Give Your Grilled Cheese More Flavor With One Simple Swap

The grilled cheese sandwich is a deceptively simple creation. Although you can create a perfectly serviceable grilled cheese with the effortless combo of your preferred bread and cheese(s), there are actually loads of different tips and tricks to make your grilled cheese even better. You can use coconut oil to make your grilled cheese even crispier, or you might consider picking out the best bread for a classic grilled cheese. With so few ingredients in a traditional grilled cheese, every little detail matters. That's why you need to look at how you're using butter in your grilled cheese.

Spreading a bit of the rich dairy product on your soon-to-be-grilled bread might be a somewhat mindless task, but there's a lot to be gained by swapping out regular old butter or margarine for something with a bigger flavor boost. Specifically, using garlic butter can elevate even the most basic grilled cheese, lending a big punch of flavor as well as a nice, creamy texture. Garlic also tends to marry well with a ton of other flavors, so you should still be free to use your favorite bread and cheese options.

Though there are many ways you may be making grilled cheese all wrong, utilizing garlic as a part of your cheesy creation is not one of them. Garlic butter remains an excellent and easy method to give your sandwich a garlicky boost, but that's not the only way you can get garlic's characteristic flavor onto your grilled cheese. You could opt to spread or rub some fresh garlic cloves directly onto the bread depending on how resilient it is, giving a wonderful aromatic quality to the overall dish.

If the thought of garlic butter sounds appealing to you, you'll be pleased to know that you don't need to stop your upgrades at the simple butter-garlic duo. Incorporating some herbs into your garlic butter can kick your grilled cheese up yet another notch. Fresh herbs are preferable, of course, but dried will work fine for this, too – rosemary, thyme, and parsley are all great additions. Other complementary ingredients include red pepper flakes, dill, oregano, basil, and even cilantro (if you're into it) can be a real treat in your butter. Try out different herbs based on your own tastes and what might work best with your choice of cheese. With so many different combinations available, it's high time to start grilling! Just make sure to avoid the mistake that prevents grilled cheese from melting.