I wish my mom was here today because April 12th is National Grilled Cheese Sandwich Day #GrilledCheeseSandwichDay. My mom used to love Grilled Cheese Sandwiches with Kraft American Cheese lots of Butter on Mrs. Beards White (Light) Bread with Pickles on the side. Don’t forget her Best Maid Hamburger Pickles or you wouldn’t hear the end of it.
I also love Grilled Cheese and have cooked the in the over but there isn’t anything like a Grilled Cheese cooked on the stove is there? If I had Cheese for dinner I think I would have a Grilled Cheese this evening with no, pickles.
Mine would be a Traditional Grilled Cheese but Charlie and David would want to add Black Forest Ham to there Grilled Cheese. David would have Pickles with his if we had any. As for Charlie he might or might not have Pickles. What about you. Do you like Grilled Cheese Sandwiches? May or Butter? Pickles or no, Pickles and why?
Crispy Bread and Melted Cheese. How can something that tastes so good be this simple? I would like to invite you to celebrate National Grilled Cheese Sandwich Day with my family on April 12th! Food historians and experts tell us that cultures around the world have been enjoying Cheese on Bread since ancient times. The modern Grilled Cheese Sandwich that we enjoy today originated in the 1920s.
While we don’t know the creator of Grilled Cheese Sandwiches, we owe its success to Otto Frederick Rohwedder, who invented the Bread slicer during the Industrial Revolution. His invention made dividing Bread into even slices easier and more affordable.
Luckily, shortly before the Bread slicer was perfected, James L. Kraft created processed Cheese. This meant that Cheese could be transported over long distances and not spoil. Each significant in their own way, both inventions revolutionized Sandwiches forever!
The questions is who was the genius behind grilling the combination of Cheese and Bread to create the Grilled Cheese Sandwich? According to government-issued cookbooks, surprisingly it is the American Navy who thought of it or, at the very least, were the first to publish the recipe. Hundreds of “American Cheese-filled Sandwiches” were prepared by Navy Chefs for Military personnel during World War II.
Did you know the term ‘Grilled Cheese’ was coined in the 1960s when the second slice of Bread was added to the top of Grilled Cheese. Other popular names were Cheese Toasty and Toasted Cheese Sandwiches.
National Grilled Cheese Sandwich Day Activities
- There is no better way to celebrate National Grilled Cheese Sandwich Day than by getting your Grilled Cheese Sandwich on. !
- Cut Grilled Cheese Sandwiches into cute little triangles and put them on a warm platter next to a plate of “finger food” Veggies for perfect party munchies. You could even set up a pot of Cheese Fondue and a platter of Toasted Bread so everyone makes their own melty Cheese Sandwiches at the table.
- If you have the means and the opportunity today grill your significant other’s favorite Cheese Sandwich for a warm and gooey surprise romantic dinner. Give yourself points for picking the right Wine or Craft Beer to pair with it.
FACTS ABOUT GRILLED CHEESE SANDWICHES
- Did you know Mayo is the secret sauce that makes Grilled Cheese Sandwiches creamy from the inside. I don’t know about you but no, Mayo for me. I only want Butter.
- Did you know Grilled Cheese Sandwiches were originally called a Cheese Dream.
- A Grilled Cheese Sandwich is often accompanied by Tomato Soup.
- The Ancient Romans were the first civilization to bake Bread and combine it with Cheese.
- In Switzerland, it is customary to toast the Bread and melt the Cheese separately before combining them. If you ask me that’s to much work.
Why people Love National Grilled Cheese Sandwich Day
Grilled Cheese Sandwiches offer an opportunity to explore the Cheese case however it is set up by texture, by Country, or by variety the Cheese case is your friend. Go through it systematically and choose Cheese combinations that will elevate your Grilled Cheese experience.
Grilled Cheese Sandwiches remind us of having your mom make you Grilled Cheese Sandwiches for lunch; then, being a little older and craving something warm, and deciding that Grilled Cheese counts as cooking. The funny part is I don’t remember my mom making Grilled Cheese Sandwiches for me but I remember making them for my mom.
Grilled Cheese and Tomato Soup is the most classic combination, but Grilled Cheese Sandwiches seems to go well with all kinds of Soup, Salad, and Milkshakes and remember the salty Sandwich makes any meal better. Here is fun fact about David one of his favorite meals is Grilled Cheese Sandwiches with Tomato Soup. Do you like Tomato Soup? I will eat it sometimes but not a lot. As for Charlie he refuses to try Tomato Soup and the schools Grilled Cheese Sandwiches has turned Charlie off them and he will not try them unless they have Ham. Crazy kid.
Grilled Cheese Sandwiches
Level: Easy Yield: 1 serving
Total: 10 min Active: 10 min
Ingredients
2 ounces sliced melting cheese (about 2 slices), such as American, Cheddar, muenster, Havarti, Swiss, fontina, Mozzarella, Monterey jack, pepper jack, provolone
2 slices bread, such as white, rye, brioche, sourdough, potato, whole wheat, pumpernickel
1 tablespoon fat, such as mayonnaise, butter or olive, chili or coconut oil
Directions
- Oven method (great for a crowd of six or fewer): Put a rimmed baking sheet on the middle rack of the oven and preheat to 450 degrees F. Make one sandwich per person: Sandwich 2 slices of cheese between 2 slices of bread. Spread or brush the outside of the sandwich with 1 tablespoon of fat. Place on the preheated baking sheet and cook until the cheese starts to melt, about 5 minutes. Flip the sandwich and bake until golden brown, an additional 5 minutes.
- Panini press method (for crispy crunchy sandwich that needs minimal attention): Sandwich 2 slices of cheese between 2 slices of bread. Preheat a panini press to medium heat. Spread or brush the outside of the sandwich with 1 tablespoon of fat and place in the press. Close the top and cook until lightly browned and the cheese is melted, 5 to 6 minutes.
- Skillet method (fool-proof and low-tech): Sandwich 2 slices of cheese between 2 slices of bread. Preheat a skillet over medium-low heat. Spread or brush the outside of the sandwich with 1 tablespoon of fat and cook until lightly browned, 3 to 4 minutes. Flip the sandwich, and continue cooking until browned and the cheese is melted, 3 to 4 minutes more.
Great combos:
1. Pepper jack and sourdough, brushed with chili oil
2. American and white bread, brushed with butter
3. Swiss and rye, brushed with mayo
4. Cheddar and brioche, brushed with butter
Thank you,
Glenda, Charlie and David Cates
