A grilled cheese sandwich served with tomato soup.

A grilled cheese sandwich (also known as a cheese toastie or toasted cheese sandwich) is usually a form of toasted or fried sandwich that consists of two slices of bread, usually buttered, and cheese melted in between. There are various methods of preparation which vary depending on taste and convention. In the United States, it is most common for the assembled sandwich to be buttered on the outside and placed on a griddle, pan, cast iron skillet, or rarely, in a dedicated sandwich maker to be heated.^[1] Once the bread on the bottom half of the sandwich has reached a toast-like texture, the sandwich is flipped and continues cooking until the other side has toasted and the cheese has melted. Another method is to butter one slice of bread on both sides, grill the bottom side until the butter melts, then flip. Wait for the inside to be grilled, flip and add the cheese. Then butter the other slice of bread and grill, then place the slices of bread together. In the United Kingdom the sandwich would most commonly be grilled either under a grill (broiler) or, more usually, in a toasted sandwich maker, and possibly open-faced as cheese on toast. In the UK, the sandwich would not normally be cooked in the American fashion, using a frying pan. Image File history File linksMetadata Download high-resolution version (914x784, 297 KB) I took this picture. ... Image File history File linksMetadata Download high-resolution version (914x784, 297 KB) I took this picture. ... Tomato soup is a soup made from tomatoes. ... This article does not cite any references or sources. ... Cheese is a solid food made from the milk of cows, goats, sheep, and other mammals. ... cast-iron iron enamel stainless steel The cooking pan is a type of food preparation utensil commonly found in the kitchen which includes many more specific cooking vessels such as saucepans and frying pans (or fry pans). ... “Skillet” redirects here. ... Grill or grills may refer to: In food: Grill (cooking), a device or surface used for cooking food, usually fueled by gas or charcoal. ... A photo of an opened Bifinett sandwich toaster. ... Welsh rabbit — or rarebit — is a traditional Welsh snack, comparable to toasted cheese. ... “Skillet” redirects here. ...

Cheddar is most commonly used. In the US it is traditional to use American cheese,^[1] but other cheeses such as gouda, Velveeta and Swiss are also used. Some people choose to put mayonnaise on their sandwich before cooking. It may be supplemented with additional ingredients, most notably bacon and/or tomato, but also avocado, tuna, lunchmeat, sliced ham, pickles, herbs, spices, and condiments such as mustard, tomato sauce, or Worcestershire sauce. It is traditionally accompanied by tomato soup.^[1] Some recipes call for grilled cheese sandwiches to be served with ketchup as a condiment. Country of origin England Region, town Somerset, Cheddar Source of milk Cows, rarely Goats Pasteurised Frequently Texture hard/semi-hard Aging time 3–30 months depending on variety Certification West Country farmhouse Cheddar Only: PDO Cheddar cheese is a fairly hard, pale yellow to orange, sharp-tasting cheese originating from... American cheese American cheese is a common processed cheese marketed by Kraft Foods, Borden, and other companies in the United States, and to some extent elsewhere. ... Country of origin The Netherlands Region, town Gouda Source of milk Cows Pasteurized Yes Texture semi-hard Aging time 4-18 months Certification  ?? Gouda cheese is a yellowish Dutch cheese named after the city of Gouda. ... Country of origin United States Region, town Source of milk Cow Pasteurised Yes Texture soft, rubbery Aging time n/a Certification Velveeta is a brand name of processed cheese first made in 1918 by Swiss immigrant Emil Frey of the Monroe Cheese Company in Monroe, New York. ... For other uses, see Bacon (disambiguation). ... For other uses, see Tomato (disambiguation). ... 1900 advertisement Worcestershire sauce (IPA: (wuster-shur or wuster-sheer)) is a widely used fermented liquid condiment originally manufactured by Lea & Perrins, in Midland Road, Worcester, England. ... Tomato soup is a soup made from tomatoes. ... For other uses, see Ketchup (disambiguation). ...

The grilled cheese sandwich is a variation on the very old combination of bread and cheese. The modern grilled cheese sandwich (American cheese and sliced white bread) began in the 1920s as an open sandwich. The additional slice of bread became common in the 1960s. In the early 1970s, a Canadian restaurant owner by the name of Dach Johnston was credited for the addition of bacon to the sandwich; however, evidence of this has not yet been proven.^[1] A loaf of white bread White bread is bread constructed from wheat flour from which the bran and germ have been removed, in contrast to whole wheat bread made from whole wheat flour, in which these parts are retained and contribute a brownish color. ... The 1920s is sometimes referred to as the Jazz Age or the Roaring Twenties, usually when speaking about the United States. ... Baguette and rugbrød open sandwiches An open sandwich, also known as an open face sandwich or open faced sandwich, is a sandwich consisting of one slice of bread with one or more food items on top of it. ... The 1960s decade refers to the years from the beginning of 1960 to the end of 1969. ... The 1970s decade refers to the years from 1970 to 1979, also called The Seventies. ...

The grilled cheese sandwich has grown rapidly in popularity during recent years, largely as a result of the Grilled Cheese Invitational. The Grilled Cheese Invitational is a cook-off held yearly in Los Angeles, California where contestants attempt to cook the best grilled cheese sandwich in various categories. There is also an award for the overall most creative grilled cheese sandwich, called the "Spaz Award."^{[citation needed]}

See also

• Virgin Mary grilled cheese sandwich - A grilled cheese sandwich contained a supposed likeness of the Virgin Mary.

Religious pareidolia is pareidolia (the perception of a pattern where none intended) involving religious themes, especially the faces of religious figures. ... Our Lady redirects here. ...

References

2008 (MMVIII) is the current year, a leap year that started on Tuesday of the Anno Domini (or common era), in accordance to the Gregorian calendar. ... is the 77th day of the year (78th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ...

External links

• Food Network Recipes: Grilled Cheese
• The Grilled Cheese Invitational
• Grown up Tomato Soup & Grilled Cheese

Wikibooks Cookbook has an article on

Grilled cheese sandwich