We ate tons of cheap white bread/velveeta grilled cheeses growing up. Campbell's tomato soup often was served alongside. Today's version is only a little bit healthier: a good multi-grain bread, brushed with a little real butter on the outside, layered with cheddar cheese and american cheeseproduct slice on the inside, grilled in a non-stick pan until lightly browned, cut in half length-wise (not diagonal), and dunked in tomato soup.

Grilled cheese, tuna & tomato on country style hearty white, very lightly buttered & toasted dark but not burnt....yup, now it's what I must have for supper when I get home tonight, Thanks!!

eta: I forgot to mention that I really prefer the Kraft or Cabot processed American Cheese slices

A million different ways. With mushrooms. Multiple different kinds of cheeses. With ham and mustard. Basic American cheese and white bread. There are so many great ways to eat a grilled cheese!

We like ours made with French bread. Walmart actually has a good bread for this in their bakery section It's the French bread with everything seasoning. Butter the sides, and use sharp cheddar for the cheese. I like mine toasted a little dark. Slice up a tomato and add it to the inside immediately after cooking.

I think I need to make a list!! LOL!

Martha Stewart made one on her show one time. It was the best looking/sounding one I had ever seen! Hmm, need to check that out again!

Whole30 doesn't allow "gluten free" substitutes. Whole30 is NO GRAINS, and the gluten free breads are made with rice/corn/quinoa/etc., all of which are grains. It also doesn't allow something like pizza made with a cauliflower crust, because it's about changing your relationship with food. :)

Sourdough bread, swiss cheese (sometimes with ham and dijon, Colman's, or honey mustard). Or, white bread, Colby (not Colby jack) or sharp cheddar cheese. Butter in the pan.

I cheat. Start toasting a piece of bread in a toaster-oven. Lay cheese on top of the half-toasted bread -- not quite to the edges. Continue toasting until the cheese is melted. There's plenty of grease in this without adding butter or frying.

What did you expect from the "Eat to Live" Non-Cook? You should know by now that If the prep and clean-up take much longer than it takes to eat something, I'm probably not making it.

Whole grain bread, spread inside of one piece with chutney. Add sharp cheddar. Butter outside of each slice, put in pan on low until cheese has melted and bread is toasty.

Sour dough bread and pepper jack cheese grilled until the bread is toasty and the cheese melty is my go to grilled sandwich.

Edited to add that I put a plate on top of the sandwich while it's grilling. The weight of the plate squishes the sandwich and makes the bread thinner and even more crispy.

Haven't had one in years - now I want a grilled cheese!

Sourdough or multigrain bread. At least two types of cheese: a good sharp cheddar and Swiss combination is my favorite. Bacon! Lots of butter slathered on both sides and cooked in a cast iron skillet.

Although I rarely if ever buy bologna, sometimes I hanker for a grilled bologna and cheese. We ate a lot of these growing up.

Now I want a grilled cheese! Growing up Mother always made them with Velveeta. I like cheddar & Swiss on white bread. If I have Rye on hand I like Swiss with Rye.

My favorite is probably rye bread with caraway seed, Swiss cheese, and a very VERY thin slice of deli type ham. Sometimes an almost paper thin slice of sweet onion. Fried in a pan with butter until nice and crispy brown and the cheese is melted, maybe even dripping out the sides.

Also like a nice whole grain bread that has some crunch, like an oat-nut bread. With Monterey Jack cheese and some cheddar. Use Provolone in place of Monterey jack sometimes. And sometimes just Co-Jack. Also with a very thin slice of onion.

Pioneer Woman has a recipe on her site that I (sorta) copied one time. She specifies the type of bread and cheese she uses, but I didn't have that bread, so I used what I had, the Oat-nut bread. Don't remember what cheese she uses, either, so I guess all I really copied was her method. Which is to butter the one side each of two slices of bread, pat an even coating of grated cheese into the butter (I used mild cheddar), place one slice in frying pan, buttered side down. Place slices of cheese on that slice, top with second slice of buttered bread, butter side up, naturally. Fry until nice golden brown, carefully flip and fry until second side is also a nice crispy golden brown, and cheese inside is all melty. (These directions may not be exactly right, but they are close, you can look the actual recipe up on Pioneer Woman's website.) I think next time I'll add a thin slice of onion.

The cheese on the outside of the sandwich makes it nice and crispy and yummy.

Can you tell I like cheese? And grilled cheese sandwiches? And onions?

Rusty

I would shoot myself if I couldn't have bread. I pity people who need a gluten-free diet. because bread is more important to me than any dessert or treat.

