How To Make a Classic Grilled Cheese

Wonderbread? Check! Processed American cheese? Check! Here we go, the classic comfort food grilled cheese with step-by-step photo tutorial.

Keeping it Classic

We know that you can take a grilled cheese to some amazing heights, and we’re going to do it in the days ahead. But first, we’re starting with the most basic grilled cheese sandwich. This is the sandwich that you grew up eating. It’s the one you crave on rainy days. It’s the one you dip into condensed tomato soup when home alone for dinner. It’s that classic grilled cheese, made with plain white bread, processed cheese slices and butter. Here we go!

How to Make a Classic Grilled Cheese

Step #1

Get out two slices of bread and put them on a plate. Butter the top surface of each slice with softened butter (you can use margarine or mayonnaise if you don’t have softened butter on hand).

Step #2

Flip the slices over. You can butter the other sides but we don’t. Up to you.

Step #3

Put a whole processed cheese slice onto one piece of bread. Then tear another slice into strips and use the strips to cover any bread that is still showing.

Step #4

Invert the cheese-less bread onto the cheese. Now both breads are butter-side-out and there is cheese in between them.

Step #5

Put sandwiches into a skillet that is on low or medium-low heat.

Step #6

Peek underneath from time to time to make sure that the undersides aren’t browning too quickly. The trick is to keep the heat low enough that the bread doesn’t burn but warm enough that the cheese melts. It will take 2-5 minutes for the bread to toast, depending on the temperature setting and type of pan used.

Step #7

When the underside is nicely browned, use a spatula to flip the sandwich over. Cook on the other side until it is brown underneath as well, 2-5 more minutes.

Step #8

Transfer sandwiches to a plate or cutting board and cut in half.

Step #9

Pull halves apart and then eat. Yum!

Classic Grilled Cheese

Contributor: Christine Pittman

Wonderbread? Check! Processed American cheese? Check! Here we go, the classic comfort food grilled cheese with step-by-step photo tutorial.

★★★★

4 from 1 reviews

• Author: Christine Pittman
• Prep Time: 2 minutes
• Cook Time: 6 minutes
• Total Time: 8 minutes
• Yield: 1 serving 1x

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Ingredients

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• 2 slices of white bread
• 1 Tbsp. butter, softened (or margarine or mayonnaise)
• 2 slices of processed cheese

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Instructions

1. Put the bread on a plate. Butter the top surface of each slice with softened butter (you can use margarine or mayonnaise if you don’t have softened butter on hand).
2. Flip the slices over. Put a whole processed cheese slice onto one piece of bread. Then tear another slice into strips and use the strips to cover any bread that is still showing. Invert the cheese-less bread onto the cheese. Now both breads are butter-side-out and there is cheese in between them.
3. Put sandwiches into a skillet that is on low or medium-low heat. Peek underneath from time to time to make sure that the undersides aren’t browning too quickly. The trick is to keep the heat low enough that the bread doesn’t burn but warm enough that the cheese melts. It will take 2-5 minutes for the bread to toast, depending on the temperature setting and type of pan used.
4. When the underside is nicely browned, use a spatula to flip the sandwich over. Cook on the other side until it is brown underneath as well, 2-5 more minutes.
5. Transfer sandwiches to a plate or cutting board and cut in half. Pull halves apart and then eat.

This post originally appeared in April 2016 and was revised and republished in February 2021.