Making Baked Grilled Cheese is a great way to make sandwiches for the whole family in just minutes! Perfectly toasty and filled with melty cheese in every bite.
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Grilled cheese sandwiches are a classic and they're one that can often take a lot of time to make, especially when you're making them for the entire family. This "life hack" of a recipe helps to reduce time, effort, and more thanks to your oven and a sheet pan.
If you're only making one sandwich though, then I'd recommend sticking with a Microwave Grilled Cheese, since sheet pans are more convenient for larger batches.
Of course, two other great grilled cheese sandwiches worth checking out soon include our Air Fryer Grilled Ham and Cheese and Rainbow Grilled Cheese.
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💛 Why You'll Love This Recipe
- It's fast. Preheat the oven while you prep the Baked Grilled Cheese and have them ready to eat within just minutes.
- Minimal dishes. This recipe doesn't use any more dishes than a standard recipe for grilled cheeses would. You can make your baking sheet grilled cheese less messy to clean up after by lining the pan with foil too!
- Perfectly toasted. The oven baked grilled cheese sandwiches will come out perfectly toasty on both sides and have melty cheese in the middle making them truly perfect. You can cook longer to make them darker in color or pull them from the oven more quickly for paler bread if desired.
🛒 Ingredients
Sliced Cheddar Cheese- You can use any sliced cheese variety of choice, but grilled cheeses are traditionally made with cheddar cheese or American cheese.
Sliced Sandwich Bread- Use any sliced bread of choice including white bread, whole wheat or even low carb.
Butter- You will want some softened butter to use to help coat the outsides of the bread so that the bread can turn into a nice golden brown color as they cook.
See the recipe card below for full ingredients and instructions.
🔀 Substitutions & Variations
Bread Options. Swap in any sliced bread you like, white, wheat, sourdough, or low-carb. Thicker breads may need 1-2 extra minutes in the oven.
Cheese Choices. Cheddar and American melt best, but Swiss, provolone, pepper jack, or Colby work great too. Mix and match for a more gourmet grilled cheese.
Add Meat. Turn this into a melt by adding sliced ham or turkey, like in our Air Fryer Grilled Ham and Cheese or Air Fryer Turkey Sandwich. This won't change the bake time.
💰 Budget-Friendly Tips
Use store brands and buy in bulk. Store-brand cheese slices and bread melt and toast just as well as name brands for a fraction of the cost. Large packs of sliced cheese save money and keep well in the fridge.
Stretch ingredients. Use one slice of cheese per sandwich instead of two. Oven baking spreads the melt more evenly, so it still tastes indulgent.
Line the pan. Use foil or parchment to avoid sticking and prevent waste from burnt-on cheese.
🥄 Instructions for Baked Grilled Cheese
Step 1: Preheat your oven to 450°F and arrange your bottom bread slices on a baking sheet.
Step 2: Butter the tops of the bread slices or spray with cooking oil and then turn them so that the covered side is facing the baking sheet.
Step 3: Arrange the cheese on the prepared bread slices.
Step 4: Add the top bread slice and then spray it or spread the top with butter.
Step 5: Bake for 5 minutes, flip the sandwich over and then bake for an additional 3-5 minutes until golden and toasty.
👩🏻🍳 Expert Tips
Butter vs. mayo. Butter is the most predictable option for even browning. Mayo can work, but may stick to the pan when flipped.
Flip for even toasting. Flipping halfway ensures both sides get evenly browned and crispy.
Watch the color. Pull sandwiches earlier for lighter bread or bake longer for deep golden edges. Oven times vary slightly.
🥗 Side Dishes or Pairing Ideas
You can serve your Baked Grilled Cheese with any of your favorite sandwich side dishes like potato chips, fresh fruits, or cut vegetables. We like to serve this grilled cheese sandwich with anything that we have on hand. (Usually strawberries and grapes).
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❓ Baked Grilled Cheese FAQs
Yes, you can! I happen to do it quite often but keep in mind that you should pile the cheese in the center of the bread and give a little space around the edges where the cheese doesn't look like it's falling out of the closed bread. This will help to prevent the cheese from melting and sticking to your pan which can be a hassle to clean later.
I recommend spreading softened butter on the bread because it's easier to control the bread to butter ratio and you don't have to worry about under buttered or soggy sections of the bread.
You can use either one depending on what you prefer. We like to use salted butter because it helps enhance the flavors but unsalted butter is great for when you're trying to reduce some sodium from your diet.
Begin by preheating your oven to 350 degrees. Remove your sandwich from the foil bag and position it atop the bag. Bake for 10-12 minutes, then flip the sandwich and bake for another 10-12 minutes.
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🐝 If you tried this Baked Grilled Cheese, please leave a ⭐️ star rating and share your buzz in the 💬 comments below. I'd truly appreciate it!
📖 Recipe
Baked Grilled Cheese
Equipment
Ingredients
- unsalted butter, softened, or nonstick cooking spray
- 12 slices sandwich bread - ($0.72)
- 6 slices cheddar cheese - ($1.14)
Instructions
- Preheat. Preheat the oven to 450°F and line a baking sheet with parchment paper if desired.
- Prep Bread. Arrange 6 slices of bread on the baking sheet. Spread butter or spray cooking spray on the tops of the bread, then flip so the coated side is facing down on the pan.
- Assemble. Place one slice of cheddar cheese on each piece of bread. Top with the remaining bread slices and spread butter or spray cooking spray on the tops.
- Bake. Bake for 5 minutes, flip the sandwiches, then bake for another 3 to 5 minutes until golden and toasted.
- Serve. Remove from the oven and serve warm.
Notes
- Bread Choice. Any sliced bread works, including white, wheat, sourdough, or sandwich rolls.
- Cheese Options. Swap cheddar for American, Swiss, provolone, or a cheese blend.
- Butter Swap. Mayonnaise can be used in place of butter for browning.
- Add Ins. Thin sliced ham or turkey can be added between the cheese layers.
- Pan Tip. Keep cheese centered on the bread to prevent melting onto the pan.
Nutritional Information
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