Old fashioned way...white bread buttered on one side of each, add the cheese, I prefer Velveeta or american and grilled till dark golden, Tomato soup to dip. Yum.

I use English sandwhich bread.

Interesting using mayo instead of butter. I will have to try that!

I tried the mayo thing. It made it super crisp and didn't seem to change the flavor? But there you go, one opinion

I've heard of using mayo rather than butter, but haven't tried it yet.

Another mayo on the outside fan here - it does make the sandwich very crispy. (That said, I love butter too!) I also sprinkle parmesan cheese on the outside of the sandwich and press it into the mayo before grilling - it gets crisp as it fries, so you get a burst of crispy, salty cheese flavor on the outside along with the gooey melted stuff within. Magical. I like cheddar, gruyere, swiss or a combo for the melting cheese. Jack or fontina are nice in combo with other stronger flavors as well. Absolutely NO processed cheese!

I will join Mamapinky for lunch. That is classic grilled cheese. Cheese,white bread and butter. I don't dip but a nice tomato soup or any soup goes well as an accompaniment

I love many of the other sandwiches with additional ingredients mentioned too but those are melts not grilled cheese. Tuna melts, ham melts, veggie melts are all delicious but they are not grilled cheese. Neither is toasted cheese. Grilled means cooked on a flat grill or a pan when it come to grilled cheese. JMO

Butter only on grilled cheese. Cheese and butter are closer relatives than eggs and oil. I make mine in a cast iron skillet. Sometimes I press them sometimes I don't.

Cynic, with all due respect, I beg to differ with you. I was taught (by an instructor in a near-by college cooking class, via my son) that whether it is a 'grilled cheese' or a 'melt' depends on which ingredient is predominant. So a grilled sandwich with a goodly amount of cheese and a very thin slice of ham added as a compliment, would be a grilled cheese with ham. But a grilled sandwich that was predominantly ham with a single thin slice of cheese as a compliment would be a 'melt'.

Yes, I know, nit-picky. And probably dependent on locality, too, who knows. Or cares. Just wanted to point out that those of us calling the grilled cheese sandwiches with additions 'grilled cheese', aren't necessarily wrong.

But there is never EVER any Velveeta, or pasteurized process American cheese in this house! That stuff is fake food. Very rarely any plain white bread, either, unless it is freshly home made. Just our likes. . . . .

Rusty

I use mayo to 'butter' the bread, my Mom did it that way. Yum.

Things that are edible and safe for consumption are food. There is no fake food.

I can't use non-stick because of my parrot. I make grilled cheese with crunchy wheat bread. I put it in my toaster oven on the broil setting. Cook it until the cheese is gooey. It tastes great!

I am sure there is a perfectly reasonable explanation for that issue. I just do not know what it is.

Hearty wheat or white with muenster (or sharp cheddar) and mayo spread either on one side inside or both outside, with wavy Lays chips and tomato soup. No more salt the rest of the week. ;)

Been using mayo for butter lately, on grilled sandwiches. Can't tell that much difference. Love my cast iron griddle which I've had forever.

Watchmelol...your sure welcome to join me for lunch anytime.

I agree no such thing in fake food.

As for processed cheese like Velveeta, I understand it may not be a healthy choice, but its a grilled cheese, not like I eat it daily or even all that often, but when I do I want it the way I like it. I'd bet even the healthiest eaters eat processed foods ocassionally.

Eta...besides I have low blood pressure so no worries there.

My colesterol levels are great at least that's my docs words.

I'm not diabetic

I could lose some weight, but lol, I've dropped from 202 to 148 in the past 2 years...I eat what I want. Haha

Extra sourdough bread and two types of cheeses. Cheese choices are whatever I am in the mood for, including pepper jack, various cheddars, or Havarti. A splattering of diced pepperoncinis make an occasional appearance, but I usually dislike meat additions. I have always used butter, but will experiment with the mayo next time.

watchmelol- do you visit Reddit? There is an amusing group that ALWAYS points out that a grilled cheese with all the extra ingredients is not a grilled cheese, it's a melt!

Trickyputt- Teflon produces a fume when heated that is toxic to pet birds. Next time you are at the store, pick up a non-stick pan and read the label carefully and you will see a warning about pet birds.

No non-stick in this house... and we don't have birds. Nonstick is toxic, period. "Food" made from chemicals instead of REAL food is "fake food."

As for the person who said they'd shoot themselves if they couldn't have bread: I used to think that too. But going without it has had many positive results: weight loss, reduction of bloating, lessening of symptoms of an autoimmune disease (scleroderma), and fewer digestive troubles. I'm happy to be gluten/grain free, and my body is so much better for it. :)

"I'd bet even the healthiest eaters eat processed foods ocassionally."

