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    BeeyondCereal » Recipes » Microwave Recipes

    Microwave Grilled Cheese

    Modified: Oct 18, 2023 Published: Dec 16, 2020 by Nicole Durham This post may contain affiliate links. 2 Comments

    Jump to Recipe Jump to Video Pin Recipe
    4.88 from 16 votes

    Microwave grilled cheeses are the perfect lunch option when you want some melted cheese between buttered bread, and you want it fast. They're quick, simple, and oh-so-satisfying.

    Recipe: $0.62 | Per Serving: $0.62 | Servings: 1

    microwave grilled cheese sliced in half and on a plate with a salad.

    Microwave grilled cheeses are a great recipe for kids, college students, and those without access to a griddle or stovetop. Another great perk is that it's a great way to avoid heating up the house on a hot summer's day!

    Can you make a grilled cheese in the microwave? YES! With just 15-30 seconds in the microwave, you can have hot and gooey melted cheese between soft and crispy bread. The longest part is waiting on the toaster, but it's fine because even that doesn't take more than a few short minutes!

    If you love grilled cheese sandwiches, make sure to check out my Freezer Grilled Cheese, Baked Grilled Cheese, and Rainbow Grilled Cheese.

    Jump to:
    • 🍯 Why This Recipe Works
    • 🥘 Ingredients
    • 🧾 Substitutions
    • 🔪 Instructions for Microwave Grilled Cheese
    • 🍴 Recipe Tips
    • 🥗 Side Dishes
    • 💭 Grilled Cheese FAQs
    • ❤️ More Delicious Lunch Recipes
    • 📖 Recipe
    • 💬 Comments

    🍯 Why This Recipe Works

    1. It's cheap. Sandwich meat and fancy condiments can get pricey, but a little cheese and butter go a long way with this simple sandwich recipe. It's one of our favorite low cost sandwich recipes, alongside Grilled Fluffernutters, Spicy Tuna Sandwiches, and Frozen Peanut Butter and Jelly Sandwiches.
    2. It's quick to make! It's like a million times faster than making grilled cheeses on the stovetop... or at least it feels that way when you're cooking for an entire family.
    3. It's delicious. Whether you use one slice of cheese or two or swap the cheese for your favorite variety you can end up with some tasty creations every time.

    🥘 Ingredients

    labeled ingredients needed to make microwave grilled cheese.

    Ingredient Notes:

    Butter- You will need some softened butter or butter-like spread to apply to the bread. Cold butter won't work as well (I promise!)

    Sandwich bread- Use some sliced sandwich bread for maximum convenience. We like white bread, but wheat works fine too.

    Cheese slices- You can use Kraft slice singles or packaged sliced cheese. We like to pick and choose based on what we have on hand.

    For specific ingredients and measurements, please see the recipe card below.

    🧾 Substitutions

    Cheese and Bread Variety: Feel free to use any sliced cheese or type of bread for this recipe. Customize it to your taste preferences, whether you prefer something unique or simple.

    Mayo instead of Butter: If you prefer grilled cheese with mayo instead of butter, you can try spreading mayo on the outside of the bread. If you try your sandwich this way, let me know how it turns out.

    🔪 Instructions for Microwave Grilled Cheese

    two slices of toasted white bread.

    Step 1: Grab two slices of sandwich bread. Place the bread in your toaster and cook until nice and golden brown.

    Butter spread on white bread toast with used knife aside.

    Step 2: Remove the warm slices and spread butter on one side of each cooked slice.

    a slice of toast on a white plate.

    Step 3: Place a slice of buttered toast, butter side down, onto a microwave-safe plate.

    slice of cheddar cheese on toast on a white plate.

    Step 4: Top with your sliced cheese.

    buttered slice of toast sandwich with cheese in the middle on a white plate.

    Step 5: Add the remaining piece of bread, butter facing outwards.

    microwaved grilled cheese on a plate with melty cheese.

    Step 6: Microwave for 15-30 seconds until the cheese is nice and melted.

    Serve warm, and enjoy!

    Hand pulling apart microwaved grilled cheese to reveal gooey center.

