Good Food with Evan Kleiman: The American Grilled Cheese Sandwich

April is National Grilled Cheese Month! Evan Kleiman has Laura Werlin, author of Great Grilled Cheese, on the show to talk about the history of this sandwich and to share a few recipes. What's your favorite version of grilled cheese?

There are two possible origin stories for our beloved grilled cheese sandwich according to Laura Werlin. One is that it was a British open-faced sandwich of bread and cheese briefly toasted under the broiler, which the Brits call a "grill." The other story gives credit to the Kraft Cheese Company, which popularized the stove-top version with their perfectly shaped and perfectly melty single-slice American cheese.

Werlin also points out the almost every culture that has dairy as part of their diet also has some version of a grilled cheese sandwich. The Mexicans have quesadillas, the French have the croque monsieur, and the Italians have paninis. Even the Welsh have rarebit, which Werlin describes as "grilled cheese meets fondue"!

So is there a definitive All-American Grilled Cheese Sandwich? Werlin gives nostalgia points to the Kraft Cheese and Wonderbread version that featured heavily in many of our childhood meals, but beyond that, it's all about what you love. These days, Werlin prefers grilled cheeses made with American artisan cheese and high quality bread to match.

What kind of grilled cheese do you go for: old-fashioned or fancied-up?

• Listen to the entire interview and hear the rest of this episode of Good Food on the Good Food website!

(Image: Flickr member House of Sims licensed under Creative Commons)

Comments (32)

Ooooh, yum... Rye bread with sharp cheddar cheese, hands down. Though my husband likes soft rolls with spicy cheese.

Sharp cheddar on sesame Ezekiel bread, buttered and toasted in an iron skillet. Cheddar on rye would be my first runner-up.

Good ol' Kraft singles.

cheddar and sliced apples.
Or Kraft singles on Texas Toast.

sharp cheddar and avocado on my local organic bakery's multigrain bread.
mmmmmm.

I'm a sucker for old-fashioned diner grilled cheese, but we're doing a whole month of grilled cheese recipes on Pithy and Cleaver, and some of them are definitely fancied up. Goat cheese with prosciutto and honey...smoked mozzarella with maple-caramelized bacon...Cornbread, poblano, and spicy cheddar...it's been a fun month!
http://www.pithyandcleaver.com/

about a week ago I was in the car listening to an audio book when one of the characters mentioned eating a grilled cheese sandwich -- The craving for one came on so strong you'd have thought I was pregnant. My mouth watered so much it hurt and all I could think of was grilled cheese, grilled cheese, grilled cheese. Mmmmm. I love fancy and plain ol' plain ol' --- sourdough w/ cheddar and spicy deli mustard on the side.... I know what's for lunch now.

PS -- It's funny, growing up we were more likely to have grilled cheese with a hearty wheat bread and sharp cheddar, since my mom tried to make us eat as little processed food as possible. But she had a soft spot for Kraft singles and once in awhile would buy them as a "treat" and we'd make cheesy scrambled eggs for breakfast, and grilled cheese on white for lunch, and broccoli with cheese at dinner.

I know what I'm having for lunch now! My favourite version is using thick, soft white french bread from the local bakery, slathered with mustard pickles, and Velveeta cheese slices. Mmmmmmmmmm!

monterey jack on sandwich wheat, sometimes with tomato. I always have to remind myself that less is more or I end up putting way too much cheese on the sandwich. One fairly thin slice really is plenty.

I am going to have to have this for lunch now too! The photo definitely got my cravings going.

Mmmm... I love the traditional kind, maybe with some deli ham in there. But I also have a fondness for a brie and jam grilled cheese.

Any kind of cheese slice I can get my hands on (and some undignified combinations there of) and some nice slices of plum tomato.

Mmm.

Our fire house uses a solid 12-grain bread sharp cheddar, bacon, onions, tomato, mustard (grainy for most), and hot or sweet peppers.

My perfect grilled cheese sandwich would probably be sourdough bread, provolone cheese, and some sliced tomatoes.

And it would go with creamy tomato soup.

crusty rosemary bread with gruyere, slightly underripe pear, and a generous handful of spring greens added after frying.

