Sourdough Grilled Cheese

Tangy sourdough bread with gooey, melty cheese makes this sourdough grilled cheese one of the ultimate comfort foods. 

It was a busy day at the farmhouse. I had a lot of seasonal homemaking jobs to get done. From going through all the kids’ clothes to see what they needed for summer, to swapping out all the winter gear for summer gear, and to organizing and storing the unused items. 

Add in all the other farm chores, meals from scratch, and laundry. Just a typical busy day. 

On this particular day, we made the most delicious gooey sourdough grilled cheese. It’s a really simple meal that gets made mostly the day before.

I get the homemade sourdough sandwich bread going the night before. This recipe is incredibly straightforward. No complicated steps, no stretch and folds every 30 minutes for a few hours. It’s an easy from scratch bread recipe that makes getting fresh bread on the table super simple. 

The next day, I just bake the bread, slice and then fry up the grilled cheese with some butter and freshly sliced cheese. 

You can serve it up with soup, salad, and homemade sauerkraut. On this particular day, we had some leftover chicken soup with homemade noodles.

Tips:

• Don’t buy pre-sliced or pre-shredded cheese because it doesn’t melt as well. 
• I used sharp white cheddar for the photos, but if you want it extra gooey do 2 parts cheddar and 1 part mozzarella. I did this and it was delicious, but it didn’t make the best photos because of the gooeyness.
• Allow the butter to soften for at least an hour before making grilled cheese so it’s really easy to spread onto the bread.
• You can use your favorite sourdough bread, homemade or store-bought. I love to use my sourdough sandwich bread. A crusty loaf of sourdough will also work, I just like the softness of the sandwich bread for this recipe.
• Even if it is tempting to turn the heat up higher than medium/medium low don’t. It will most likely burn the bread while leaving the cheese unmelted.

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FAQ:

What cheese goes well with sourdough?

You can use a variety of cheese to make grilled cheese. Personally, I like using 2 parts cheddar and 1 part mozzarella.

What’s the best bread to use for grilled cheese?

I prefer a soft sourdough sandwich bread. The sourdough gives it that added tanginess that pairs really nicely with the sharp cheese.

Is sourdough grilled cheese healthy?

As long as you are choosing high quality nutritious ingredients, it is definitely a part of a healthy diet. Homemade sourdough from scratch, natural cheese, and butter are all healthy in my book. If you can use butter and cheese from grass-fed cows, even better as they contain more nutrients, more omega-3s and CLA than conventional dairy.

Ingredients:

Sourdough bread – Choose your favorite sourdough bread. Whether it be homemade or store-bought, crusty or a soft sandwich loaf. Just make sure you don’t cut the slices too thick. You want them decently thin for a more pleasant experience, for both grilling and chewing.

Cheese – I like a mixture of mozzarella and cheddar for the ultimate gooey grilled cheese experience. 

Butter – Softened butter works really well to spread on the bread before placing it on the cast iron skillet, but you can also just add a pat of butter to the hot cast iron skillet and then just place the bread 

Tools you may need:

Cast iron skillet

Bread knife

Cutting board

How To Make Sourdough Grilled Cheese

If you are planning to make sourdough bread from scratch, start the day before. This is my go to bread recipe for sourdough grilled cheese.

The next day, bake bread and let it cool before slicing.

Heat cast iron skillet over medium heat.

Slice sourdough bread thinly with a serrated knife. 

Slice cheese.

Slather one side of sliced bread with softened butter, and place on hot cast irons skillet butter side down.

Add sliced cheese to bread and top with another slice of bread buttered on one side. Butter side out. If you buttered your skillet you can skip adding the other pat of butter.

Cover with a lid.

Allow the sandwich to cook for 3-4 minutes until it starts to turn golden on one side and the cheese starts to melt.

Flip and cook 3-4 minutes more or until the bread starts to golden.

Remove from the skillet and slice. Serve with some delicious tomato soup.

Grilled Cheese Variations:

• Margherita – Use fresh mozzarella cheese, sliced tomatoes, and fresh basil. 
• Gouda with thinly sliced apples. Sweet and sharp with a little crunch is weirdly delicious.
• Brie cheese with some blackberry jam for a sweet variation.
• Spinach and artichoke with mozzarella
• Pesto, mozzarella , avocado, bacon, and cheddar.
• Pizza – Add a little tomato sauce, cheese, and pepperoni.

Find More Of My Favorite Sourdough Recipes:

• Sourdough Zucchini Bread
• Sourdough Coffee Cake
• Easy Homemade Sourdough Pasta Recipe
• The Best Soft Sourdough Pretzels
• Sourdough Brioche

If you try this recipe and love it, I would love if you could come back and give it 5 stars! Tag me on Instagram @farmhouseonboone