I'd bet this is a bet you'd lose. People who watch what they eat, watch what they eat. I'd choose real cheddar or real swiss for a grilled sandwich. I don't find Velveeta or the other non-cheese products pleasant to eat, I didn't realize it was still made

Growing up my grilled cheese sandwich was made with buttered whole wheat bread, American cheese and when nicely toasted on both sides in an iron skillet, it was carefully opened and drizzled with dark Karo syrup. Closed back up ....and yummmmm! I would love it that way now, except the Karo syrup in nothing like it was 60+ years ago.

Lots of good suggestions here. I usually slip some sprouts in with the cheese....love it that way. I also prefer the Cabot or Dubliner cheeses over a lot of others .

Agree with Elmer; we don't eat processed "food." At all. Ever.

Cheese is a processed food. Separating curds and whey, adding bacteria and enzymes, cutting and slicing all comes under the definition of processing. Cheese is processed in cheese processing plants unless you are making your own.

Velveeta is lower in calories and fat per ounce than cheddar and a bit higher in protein. Melted cheddar with its high fat content can easily become a greasy, oily mess. Yes natural cheese has slightly more nutrition in regards to vitamin and traces of minerals. Velveeta is higher in sodium. However this is a sandwich, not a lifestyle. Unless you have a medical issue requiring restriction of sodium or new age food fears it's a non issue.

Phyllis_mn - I never thought to add sprouts, but that sounds really good. Next time I make one, I'll add alfalfa sprouts. Instead of butter, I use coconut oil.

Minjeeah - I like my eggs over easy cooked in coconut oil.

(I don't eat cheese)

Ancient grain or country grain bread with brie and swiss cheese and sliced plum tomatoes.

Sourdough, rye, or multigrain.

Any good melting cheese, vary it up from time to time, or even on the same sandwich. Don't care for Velveeta. (Neither the taste nor the fact that it's cheese "product", not technically cheese. Note the label! )

Sprouts or mushrooms or both. Onions. Other stuff depending on what's in the fridge. Garlic powder sometimes. Oregano or basil.

Butter.

If it's mostly cheese, it's still grilled cheese. At least according to my parents...

I also make open faced (just one slice of bread) and add cheese, other stuff (no butter), bake in oven. That's not grilled, but good.

I don't do these much any more as I'm not so interested in bread these days. I like my hamburgers lettuce-wrapped. I can live and thrive without much bread. For me, it's not essential to my food plannings. I buy 2-3 loaves a year, from a dedicated bakery. When I do eat bread, I want it to be quality.

Didn't know that grilled cheese and tomato soup was supposed to be a thing until 2-3 years ago. Our family just never liked tomato soup, I guess. And now that I need to limit nightshades, I'll reserve them for menu items that I really appreciate their presence in.

Texasgem - I am not a reddit user but this one is from Southern Living and addresses what grilled cheese means. http://thedailysouth.southernliving.com/2014/07/17/daily-south-debate-what-constitutes-a-grilled-cheese/

For me grilled cheese means buttered bread, with cheese, grilled. If you start adding other ingredients, it may well be delicious, but it is not "grilled cheese".

My favorite way of making "not grilled cheese" starts with honey wheat bread, whipped butter (or no-trans-fat butter substitute), one slice of swiss cheese, one slice of american cheese, one slice of ham, and a tablespoon of homemade spaghetti sauce.

Mine fresh white bread, buttered outside a dab of Mayo inside, a slice of cheddar on each piece of bread inside. I use a grill pan with a little coconut oil spray. I press down with a spatula. Husband only New York Rye, buttered outside, two slices of extra sharp cheddar. He does his in the toaster oven. If I make his I use the same grill pan and spatula.

We both like melts too. I take thin Sliced black forest ham and heat it up in the a skillet browning it a little and put it in the middle of the grilled cheese sandwich. I occasionally make patty melts for dinner, rye bread, Swiss cheese, grilled onions and a grilled patty. Butter on the outside cooked in the grill pan. He likes mustard on his.

Toasted white bread or light rye spread with butter, sliced tomatoes, fresh ground black pepper, topped with swiss or sharp cheddar cheese or sometimes both and grilled open faced under the broiler until the cheese bubbles and starts to crisp around the edges.

White bread, butter in, mayo out. Can change out the rest

Best "grilled" cheese sandwich I ever had was in an English pub -- homemade white bread, British cheddar and raw onion. They called it a cheese toasty, and mmmm, yummy!

I could make a different grilled cheese every day for a month with these ideas!!