Best Grilled Cheese Sandwich (One Pan)
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Quick and easy grilled cheese sandwich recipe, homemade with simple ingredients in one pan over stovetop in 10 minutes. Slathered in mayonnaise, crispy on the outside, ooey gooey cheesy inside. Loaded with American cheese and Cheddar cheese.
There is nothing more comforting than today’s recipe. It is all things decadent, warm, cheesy, and full of flavor.
Love this sandwich? Then you should also try my Loose Meat Sandwich (Tavern Sandwich) or this Mediterranean Veggie Sandwich (One Pan) for a variety of sandwich tastes.
How to make grilled cheese sandwich on stovetop? In microwave? In oven?
Stovetop
- Prep pan– Heat a nonstick pan over Low heat.
- Prep bread– While the pan is heating, spread mayonnaise on one side of each slice of bread.
- Toast bread– Place one slice on the heated pan, mayonnaise side down. Top it off with a slice of American cheese and shredded cheddar cheese.
- Add seasoning– Sprinkle some garlic powder and black pepper.
- Cover cheese– Place the other slice of bread on top of all the cheese, mayonnaise side out.
- Grill it- Until the bottom bread is golden brown.
- Flip it– Grill the other side until golden brown too.
- Enjoy– Serve immediately.
Microwave
- Prep the bread– Spread mayonnaise or butter on the outside of 2 slices of bread.
- Assemble it– Add American and shredded cheddar cheese to one slice.
- Add flavor– Sprinkle with garlic and black powder. Then, place the other slice of bread on top of the cheese.
- Wrap it– Wrap the sandwich in a paper towel. This keeps the bread from getting too soggy.
- Microwave it– 15-20 seconds is best time frame to allows the cheese to melt fully.
Oven
- Prep the bread– Spread mayonnaise the outside of 2 slices of bread.
- Assemble it– Add American and shredded cheddar cheese to one slice.
- Add flavor– Sprinkle with garlic and black powder. Then, place the other slice of bread on top.
- Bake it- Bake it on a sheet pan at 450 degrees for 4-5 minutes. Then, flip the sandwich and bake for another 4-5 minutes until the bread is crispy and golden brown and cheese is fully melted.
What to serve with grilled cheese sandwich recipe?
These sandwiches are perfect to dip in soup. Here are a few of my favorites: Roasted Red Pepper Soup (One Pot), or Tomato Basil Soup Recipe (One Pot), or Carrot Ginger Soup (One Pot).
They also go perfectly with a simple green salad. Try this Strawberry Spinach Salad With Poppyseed Dressing (One Bowl) or this Cherry Tomato Salad (One Bowl) for a great combo.
Roasted vegetables are always a fantastic and healthy side dish. Try these Oven Roasted Vegetables (One Pan) or Oven Roasted Asparagus (One Pan).
You can also enjoy it as is without anything on the side.
What is the best cheese for grilled cheese sandwiches?
The classic version is made with just American cheese. However, I like to add cheddar cheese to add extra flavor and richness. You can use any type of sliced or shredded cheese you like such as Gruyere, mozzarella, pimento cheese, parmesan, blue cheese, monterey jack or even white cheddar. Use a variety of cheeses together to add your own unique flavor.
What is the best bread for this sandwich?
Choose firm, sturdy, high quality crusty bread such as a loaf of thickly sliced white bakery bread, sourdough, multigrain, ciabatta or pumpernickel.
What can you add to a grilled cheese sandwich?
Ham– Add slices of cooked ham for a heartier sandwich.
Mac and cheese– Add Mac and Cheese (One Pot) to the sandwich and grill according to the instructions below. This gives it a gourmet touch.
Bacon- It can be crumbled or sliced but has to be cooked first.
Pepperoni– Add cooked pepperoni for a pizza version.
Jalapeno popper– Add slices of jalapeno, some cream cheese instead of cheddar cheese.
Pesto– Spread a thin layer of my homemade Basil Pesto Sauce (Blender) or a store-bought pesto on each slice (the non-mayonnaise side).
Guacamole– Spread a thick layer to add flavor and creaminess.
Eggs– Add a fried egg into the sandwich for a gooey and rich addition of flavor and protein.
Sloppy joes– Add leftover Instant Pot Sloppy Joes.
BLT– Add Bacon, fresh Lettuce, and tomato for a fun spin.
Sun dried tomatoes and basil– Chop sun-dried tomatoes and add that, along with freshly chopped basil to give it an Italian flavor profile.
Garlic bread– Add minced garlic to the mayo and then spread onto the bread for added favor or you can just use thick crusty garlic bread instead of regular bread.
Vegetables– Add roasted vegetables such as eggplant, bell peppers, or zucchini.
Caramelized onions– This almost turns it into a gourmet sandwich. Be sure to pair it with Gruyere or Jarlsberg cheese.
Tips and Techniques
Butter vs. Mayonnaise- I highly recommend mayo because it’s rich, creamy, easy to spread, browns and crisps perfectly without burning and without being super greasy.
Use full fat cheese– Because this provides the best flavor, richness and gooeyness.
Use nonstick pan– Because this prevents the bread from sticking to the pan and burning.
Use low heat– Because this prevents the bread from burning and allows the cheese to melt fully.
Use other seasonings- I only added a bit of garlic powder and black pepper. You can adjust their quantities or or omit altogether. Instead, you can also add a little Italian seasoning, Greek seasoning or Mexican taco seasoning for a different flavor twist.
Why is my sandwich soggy? This can occur from too much moisture on the bread. Use slightly less mayonnaise. It can also happen when the pan is not hot enough.
How to reheat sandwiches? Reheat in a microwave or stovetop. Heating in microwave tends to make the bread soggy. I recommend reheating on stovetop because it makes the bread crispy again.
More One Pot Vegetarian Recipes
- Best Cheese Quesadilla (One Pan)
- Eggplant Pizza (One Pan)
- Creamy Spinach Pasta (One Pot)
- Vegetarian Quesadilla (One Pan)
One Pan Grilled Cheese Sandwich
Ingredients
- 2 slices White bread, Or sourdough bread
- 1 tbsp Mayonnaise, Full fat
- 1 slice American cheese, Full fat
- 1 tbsp Cheddar cheese, Shredded
- 1/8 tsp Garlic powder, Or to taste
- 1/8 tsp Black pepper , Or to taste
Instructions
- Heat a nonstick pan over Low heat.
- While the pan is heating, spread mayonnaise on one side of each slice of bread.
- Place one slice on the heated pan, mayonnaise side down.
- Top it off with a slice of American cheese and shredded cheddar cheese.
- Sprinkle some garlic powder and black pepper.
- Place the other slice of bread on top of all the cheese, mayonnaise side out.
- Grill until the bottom bread is golden brown.
- Then, flip and grill the other side until golden brown too.
- Serve immediately and enjoy!
Notes
- Read all my tips above.
- Tastes best and crispy when served immediately but leftovers can be stored in a sealed container in the fridge for up to 2 days and reheated in the microwave or stovetop.Â
Nutrition
Happy cooking everyone!
One star off for the advice to use mayo. Some things should just not be done on principal. For me that is the sin of using mayonaise to make your grilled cheese. But other than that, I love all the recommendations to spice things up.