This easy garlic bread grilled cheese sandwich features a garlic butter spread, two gooey types of cheese, fresh tomato slices, and tangy sourdough bread. It's the ultimate comfort food!
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Rainy days always make me crave a good grilled cheese sandwich, like this fan favorite french onion grilled cheese. Something about the bubbling, gooey, melted cheese in a grilled sandwich is so satisfying when you are cold and wet.
I wanted to elevate the classic sandwich, so I created a recipe that is a marriage of your standard diner grilled cheese with cheesy garlic bread: enter this garlic bread grilled cheese! It features a garlic butter spread, two gooey types of sharp and nutty cheeses, fresh tomato slices, and tangy sourdough bread.
Rich, buttery, cheesy, garlicky, with slightly sweet tomatoes - it's the ultimate comfort food! Serve it with creamy cucumber avocado gazpacho in the summer and creamy roasted cauliflower soup during the colder months.
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⭐️ Why This Grilled Cheese Is The Best
Quick & easy recipe using 7 simple ingredients and ready in 10 Minutes
Gooey, bubbly, garlicky, buttery, and melted goodness
Kid-friendly
Great on-the-go lunch option
Instructions provided to make it in the oven
🧀 Ingredient Notes
- Unsalted butter - Using unsalted butter lets you control the amount of salt in your dish.
- Garlic - I highly recommend using fresh garlic, as it's one of the stars of the sandwich.
- Fresh parsley - Adds fresh aromatics to our grilled cheese.
- Sourdough bread - I prefer the tanginess of sourdough bread but you can use your favorite type of sandwich bread.
- Cheddar cheese - Provides sharp flavor that pairs nicely with the richness of this sandwich.
- Provolone cheese - Adds creaminess and a slight nutty flavor.
- Tomato - Provides the sweet acidity that is necessary to cut through the richness of our grilled cheese.
📝 Variations & Substitutions
- Garlic. Although I recommend using fresh garlic, you can also use jarred garlic or garlic powder.
- Panini. If you want to go more of a grilled panini route, use chewy ciabatta rolls in place of sourdough.
- Cheese. Use your favorite combination of cheese.
- Greens. For a healthier sandwich, add a handful of fresh spinach, kale, or arugula.
- Focaccia. Give it an Italian twist by using sourdough focaccia with rosemary.
- Make sheet pan grilled cheese: Prefer making your grilled cheese in the oven? Here's how you do it: Preheat oven to 450 F. Follow recipe instructions below, but instead of placing bread (buttered side down) in a skillet, place it on a sheet pan. Bake for 5 minutes, then flip sandwiches and bake for another 5 minutes on the other side, or until the cheese is melted and the bread is golden brown.
🔪 How To Make Garlic Grilled Cheese
In a small bowl, whisk together the butter, garlic, and parsley (if using). Set aside.
Heat a large skillet over medium heat. Spread garlic butter on one side of each slice of bread.
Place two buttered bread slices (buttered side down) in skillet. Place 1-2 slices of cheddar, provolone, and tomato, along with pinch of salt and pepper, on top of bread, and top with remaining buttered sourdough (with buttered side facing up).
Cook for around 4-5 minutes or until bottom turns golden brown. Flip over sandwich and cook another 4-5 minutes, until other side is golden brown. Serve warm.
👩🏼🍳 Expert Tips
- Go low and slow. Be patient with your grilled cheese. If it looks like your cheese isn't melting after a few minutes, cover the pan for a minute or two to help it along.
- How to reheat: I recommend reheating it in the toaster oven (or regular oven) to help re-crisp the bread. Place it in a 350 degree F oven for around 10 minutes. Reheating in the microwave may lead to soggy bread.
- Use high-quality bread. I love the slight tang of sourdough, but use whatever your favorite loaf of bread is. Treat yourself to a nice loaf from your local bakery - it's worth it for this sandwich.
- Use fresh garlic. Because this recipe features garlic butter, we want the garlic to shine. This means using fresh garlic if possible (not jarred garlic).
