Switch Up Your Typical Grilled Cheese Sandwich With A Breakfast Staple

A grilled cheese is the seemingly simple sandwich that's actually a canvas for all kinds of customization. You can swap its standard buttery exterior for a bit of mayo, you can fill it with all manner of cheese varieties, and you can add items like apples for a little sweetness and crunch, tomatoes and basil for freshness, or bacon to make it extra savory. The bread is yet another critical component with tons of possibilities for a dynamic grilled cheese sandwich.

English muffins, typically relegated to breakfast hours while grilled cheese is more popular for lunch, dinner, and midnight snacks, are an excellent alternative for your sandwiches. And you can probably guess why — those signature nooks and crannies capture your preferred dairy for a gooey, melty infusion. Although it's hard to mess up a grilled cheese, this swap does bring mild challenges. The English muffin's composition is, of course, a departure from the sliced bread you might be more used to grilling, but once you've worked out the quirks, it's a satisfying alternative.

One of the very qualities that makes an English muffin so great for breakfast sandwiches — its hearty exterior suitable for keeping ingredients like sausage and eggs contained — is also the first potential roadblock on your road to grilled cheese novelty. But detours are easy to manage. First, make sure your English muffin is at least room temperature. Eliminating any coldness is only a brief shortcut to cheese-melting, but it could be an important one.

For an English muffin grilled cheese, you'll get the best results with a large, lidded skillet. Even better if you're using a flat top grill, but you'll still need to have a lid that's wide and deep enough to cover your sandwich halves when placed side by side. Heat the pan to just under medium, and slather the outside of the English muffins with a thin layer of mayonnaise, which is preferred for its higher smoke point than butter in this case. Place both halves mayo side down and immediately cover with sliced cheese with a high melting point. Keep this coat thin, too, with no more than 2-3 slices, to ensure that it all heats through. American is ideal, but cheddar and swiss will work nicely, too. Cover, frequently checking for melt progress. Once each surface is soft and pliable, marry the two sides, flip and press down with a spatula until golden, and enjoy.