Grab A Sheet Pan For The Quickest, Simplest Batch Of Grilled Cheese You've Ever Made

Grilled cheese is a satisfying go-to meal, but if you're making more than one there's the dilemma of having several grilled sandwiches cooking at the same time (assuming you have a griddle or a pan that's big enough). Instead of all that pan babysitting, rustle up your next big batch of grilled cheese sandwiches using two sheet pans.

Although the assembly technique for the sandwiches themselves will ring familiar, what's different about this hack is the cooking method. The key here is to assemble your sandwiches on one sheet pan and put another (already hot) one on top of it. Start with a slice of buttered bread, place it butter-side down on your cold working pan, add the cheese and fillings to the slices, then place another bread slice butter-side up on top.

Once your sandwiches are put together, take the hot sheet pan out of the 450 degree Fahrenheit oven using oven mitts and set it down on top of the buttered bread. Congratulations, you've created your very own no-cost panini press. You can even use oven mitts to gently but evenly press down the top sheet pan before sliding the trays into the oven. When you remove the sandwiches from the oven after 10 minutes and find they are golden brown, let everything cool for a few minutes before removing the top pan. You're now ready to dig into your gooey creations.

Beyond picking fairly sturdy slices of bread, choose at least one melty cheese (or two) like havarti or mild cheddar. These are the best types of cheese for grilled cheese because they melt well and have a tempting mouthfeel, though you can pair them with more flavorful cheeses that don't melt as well. To make your grilled cheeses more appealing, press each buttered piece of bread in shredded parmesan cheese for an extra cheesy, crunchy crust. 

Using the sheet pan method allows you to easily prep multiple sandwiches in one batch, but it also frees you up to customize sandwiches to each person's liking. You can punch up the flavors by using ingredients from a popular 1920s grilled cheese variation, which involves sprinkling a mixture of dry mustard, salt, and paprika inside the sandwich. You can also try a sweet grilled cheese angle by adding fig jam or quince paste. Or take a grilled cheese sandwich to the Mediterranean by adding a bit of feta, sun-dried tomatoes, basil, and balsamic vinegar. Who knows? This sheet pan trick might have you thinking about making trays of grilled cheese for sports games or movie nights. The more cheese pulls, the merrier.