Does The Best Grilled Cheese Require Multiple Types Of Cheese?

Grilled cheese is one of the highest potential sandwiches in its lane. It is a comforting classic with little more than a couple of slices of bread, American, and some butter. All manner of upgrades can also make a grilled cheese creamier, crispier, and way more savory. Montague Diner in Brooklyn, New York, even makes a supersized version that it serves speared with a big knife for carving like a roast. There are so many modifications, you can even make a grilled cheese all wrong. So, we unwrapped some exclusive tips on how to get it right from Challenge Dairy culinary consultant Robert Bleifer.

Also previously the executive chef and vice president of culinary production for the Food Network, Bleifer is of two minds when it comes to doubling your dairy. "I can argue both sides of this question," he tells Chowhound. "I love a cheese like fontina, which is a middle of the road cheese in terms of flavor, and punch its flavor up with some grated parm or a really good sharp cheddar." Believer also extols the virtues of mixing a bold cheese like a semi-firm Swiss Gruyère — like Emmi's Kaltbach Cave Aged Gruyere made from raw milk — with the subtler notes of a Gouda for a balanced bite.

Most grilled cheese sandwiches made at home probably use only one type of cheese, and that works, too. "There are so many great reasons to stay with just one cheese but the most important: If you have a favorite cheese, why muddy up the flavor with another cheese," Bleifer says. So, whether you're looking to incorporate more stinky cheeses into your cooking or you keep returning to the old reliables, remember that sometimes, one cheese is all you need. You might just want to stay away from extreme ends of the intensity spectrum.

"Blue cheese is pretty divisive, so I'd be cautious with that," Bleifer says. "Also cheeses like mozzarella are so wonderful, yet so mild, that they might take away from the full flavor that you might be looking for." In that latter case, at least, you can always introduce grilled cheese enhancements like bacon, tomatoes, or even fruit like thin apple slices for a little extra oomph.