1. Select a spread for the outside of the sandwich.

You'll want to use something on the outside of your sandwich to conduct heat, specifically something which contains fat. Our preferred candidates are butter and mayonnaise. Only skip this step if your grill pan / griddle is well oiled. If you do this step properly, both the spreads used + fat rendered from melted cheese will collect and crisp the bread, amplifying the overall crispy-cheesy flavor. And who doesn't love the texture & flavor of fried bread?

2. Edit your ingredient choices based on texture & final assembly.

Whatever you add, make sure you consider how wet or soft they are, and how that will affect the bread's overall ability to crisp and your sandwich's texture. For example, Zucchini or eggplant are delicious to add to grilled cheese sandwiches, but with their high quantity of water, you'll want to keep them sliced very thinly and cook them ahead of time to prevent any sogging.

3. Consider the seasoning for all your ingredients.

All parts of the sandwich need to be adequately seasoned, so if there are elements in your sandwich which are undressed or plain, ensure that you balance them with an appropriate pinch of salt, squeeze of lemon, or glug of olive oil.

4. Pair your grilled cheese with a contrasting side!

Whether it's some quickly-dressed salad, arugula, or just a pickle, something that makes it feel like a 'plate' rather than just a plain sandwich really completes a meal.

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Next, put all this great Grilled Cheese Theory to use by employing it in one of our tasty Jow recipes!