Description
I’ve had a lifelong love affair with grilled cheese, & this Gooey Garlic Herb Mozzarella Grilled Cheese Sandwich is what I consider to be the ideal grilled cheese sandwich.
It’s just as simple to make as a classic childhood grilled cheese, but 3 well-considered additions take it completely over-the-top:
- For the most epic cheese pull, we’ve opted for naturally melty & ooey-gooey mozzarella. Be sure to use low-moisture varieties instead of fresh mozzarella cheese, & it’s always a good idea to buy it buy the block & grate it yourself vs using pre-shredded bagged cheese. Since mozzarella is pretty mild, tossing the grated cheese with an abundance of fresh basil helps amp up the flavor.
- For an especially toasty & golden sandwich, we opt for slathering the bread in garlic parmesan butter. Not only does it build another layer of rich flavor, it ensures crispy, golden-brown results.
- To double down on the cheesiness, each side of the sandwiches is finished with a sprinkling of grated parmesan, which creates a crispy frico parmesan crust as the sandwiches toast. It’s absolute perfection!
For the ultimate grilled cheese experience, be sure to pair your sandwich with a warm bowl of soup – you can’t go wrong with Roasted Red Pepper Soup or Roasted Tomato Soup. Next-level comfort food, for the win!
Ingredients
Scale
- 8 pieces sliced bread of choice
- 6 tablespoons unsalted butter, softened & spreadable
- 3 cloves garlic, finely chopped
- ¼ cup finely grated parmesan
- 12 ounces part-skim mozzarella, freshly grated (see Recipe Notes)
- ½ cup finely chopped fresh basil
- kosher salt & ground black pepper, to season
Instructions
- Prepare the herbed mozzarella & garlic butter: To a small bowl, add the softened butter, garlic, & grated parmesan. Season with ½ teaspoon kosher salt & ground black pepper as desired. Mix with a spatula to combine well & set aside. To a medium bowl, add the freshly grated mozzarella & finely chopped fresh basil. Toss to combine well & set aside.
- Assemble the mozzarella grilled cheese sandwiches: Generously spread the prepared garlic parmesan butter over 1 side of each slice of bread. Place ¼ of the grated mozzarella cheese (about ¾ cup) on the unbuttered side of 1 slice of bread, then sandwich a second slice over top such that the buttered side faces out. Repeat 3 times to build 4 total sandwiches.
- Cook the grilled cheese sandwiches: Working in batches as needed, place the sandwiches in a preheated nonstick skillet over medium-low heat. Grill 1-2 minutes per side & flip halfway through, or until the cheese is melted & the bread is as golden brown as desired. If the sandwiches brown before the cheese completely melts, either reduce heat to slow cooking or cover the skillet with a lid to create steam & help the cheese melt.
- Serve: Slice & serve the mozzarella grilled cheese sandwiches immediately. I love to pair these sandwiches with Homemade Roasted Tomato Soup for dipping; jarred marinara is also a great option – just be sure to heat it slightly before serving. Enjoy!
Notes
- Ingredient Notes:
- Butter vs mayo for a grilled cheese sandwich: After conducting side-by-side tests, it’s my opinion that using butter yields a hands-down better grilled cheese sandwich. Mayo browns a little too quickly, lends a greasy texture, & leaves behind the odor of cooked eggs. If you like a nice crust on your grilled cheese, the use of parmesan in this particular recipe helps a ton as it creates an absolutely crave-worthy parmesan frico effect on the outside of the sandwich as it melts. Feel free to grate extra fresh parmesan over top of the buttered bread before cooking to double down on this crispiness!
- Mozzarella cheese: For the ultimate gooey & melty mozzarella grilled cheese, be sure to use low-moisture mozzarella (vs fresh mozzarella, which has such a high moisture content that it prevents the sandwich from getting golden brown & crisp). Since store-bought pre-shredded cheese is almost always coated with an anti-caking agent to prevent it from clumping (which in turn prevents the cheese from melting beautifully – the ultimate goal of a gooey grilled cheese sandwich!), I highly suggest buying a whole block of cheese & grating it fresh. Organic Valley Low-Moisture Part-Skim Mozzarella is my personal favorite.