Coconut Oil Is The End-All-Be-All Of Crisp Grilled Cheese
Nothing hits like gooey, crispy grilled cheese; few things are as comforting as the classic combination of bread and melted cheese with a perfectly crisp exterior. Like pizza, grilled cheese is hard to mess up — even the mediocre ones are still delectable. Similarly, there are ample ways to dress up and elevate this humble sandwich into something superior to the just-good-but-not-great ones you may have had in your day.
You can choose bougie bread, use gourmet cheese — and multiple kinds of it — and dress up the insides with a host of toppings from caramelized onions to coarse ground mustard and beyond. However, the crisp, perfectly golden brown, crunchy element depends on the type of oil you're using in the pan. Swap coconut oil for the standard canola, olive oil, or butter you have always used to bring things up a notch.
You might view coconut oil as something to remove your makeup, melt into your coffee, or use in a batch of brownies, not an ingredient destined for something as savory as a grilled cheese. If you use the right kind, specifically refined coconut oil, which has a less pronounced coconut flavor, you can better achieve that perfectly golden brown crisp on your bread. Feel free to use unrefined if that's what you have, but you may pick up more of its tropical flavor.
Coconut oil's high smoke point makes a big difference
You've probably heard that not all oil is created equal. There are endless debates about the merits and health impacts of eating and cooking with oil, but this ingredient is essential to ensure a crispy, golden-brown grilled cheese.
In the world of options — from olive to canola to vegetable or even a slab of butter — each comes from a different source, such as seeds, nuts, or dairy. With this comes different chemical makeups and varying smoke points of oils, also called burning points. This is the temperature at which oil starts to burn and release smoke. Not only is smoking oil undesirable for cooking, as it can quickly turn a grilled cheese from golden to blackened, but it's also potentially harmful; burnt oil releases free radicals into the body.
Refined coconut oil's smoke point is around 450 degrees Fahrenheit, somewhat higher than canola and vegetable oil (400 degrees Fahrenheit), olive oil (325-375 degrees Fahrenheit), and far surpassing butter (300 degrees Fahrenheit). Therefore, it's optimal for your health and tastebuds; you can cook your sandwich longer on a higher heat without risking your bread turning black. Plus, you can achieve the perfect crispiness and ideal crunch with each bite. Other high-smoke point oils, like refined avocado or safflower, aren't as readily available; you likely already have a jar of coconut oil at home. Therefore, it's the perfect choice to grab when the grilled cheese craving strikes.
Other tips to elevate a classic grilled cheese
Grilled cheese is one of these things that you barely need a recipe for, but just in case, we've got you covered. Before you make the ultimate grilled cheese, there are a few important things to note aside from the coconut oil swap. It's your call on what type of bread and cheese you reach for, but make sure your cheese is good at melting. This isn't the time for a hard Parmesan. You can even make a killer grilled cheese with vegan cheese!
What you use to grill your sandwich is also your call, but make sure it's non-stick, whether a well-oiled pan or cast iron skillet, which is a fantastic tool for cooking just about anything. Slather your coconut oil on each piece of bread or put some directly in your medium-hot frying pan; use no more than 1 tablespoon. You don't want your sandwich overly drenched and oily.
Patience is also a virtue that comes into play when making a grilled cheese sandwich. You may be tempted to get that sandwich into your mouth ASAP, but give it time to cook on a lower heat versus burning it by cooking too quickly and not allowing enough time for the cheese to melt through. Outside of the basics, feel free to play with add-ins like spicy mustard or a slathering of hot pepper jelly, sauerkraut, pickles, or even onions. The world is your oyster.