Grilled Cheese

Why grilled cheese is great

Is there a more perfect sandwich than grilled cheese? It's got both the gooey goodness of melted cheese and the crunchy warmth of toasted bread. And a grilled cheese sandwich doesn't ask a lot of you – it's inexpensive and simple to make. It's easy-going, too. Do your kids only eat white bread and Monterey Jack cheese? No problem. Does your spouse love rye bread and edam? Grilled cheese is down with that. You've only got brick cheese and pumpernickel in the house? Okay, that sounds a little weird, but grilled cheese is up for anything.

Here in Wisconsin, we have whole families of super melty cheeses that are great for grilled cheese sandwiches. Which is a good thing, because we have whole families of Wisconsinites who would eat grilled cheese morning, noon, and night if they could.

Check out the grilled cheese recipe ideas on our website or scroll down for some instant inspiration for your next grilled cheese sandwich.

The art of grilled cheese

The basics of grilled cheese are simple: a melting cheese layered between two slices of buttered bread. Sauté it in a pan, heat it under a broiler or bake it in the oven and you've got a meal that will warm your stomach and your soul.

But the great thing about grilled cheese is the infinite number of ways you can prepare it. Here are just a few of the best-grilled cheese ideas in our recipe box.

• Shrimp Nacho Grilled Cheese, with cheddar and Monterey Jack melted on sourdough bread and topped with shrimp, slices of orange bell pepper, and crushed tortilla chips.
• The Countryside Picnic Grilled Cheese, with Emmentaler and young gouda cheese on freshly baked crescent rolls with bacon, chopped apples, sweet onion, baby arugula, and thin slices of plum.
• Roasted Tomato Grilled Cheese, with cheddar and butterkäse on whole wheat bread topped with tomatoes roasted with olive oil, salt, and pepper.
• The Grilled Cheese Curd Sandwich, with cheddar cheese and cheese curds melted on a hearty country white bread.
• The Fancy Nancy Grilled Cheese, with blue cheese and fresh mozzarella on sourdough bread with bacon, mayo, pesto, and a drizzle of balsamic vinegar glaze.
• Bananas Foster Grilled Cheese, with cream cheese and mascarpone cheese melted on brioche that's dipped in a mixture of banana, brandy, brown sugar, milk, egg and vanilla, and then heated in a skillet like French toast.

See? Any sandwich that can do all that is a real keeper.

Why Wisconsin loves grilled cheese

Wisconsinites love a grilled cheese sandwich for the same reasons the rest of the world does - it's basically a perfect food. But we also love grilled cheese because its simplicity really lets our Wisconsin cheeses take the lead. And boy were our cheeses were born to shine.

You may not know this, but Wisconsin is pretty much the promised land when it comes to cheese. Cheesemakers from all over the world arrived here in our fertile dairyland in the 18th century and have been making the world's best cheese for 175 years. Today, we have the only Master Cheesemaker program in the world apart from one in Switzerland. About 90% of the milk from our dairy farms goes into the cheesemaking process, which is why we produce more styles, flavors, and varieties of cheese than anywhere else in the world.

So next time you want to thrill your taste buds or comfort your soul with an awesome grilled cheese sandwich, make sure you're melting Wisconsin cheese on your bread of choice.