- How to serve grilled cheese: Pair it with a light salad, like apple gorgonzola salad with mustard vinaigrette or citrus fennel salad. For dessert, serve marshmallow chocolate chip cookies or rice krispie treats with m&m's.
💬 Frequently Asked Questions
Adding homemade garlic butter to a standard grilled cheese really ups the flavor and makes it that much more irresistible.
Anything good quality is what works best. If you aren't into making homemade bread, treat yourself to a loaf from your local bakery. Freshly made bread makes a huge difference when you are making a simple sandwich with just a few ingredients.
Making homemade garlic spread/butter is so easy. In this recipe, we combine fresh garlic, unsalted butter, and fresh parsley to make a mouth-watering garlic spread that can be used for endless sandwiches.
Both are delicious! If you use mayo (which adds a rich tanginess), make sure to cook your grilled cheese at a slightly lower temperature, as mayo has a higher smoke point than butter.
🥪 Related Recipes
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Garlic Bread Grilled Cheese Recipe
Ingredients
- 4 Tablespoons unsalted butter, room temperature
- 2 garlic cloves, minced
- 1 Tablespoon fresh parsley, chopped (optional)
- 4 sourdough bread slices
- 2-4 cheddar cheese slices
- 2-4 provolone cheese slices
- 2-4 tomato slices
- pinch of salt and black pepper
Instructions
- In a small bowl, whisk together the butter, garlic, and parsley (if using). Set aside.
- Heat a large skillet over medium heat. Spread garlic butter on one side of each slice of bread.
- Place two buttered bread slices (buttered side down) in skillet. Place 1-2 slices of cheddar, provolone, and tomato, along with pinch of salt and pepper, on top of bread, and top with remaining buttered sourdough (with buttered side facing up).
- Cook for around 4-5 minutes or until bottom turns golden brown. Flip over sandwich and cook another 4-5 minutes, until other side is golden brown. Serve warm.
Video
Notes
- Go low and slow. Be patient with your grilled cheese. If it looks like your cheese isn't melting after a few minutes, cover the pan for a minute or two to help it along.
- How to reheat: I recommend reheating it in the toaster oven (or regular oven) to help re-crisp the bread. Place it in a 350 degree F oven for around 10 minutes. Reheating in the microwave may lead to soggy bread.
- Use high-quality bread. I love the slight tang of sourdough, but use whatever your favorite loaf of bread is. Treat yourself to a nice loaf from your local bakery - it's worth it for this sandwich.
- Use fresh garlic. Because this recipe features garlic butter, we want the garlic to shine. This means using fresh garlic if possible (not jarred garlic).
Barbara Haner
The photos for this grilled cheese sandwich look like you can take a bite right out of the screen! It looks scrumptious! I have not had internet for about 10 days and I have really missed following your blog! I am catching up!
Gastronotherapy
Thank you! It's a very decadent and delicious sandwich! And thanks for taking the time to peruse my blog! 🙂
Kristy
It was delicious! Thank you.
MaryAnne
Fantastic, Kristy! 😊
Angela
My mouth was watering just looking at your pictures. What a great sandwich!!
Gastronotherapy
Thanks, Angela! That was the goal! 😉
Mindee Taylor
Ooo....Yum! Nothing better than a grown up grilled cheese!
Gastronotherapy
Totally! Slather on that garlic butter....
Jessica Formicola
The different cheeses and tomato totally send this grilled cheese over the top! Thanks so much for sharing the recipe!
Gastronotherapy
You are welcome, Jessica! So glad you enjoyed it! 🙂
Jess
Will never make plain grilled cheese again!
Gastronotherapy
Haha, I don't blame you, Jess!
Shanika
I grew up eating a ton of grilled cheese but this one definitely beats out the regular version! I'm loving the addition of garlic and tomatoes in this recipe!
Gastronotherapy
Thanks, Shanika! I agree - the garlic and tomatoes make it even more decadent!
Paul
Cheesy and decadent but well-balanced with the acidic tomatoes. Two thumbs up!!
MaryAnne
Thanks for stopping by and leaving a review, Paul!