Ultimate Grilled Cheese

Yesterday I made homemade Tomato Soup. Nothing pairs better with Tomato Soup than a grilled cheese. I wanted to create the ultimate grilled cheese. To do that I had to take a trip to the supermarket. I wanted a nice thick crust so I started with a Rustic Wheat Bread. Hand sliced to perfection. Then I picked up the only ripe tomato available in all of DC. Finally I spent a little time in the cheese department. The base was Mozzarella. Great flavor and melts wonderfully. Next came the nice cured Manchego cheese. This sheep’s milk cheese melts great when shredded and has an amazing creamy texture and a slight salty taste. Perfect for a grilled cheese. Finally came the Gruyere. A cow’s milk cheese that has a great texture and flavor that works well with the other cheeses used in this Ultimate Grilled Cheese.

I love grilled cheese and this is the best I have had.

The Ultimate Grilled Cheese

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. Preheat a cast iron skillet or heavy bottom oven safe skillet over medium heat.

Slice the loaf of bread into 3/4 inch slices. Next butter one side of each of the slices.

Top the non-buttered side of one of the slices with the mozzarella cheese. Then layer a couple of slices of tomato onto the bread.

Place the slice of bread, buttered side down onto the preheated skillet. Then top the tomato with the Manchego and Gruyere cheeses. This will make it so that you don’t waste too much cheese bringing the sandwich to the skillet.

Finally top the sandwich with the other half of the bread. Making sure that the buttered side is up.

Cook for 5-6 minutes or until the bottom is golden brown. When it is golden flip the sandwich and place the skillet in the oven. The heavy bottom skillet will retain the heat and will brown the bottom of the sandwich. The oven will heat the rest of the ingredients making sure that the cheese in the center is melted and warmed. Nothing is worse than a grilled cheese with un-melted cheese.

Cut in half and serve. This is the perfect sandwich to eat with a nice bowl of tomato soup.

— Rex

Ultimate Grilled Cheese

The ultimate gourmet grilled cheese with three premium cheeses, fresh tomato, and rustic wheat bread. Perfectly crispy and melted.

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Prep Time 10 minutes mins

Cook Time 15 minutes mins

Total Time 25 minutes mins

Servings: 1 sandwich

Course: Appetizer, Lunch

Cuisine: American

Ingredients Method Notes

Ingredients

  

• 2 slices rustic wheat bread 3/4 inch thick
• Butter preferably spreadable
• Mozzarella cheese shredded or sliced
• Manchego cheese shredded
• Gruyere cheese shredded
• 1 tomato sliced

Method

 

1. Preheat oven to 400°F. Preheat a cast iron or heavy-bottom oven-safe skillet over medium heat.
2. Slice bread into 3/4 inch slices. Butter one side of each slice evenly for best browning.
3. Top the non-buttered side of one slice with mozzarella cheese.
4. Layer tomato slices on top of the mozzarella.
5. Place the slice buttered-side down onto the preheated skillet.
6. Top the tomato with shredded Manchego and Gruyere cheeses.
7. Top with the second slice of bread, buttered-side up.
8. Cook for 5-6 minutes until the bottom is golden brown.
9. Flip the sandwich and place the skillet in the oven for 5-7 minutes until cheese is fully melted and top is golden.
10. Remove from skillet, cut in half, and serve immediately with tomato soup.

Notes

A heavy-bottom cast iron skillet ensures even browning and heat retention. Finish in the oven to ensure all cheeses are fully melted throughout the sandwich.