Tyler Florence Says This Supermarket Bread Makes the "Best" Grilled Cheese Sandwiches

It’s hiding out at Costco, Target, and Walmart.

From Left: Sara Lee. Neilson Barnard / Staff / Getty Images.

Everyone has their go-to way to customize a grilled cheese—whether it’s spreading on jam or adding your favorite veggies. The BHG Test Kitchen has experimented with quite a few recipes over the years, and we’ve picked up even more grilled cheese hacks from chefs and on social media that have upgraded our sandwich game along the way. (Why haven’t we been using grilled halloumi all along, by the way?!)

The latest pro tip came from an unexpected place—and it involves a hot take on the best bread for grilled cheese that you probably would have never predicted.

The Best Bread for Grilled Cheese, According to Tyler Florence

Since fall 2022, Tyler Florence has been taking time out from his schedule as a restauranteur and host of The Great Food Truck Race to co-host the Two Dudes in a Kitchen podcast with his pal Wells Adams, who rose to fame as the bartender on Bachelor in Paradise and is now the host of Hulu’s Best in Dough.

The “Cheesy Goodness” episode of the duo’s podcast focuses solely on a topic that always makes us melt. You guessed it: Grilled cheese.

To kick it off, Florence took us on a culinary tour of grilled cheese variations, like French croque monsieur and madame, Welsh rarebit, Venezuelan arepa de queso, Australian “tiger toast,” and Italian panini.

“The idea of cheese and bread is not an American thing necessarily, although I think we do it very well,” he says.

So how do you make a “really good grilled cheese,” according to Florence? By making wise choices in the following categories.

The Equipment

A nonstick or cast-iron skillet is a common choice for cooking grilled cheeses, but Florence gets frustrated by this since it can only crank out one sandwich at a time.

To make grilled cheese sandwiches for a crowd, Florence prefers an electric griddle. You need not invest in something fancy. Florence reveals that he and his family snagged what he calls their “pancake griddle” at Target 10 years ago. Something like this BLACK+DECKER Family-Sized Electric Griddle should do the job beautifully. (Although if you’re lucky enough to own a Blackstone, it would be incredible to use it to crisp up grilled cheeses for a potluck or party.)

In addition to offering more space, the griddle gets the thumbs-up from Florence because it’s a breeze to control the temperature. Turn the dial to 375° F, “which is the magic temperature that makes a really good sandwich,” he says, and you’re ready to grill.

The Cheese 

Now that you have your tools ready, it’s time to consider the best grilled cheese ingredients. For the fromage, Mt. Tam Organic triple cream brie from Cowgirl Creamery is top tier, Florence says.

The runners-up: If you want a cheese pull, opt for melty, stretchy Muenster. Or if you’re craving a classic grilled cheese similar to the one you enjoyed during childhood, go with Kraft American (two-ply, please).

The Bread

As for the bread there’s really only one—and a surprising one—that has Florence’s heart.

“I like a really good sourdough bread, but sometimes I’ll get a loaf of sourdough and the holes are gigantic,” he says. “You need a really tight crumb.”

So instead, he often opts for sandwich bread, specifically from Sara Lee Artesano.

“This is my favorite new bread just because it has a little sugar to it. It’s technically a white bread, but it has a nice crust to it and the texture is…like a marshmallow,” he says. “I have made the best grilled cheese sandwiches in awhile on that particular bread.”

Florence explains that his wife adds to their weekly Costco delivery, although you can also find this at most major supermarkets and retailers like Target and Walmart.

How to Assemble and Cook the Best Grilled Cheese

To build and cook Tyler’s Ultimate grilled cheese (sorry we couldn’t resist, long-time Food Network fans!), start with 2 slices of Sara Lee Artesano bread. Spread one side of each piece of bread with mayo since “you need a ‘glue’ to hold the stuff together while you’re flipping it over,” Florence says. Then top each mayo-coated slice with cheese from edge to edge. Season with salt and pepper, then top one half with the other.

For the final “chef’s touch,” don’t add mayo or butter to the outside of the bread. This may sound counterintuitive, but the tip comes from when Florence made an accidental discovery when making a grilled cheese at home: He once added the bread to the griddle “dry” (aka without any fat on the outside or in the pan) and found that it ended up shatteringly crisp like toast.

To cook your creation the Florence way, place a grilled cheese sandwich on the ungreased griddle. Use a spatula to flip it over once golden brown on one side, then cook until crispy on the other.

In a small bowl, add 2 tablespoons of butter per sandwich plus a little bit of chopped rosemary and grated garlic. Microwave at 10-second intervals until melted, then use a pastry brush to “paint” each side in the infused butter.

The result is a “spectacular texture bomb…that takes it to the next level,” Florence says. “So incredibly good.”

Over the years, Florence has shared recipes that range from complex restaurant creations to family heirloom recipes to weeknight-friendly options, and “it’s always the simple ones that people really crave and remember,” he concludes.

And as Florence’s choice in the best bread for grilled cheese proves, spectacular results can come from simple and budget-friendly building blocks.

Read the original article on Better Homes & Gardens.