Recipe of the Day: Frico-Crusted Grilled Cheese

How to Make the Best Grilled Cheese (and 10 Ways to Make it Even Better)

If your love for grilled cheese followed you into adulthood, then it’s time you upgrade from plain American cheese on white bread (as good as that combo is). This recipe isn’t just your normal cheese in between two slices of bread. It’s loaded with three different cheeses AND is frico-crusted, which means the top side of the bread is covered in a layer of cheese and then toasted until crispy. This gives your grilled cheese an extra cheesy and crunchy factor which makes that a sandwich better than what mom used to make.

The recipe only adds a few extra steps to your normal way of making a grilled cheese sandwich. Spread butter and on the outside of your sandwich and dip it into grated Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese. Then, on the unbuttered side, place American cheese, shredded cheddar and Swiss cheese. Cook in a skillet until the cheese on the outside is golden and crispy. Finally, bake in the oven to really melt the cheese.

After you’re done making your delicious sandwich, a bowl of tomato soup pairs perfectly on the side. Though this recipe tells you which cheeses to use, feel free to swap out for any of your favorites — mozzarella, Monterey Jack, provolone and more. You can also take it up another notch and create the ultimate grilled cheese by adding slices of tomato, bacon, avocado and other superb spins on grilled cheese.

Frico-Crusted Grilled Cheese

This recipe by Melissa Elsmo originally appeared in The Pioneer Press.

Ingredients:

• 8 1/2-inch thick slices country white bread
• 3/4 cups freshly grated Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese
• 1 stick salted butter at room temperature
• 8 slices American cheese
• 1 cup shredded Swiss cheese
• 1 cup shredded sharp cheddar cheese

Directions:

Step 1: Preheat the oven to 250 F.

Step 2: Spread butter generously over one side of a piece of bread. Sprinkle some grated Parmigiano-Reggiano on to your work surface and press the buttered side of the bread into the cheese until it adheres to the butter.

Step 3: Place a torn slice of American cheese on the unbuttered side of the bread and top with 1/4 cup of shredded cheddar and Swiss cheese. Top the shredded cheese with a second slice of American cheese.

Step 4: Spread another slice of bread with butter and press into the shredded Parmigiano-Reggiano. Place the bread, cheese side up, on the sandwich.

Step 5: Repeat steps 2-4 until you have four sandwiches.

Step 6: Heat a non-stick skillet over medium-high heat. Add the sandwiches (cooking in batches if needed) to pan and allow to cook until butter melts and cheese on the outside of the bread becomes golden and very crispy (about 3 minutes). Flip the sandwiches and cook for an additional 3-4 minutes on the second side until the cheese is crispy.

Step 7: Transfer the sandwiches to a parchment lined sheet pan and place in the oven for 12-15 minutes until the cheese in the center of the sandwich is a gorgeous melty mess.