butter in the pan and slopping it up with the bread. The difference is slight, but I think it is there. Useful though if the butter isn’t soft enough to spread however.
When making Reubens I like to use stale rye or dry it in the oven for a bit - this might make for a crispier grilled cheese as well.
The only reason I would butter the bread directly is I can use less butter and still get even coverage. It’s a pain when the bread is soft, though, so I usually just melt it in the pan first.
Which is a good reason to store butter at room temperature.
There;s a place in town here that specializes in grilled cheese sandwiches, with different breads, cheeses, and other stuff in them. They also have drinks and good beer. Hmm, now that I’m thinking about them maybe I need to lunch there tomorrow.
I have fond memories of the open face grilled Velveeta sandwiches my mother made. One slice of white bread, a thick slice of Velveeta, toasted under the broiler until the cheese gets ooey-gooey. Some times it would bubble and start to blacken, that meant it was perfectly done. If you ate it too soon, it would burn the roof of your mouth off.
Sour dough. Must be Kraft Deli Deluxe and I sometimes add pickled jalapenos.
My favorite loaf bread is Oat Nut. I use that, but not American cheese, which is mundane and unremarkable at best. I use cheddar that has been aged 18 years. It’s fabulous! Other than that, I’m a traditionalist which, to me at least, means that nothing else is in the sandwich other than the cheese. However, I do love “Crazy Dave’s Devil Spit” pickle chips on the side.
Growing up, Mom presented me with a culinary conundrum: the choice between a solitary closed-face grilled cheese sandwich or a duo of open-faced cheesy delights. Both options provided 2 slices of toast and about the same amount of cheese, but I invariably leaned towards the open-faced option, lured by the illusion of a doubled feast, and the allure of the golden, bubbly cheese with semi-char edges.
Last night I I did a variation on the theme. I toasted cobblestone onion cheddar bread, then added deli deluxe cheese slices and nuked it until melty. Fork some sauerkraut and yellow mustard fold in half. Yum.
This is no lie- delicious grill cheese sandwiches can be made using an industrial product called “Mexican Velveeta”.