Traditional grilled cheese sandwich with a small dish of picante sauce served on the side. Or, depending on my mood---tiny sweet gherkins :) With apple slices dipped in melted peanut butter for dessert.

There's a deli in nearby oak park (outside chicago) that serves a grill cheese made with swiss and harvarti on rye bread with grilled onions and garlic mayo in the center and it is outstanding. Okay, now I'm hungry.

I love adding hummus to my grilled cheese and letting the cheese and hummus ooze out to get a little charred. Any kind of spice, but I favor chipotle powder.

Nancy Silverton has a wonderful book on this subject, based on the infamous "tartine bar" aka Grilled Cheese Night at Campanile in Los Angeles.

Anytime I have cheese (literally... ANY cheese) that I fear will turn I'll throw it all between some toast with sliced tomatoes, whip up some tomato soup and serve it in the adorable soup/sandwich plates. It's definitely my comfort food so I find myself with a lot of "almost bad" cheese. ;)
http://www.uncommongoods.com/item/item.jsp?source=family&itemId=14811

Oh and I definitely spread both slices of bread with pesto before toasting... it goes a long way, especially if you have fresh mozzarella.

In the story, "rarebit" should be "rabbit." The name of the dish is Welsh rabbit, a sly joke. "Rarebit" is simply wrong, though all too often used, primarily by those who didn't get the joke.

Count me among the "fancied up" fans; my husband makes divine grilled cheese sandwiches with combinations I would never think to come up with. I haven't had a Kraft single in years but with a toddler at home, think they may be in my future.

My absolute all-time favourite is the French Croque Monsieur:

rye bread topped with ham topped with a little bechamel sauce topped with grated gruyere cheese - grill it - enjoy

PS: with an egg on top (also grilled) you have what they call a Croque Madame...

My favorite post-Hollywood-Farmers-Market Sunday sandwich! Fresh goat cheese from Soledad Goats (either lavender & lemon or herb & spring onion) on Jack Bezian's zucchini onion sourdough bread drizzled with Frantoia olive oil. I think I'll call it the Ivar & Selma.

I do love grilled cheese sandwiches, but I prefer them to be fairly plain. Some decent sandwich bread, buttered and sprinkled with garlic salt, with sliced cheddar. Swiss varieties and havarti (especially dill havarti!) are good filler too. And I've always loved a hot ham and cheese.

But please, no tomatoes. Definitely no lettuce. (A little kosher dill pickle slice might not be amiss, tho, on a ham and cheese.)

And -ohhellnonononono- no kraft singles or velveeta.

ETA- I take that back about the tomatoes. Café GelatOhhh! in Savannah makes a sandwich they call a puccini which is like caprese salad on a panini. And it is soooo good, but they use buffalo mozzarella.

Cinnamon raisin bread with american cheese. mmm. I haven't bought american cheese in a really long time. It started becoming difficult to find something that was called "cheese" vs "cheese food". haha.

My boyfriend practically lives on the stuff. His pick is hearty whole grain bread with slightly-fancier-than-kraft american cheese. Also, he pretty much always burns them a bit, but I don't know if that is preference or forgetfulness. I personally like them with Italian bread, mostly any type of cheese, and lots of butter! Always to be served with tomato soup for dipping. I still long for the ones we used to get in my school cafeteria, crispy and oh so greasy.

OMG I haven't had grilled cheese in forever. Cheddar cheese (American? uf! Okay, I may have liked it at one point in my life) on white bread with Cambell's tomato soup would be the comfort version. Right now I'm wanting brie and pears on a crusty French bread. I don't think I've ever actually made one. I just heard about it and want it occasionally.

Does anyone remember what cheese was used in the gourmet one from The Devil Wears Prada?

BTW 'panini' is the plural form already. A single sandwich is a panino.

whytephoenix, it's Jarlsberg cheese (that movie is such a guilty pleasure of mine).

My favorite version of grilled cheese is slicing a sourdough roll into two flat pieces, stick a slice or two of colby jack cheese between them, and fry it in a pan of unsalted butter. The best!

Any cheese on any bread, with the bread buttered on both sides and pan-fried crisp - topped with plenty of warm marinara sauce.

This post is amazing! So many new ideas!