You'll Never Believe What Alton Brown Uses To Make A Grilled Cheese

Alton Brown has a qualm with grilled cheese sandwiches. Well, not exactly. He has a problem with 99.99% of grilled cheese sandwiches that are just pretending to be grilled cheese sandwiches, but are griddled, rather than grilled. It's an important distinction, and Brown is clear this kind of travesty would never happen in his kitchen. The savior he is, the former Good Eats presenter swooped onto YouTube to show fans how it's really done. The result? "It's double freakin' grilled!"

The TV personality starts off with a charcoal grill, with natural chunk charcoal stacked up on one side. He brandishes two handmade trays and grilled spatulas with foil, before loading them with extra-sharp cheddar and Gruyère. The two cheeses add sharpness and nuttiness, creating a crisp crust yet high gooeyness factor. Their flavors are intensified by a dry mustard, smoked paprika, and black pepper spice mix.

"When this stuff starts bubbling, don't look directly at it or you will get hypnotized," Brown warns. He heats the cheese on the grill, avoiding the direct heat, alongside thick slabs of country bread. Then, he slides the cheese onto the slices, wraps the sandwiches in tinfoil, and gives them another minute to crisp up. "That, my friends, is a grilled sandwich made from grilled cheese," he concludes.

So, you've nailed down the grilling part, thanks to Alton Brown, but there are more genius hacks to ensure your grilled cheese tastes like heaven. Try switching out butter with a mayonnaise to add a tangy complexity to the taste, crisping up the bread in coconut oil, or sprinkling over finely grated Parmesan for a crisp, golden finish.

There are, however, many ways you may be making grilled cheese all wrong, and the type of bread you go for can really make or break your indulgent lunchtime snack. Thick, sturdy slices of sourdough are perfectly chewy and crispy, and can also stand up to oodles of gooey cheese. If you have more of a sweet tooth, a buttery brioche might be your best bet, cutting through the tangy intensity of the cheese. Rye bread is also a good pick for its signature sour, earthy taste.

And then it comes to toppings. Here, there's really room to get creative. Caramelized onions, brie cheese, sriracha, and yellow mustard can all have a place on your sandwich (maybe not all together though), and if you really want to push the boat out, play around with sweet ingredients on your grilled cheese, like seasonal fruits and festive spreads. Either way, make sure it's a grilled cheese, not its griddled cousin — we're glad Brown saved us from this embarrassing mix-up.