I’m a sucker for a grilled cheese. As far back as I can remember, it’s been one of my go-to comfort foods. In college, I pretty much lived on them (although of course I dredged them through a river of ranch dressing back then). This one isn’t anything revolutionary, but I needed to share my new favorite way to make grilled sandwiches. This may not be new to many of you, but it is to me, and it ups the deliciousness quotient so exponentially that it’s worth paying it forward just in case any of you haven’t learned about this yet.
It turns out the secret to an amazing grilled cheese is something you probably already have in your fridge. It’s an inexpensive kitchen staple, and when I heard about this I smacked my forehead and exclaimed, “of course!”
Do you want to know what the humble secret ingredient is?
Mayonnaise.
That’s it. Plain old mayonnaise. At first, it might sound gross, but wait – think about it. Mayonnaise is eggs and oil – that’s it. And what gives French toast that beautiful crisped brown crust that makes it so amazing? Eggs.
What’s so great about this isn’t just that crispy crunch we get – it’s also that it’s even. We’re all used to trying to use smear ice-cold butter across the outside of our bread before slapping it into a hot pan, which usually doesn’t end as well as we hope.
Mayo can be spread perfectly evenly, which allows for a completely consistent toasting of the bread – no more having to pull it off the pan before it’s done because the butter is burning in some spots. You cook this for a little longer over lower heat, and the result is the most perfect grilled cheese you can imagine.
Now back to this specific sandwich – I made this using some leftover roasted green tomatoes, and oh, was it good. The tomatoes were smoky and flavorful, and the sharp cheddar cheese was a great complement to their subtle sweetness (of course, once you start using mayo for your grilled cheese, you could probably cook up some cheese and an old shoe between two slices of bread and it’d still be good).
If you haven’t tried the mayo method for grilled cheese – do it. You won’t be disappointed.
- 1 large or 2 small green tomatoes
- 1 Tbsp olive oil
- Salt & pepper to taste
- 2 slices bread of your choice
- 1 Tbsp mayonnaise
- 3 ounces sharp cheddar cheese, sliced or shredded
- Preheat oven to 300 F. Slice tomatoes and place on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper or foil. Drizzle with olive oil, season with salt and pepper, and cook for 1 hour, tossing once, until soft and tender. Remove and let cool.
- Spread 1½ tsp of mayo on each slice of bread. Place cheddar evenly on non-mayo side of one slice, then layer tomatoes on top. Place the other slice of bread on top of the cheese and tomatoes, mayo side facing out so it will make contact with the skillet.
- Heat a small skillet over medium-low heat. Place sandwich in the skillet and press down on the top piece of bread with a spatula. Cook for 3-5 minutes, until the bottom of the sandwich is browned and crispy. Flip sandwich over and cook for another 3 minutes, until browned. Serve immediately.
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