Cheese-Crusted Grilled Cheese

We’ve all had this lucky incident happen—cheese oozes out of whatever you’re cooking and drips onto the hot pan creating a small pool of sizzling goodness. You know what I’m talking about—that crusty, ever so slightly chewy, crunchy cheesiness that is its own genre of deliciousness. Imagine a gooey grilled cheese sandwiched between two large shards of it. This cheese-crusted grilled cheese is exactly that. Heaven, I know.

To complement the salty Parmesan, I chose Havarti for the melting cheese. It’s milder and creamier than Parmesan. Be generous when brushing the bread with the egg so that the Parmesan sticks to the entire surface and stays there. The grilled cheese took 4 minutes per side to brown, and I knew to take the instruction “serve immediately” to heart.

I ate mine right away, standing by the stove. Heaven. (Did I already say that?) This grilled cheese was truly delicious. This is making me hungry for it again, even though I just had lunch. Guess we know what I’m having for dinner tonight.

A grilled cheese with more cheese is never a bad idea, and in this case, it’s a great idea. This grilled cheese crusted with cheese was so good you could open a food truck and have a long line waiting each day! The crust that is made by the egg and Parmesan coating is not just crispy and crunchy but also adds an incredible flavor because it is on the exterior and you taste it immediately adding an entirely new flavor profile to the sandwich. This is our new standard way of making grilled cheese.

It’s important not to rush this treasure, keep the heat low so you don’t burn the bread while waiting for the cheese to melt and the crust to become golden brown. We used a sourdough boule. We selected Manchego cheese. For those of you who’ve never tried Manchego, the flavor is milder than Swiss but bolder than mozzarella or provolone and has excellent texture and flavor when melted. It’s difficult to cut Manchego but easy to grate so this is a perfect use of the cheese. The oiliness of the cheese when melting adds to the butter you’re already using and helps to give a wonderful crust and the little bits that fell out of the sandwich while melting, added an extra crispy bonus. Pairing this sandwich with a cup or bowl of tomato soup would be delightful!

How could I go wrong with a cheese-crusted grilled cheese sandwich that has cheese inside AND out? It was very popular at my house and quickly disappeared. Everyone enjoyed the crusty, cheesy outside of sandwich as much as the gooey cheesy middle.

I used a pre-sliced baguette for my grilled cheese. Because my loaf was a little smaller in circumference than a traditional loaf of bread, I was able to make 3 sandwiches instead of 2. For the cheese filling, I used a blend of Gouda and Havarti. To ensure I had enough Parmesan to coat 1 side of each slice of bread, I divided the 1/2 cup Parmesan into two 1/4 cups. The prep time is quick and simple. I pressed the first 3 egg-brushed slices in the first 1/4 cup Parmesan and the second 3 egg brushed slices in the other 1/4 cup of grated Parmesan. I placed the Parmesan-dusted side down in the melted butter then placed the melting cheese on the plain side of the bread. Then I topped the Gouda and Havarti blend with a second slice of bread with the Parmesan side up towards me.

Next time I’ll add pesto or brown mustard to the un-cheesed side of the bread.

My daughter is an avid lover of the grilled cheese sandwich and tries to find it on every menu, whether at a family diner or at a gastronomique experience of a restaurant. This cheese-crusted grilled cheese was great to test on her. I used brioche and Gouda. It took half a minute for the cheese to brown on medium-high fire. I poured the leftover egg on the pan and covered the sandwich with the “egg” blanket for my daughter. I was flipping the sandwich every 20 seconds to not let it burn yet make it toasty. My daughter loved it. Great recipe!