    🍴 Recipe Tips

    Enhanced Texture- For a firmer texture in your grilled cheese, wrap it in a paper towel before microwaving to absorb excess moisture and retain crispness.

    🥗 Side Dishes

    You can serve your sandwich with any of your favorite lunch 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).

    💭 Grilled Cheese FAQs

    Can I make grilled cheese with mayo?

    Yes, if you don't want to use butter or a butter spread you can use mayo in its place. You can even omit this step entirely. One of my kids prefers to just have bread and cheese.

    When was grilled cheese invented?

    Records show grilled cheese or melted cheese sandwiches being available for purchase in restaurants around the early 1900s.

    What goes good with grilled cheese?

    Grilled cheese tastes great with itself on its own, fresh-cut veggies like broccoli baby carrots, or soups. Soups like tomato, chili, or even chowders can be great side dishes.

    two stacked microwave grilled cheese sandwich halves on a plate.

    ❤️ More Delicious Lunch Recipes

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    If you tried this Microwave Grilled Cheese, please leave a ⭐️ star rating and share your feedback in the 📝 comments section below. I would truly appreciate it!

    📖 Recipe

    two halves of microwave grilled cheese sandwich with gooey melty cheese.
    Print Recipe
    4.88 from 16 votes

    Microwave Grilled Cheese

    Microwave grilled cheeses are the perfect lunch option when you want some melted cheese between buttered bread and you want it fast.
    Prep Time 2 minutes mins
    Cook Time 3 minutes mins
    Total Time 5 minutes mins
    Servings: 1 sandwich
    Calories: 441kcal
    Cost Recipe $0.62
    Prevent your screen from going dark

    Equipment

    • Toaster
    • Microwave
    • Butterknife

    Ingredients

    • 2 slices sandwich bread ($0.12)
    • 1 Tablespoon butter, softened ($0.12)
    • 2 slices cheddar cheese ($0.38)
    US Customary - Metric

    Instructions

    • Place two slices of bread in toaster and cook until golden.
    • Remove from toaster and immediately spread some butter on one side of each slice.
    • Place cheese on other side so that the butter is facing outwards and close the bread around the cheese to form a sandwich.
    • Place sandwich on a microwave safe plate and microwave for 15 seconds-30 seconds until cheese is melted.

    Notes

    To remove excess moisture from the sandwiches, you can wrap a paper towel around a sandwich while it's in the microwave. This will help to keep it somewhat crisp while cooking.
    You can use mayo instead of butter, if desired.
    NOTE: Microwaves vary in strength so if your cheese isn't fully melted after 15 seconds, continue cooking in 10 second intervals.

    Nutritional Information

    Serving: 1sandwich | Calories: 441kcal | Carbohydrates: 30.4g | Protein: 17.9g | Fat: 27.5g | Saturated Fat: 13.3g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 3.2g | Monounsaturated Fat: 8.2g | Trans Fat: 0.5g | Cholesterol: 62.5mg | Sodium: 725.4mg | Potassium: 116.4mg | Fiber: 1.6g | Sugar: 3.6g | Vitamin A: 291.3IU | Calcium: 481.9mg | Iron: 2.2mg

    Video

    Author Nicole Durham
    Course lunch
    Cuisine American
    Diet Vegetarian
    Tried this recipe?Mention @BeeyondCereal on Instagram and hashtag it #BeeyondCereal
    Nutrition provided is an estimate. It will vary based on specific ingredients used. To view how this recipe was calculated you can visit my Pricing Disclosure Page for more information.

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    Reader Interactions

    Comments

    1. Shaea says

      May 22, 2023 at 6:49 pm

      5 stars
      This taste so good I am eating this every morning

      Reply
      • Nicole says

        May 22, 2023 at 6:54 pm

        I'm so glad you like it ☺️

        Reply
    4.88 from 16 votes (15 ratings without comment)

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    The proud owner and recipe developer behind BeeyondCereal. Here, I'm passionate about showing people how to navigate the kitchen with frugality in mind, whipping up family-friendly recipes that not only save money but also bring joy to every meal.

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