Grilled cheese

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Grilled cheese
Classic Grilled Cheese Sandwich (25791331763) (cropped).jpg
Cross section of a grilled cheese sandwich
Place of originMultiple origins
Main ingredients Cheese, bread
Ingredients generally used Butter, margarine, mayonnaise
Variations Cheese dream
Other informationTraditionally served with tomato soup

A grilled cheese, sometimes known as a toasted sandwich, cheese toastie (UK), or jaffle (AU), is a hot cheese sandwich typically prepared by heating slices of cheese between slices of bread with a cooking fat such as butter or mayonnaise on a frying pan, griddle, or sandwich toaster, until the bread browns and the cheese melts. Despite its name, the sandwich is rarely prepared through grilling; it is most often pan-fried.

Contents

History

The 1861 English recipe book Mrs. Beeton's Book of Household Management includes a recipe for placing sandwiches of brown bread and butter with 1⁄2-inch (13 mm) slices of "a nice fat Cheshire or any good rich cheese" into an oven, and serving when the bread becomes toasted. [1]

The cheese dream, an open-faced grilled cheese sandwich, became popular in the U.S. during the Great Depression. [2] U.S. government cookbooks describe Navy cooks broiling "American cheese filling sandwiches" during World War II. [3]

Preparation

A grilled cheese made with American cheese served with a bowl of tomato soup Grilled cheese with soup.jpg
A grilled cheese made with American cheese served with a bowl of tomato soup
A gourmet grilled cheese made with sharp cheddar cheese, walnut bread and butter Grilledcheese.jpg
A gourmet grilled cheese made with sharp cheddar cheese, walnut bread and butter

A grilled cheese sandwich is made by placing a cheese filling, often cheddar or American cheese, between two slices of bread, which is then put on a pan to heat until the bread browns and the cheese melts. A layer of butter or mayonnaise is usually added to the outside of the bread for additional flavor and texture. Alternatives may include additional ingredients such as peppers, tomatoes, or onions. [4]

A grilled cheese may also be made in a sandwich toaster, particularly in the United Kingdom where the dish is normally called a toasted cheese sandwich or cheese toastie. [5]

Retail

Some restaurants, food carts, and food trucks in the United States specialize in the grilled cheese sandwich. The Grilled Cheese Grill restaurants were a combination of reclaimed vehicle and food cart restaurants that focused on gourmet grilled cheese sandwiches in Portland, Oregon. [6] The Grilled Cheese Truck is an American food truck company serving gourmet "chef driven" grilled cheese sandwiches. [7]

Microwavable frozen toasted sandwiches are available in supermarkets in a variety of locations. One example is the McCain Micro Toastie, which was launched in supermarkets in the UK in 2002. [8]

See also

References

  1. ↑ Beeton, Isabella Mary (1861). The Book of Household Management. London : S.O. Beeton. p. 817. Retrieved 28 May 2024.
  2. ↑ Marty Meitus (January 3, 1999). "Old faithful grilled cheese, a depression-era standby, has returned". Rocky Mountain News. During the Depression, when Sunday Night Suppers became a popular way to entertain, the cheese dream began to appear on dining tables from coast to coast.
  3. ↑ Olver, Lynne. "Food Timeline — history notes: sandwiches". The Food Timeline . Retrieved March 18, 2008.
  4. ↑ "50 Grilled Cheese". Food Network. Archived from the original on April 30, 2016. Retrieved May 1, 2016.
  5. ↑ Naylor, Tony (March 13, 2014). "Break out the Breville: it's time for a toastie". The Guardian. Retrieved January 7, 2024.
  6. ↑ Edge, J.T. (2012). The Truck Food Cookbook: 150 Recipes and Ramblings from America's Best Restaurants on Wheels. Workman Publishing Company. p. 198. ISBN   978-0-7611-7118-8.
  7. ↑ Elliott, F. (2015). Los Angeles Street Food: A History from Tamaleros to Taco Trucks. American Palate. Arcadia Publishing Incorporated. p. 102. ISBN   978-1-62585-516-9.
  8. ↑ "McCain poised to launch first microwaveable toastie". Marketing Week. September 26, 2002. Retrieved June 27, 2022.
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