A fat, ooey gooey grilled cheese sandwich was (andstill is) one of my favorite meals growing up! My mom always made my with plain white bread and Kraft singles cheese and I freaking loved it. She’d also do it with crossaints! As I got older, she began putting her cilantro-mint chutney in it, or if we were out for the week then a healthy sprinkle of chaat masala and holyyyyy smokes it was LIFE. CHANGING. This is the only way I will accept a grilled cheese from now on. In this recipe, I detail how I make my grilled cheese sandwiches in a cast iron pan with brioche bread. But, everyone has their own way of making it. Maybe you toast all the bread first, maybe you use mayo. Whatever it is, change it up to your liking. I really think of this as more of a general guide to an incredible grilled cheese, because when it comes to grilled cheeses you follow your heart.
Ingredients - Notes and Substitutions
One thing most of us know how to make is a grilled cheese! It’s how I survived in college for quick sustenance. But since we are sprucing it up a bit from the classic grilled cheese, let’s talk about the ingredients!
Bread - Any type of sandwich bread works great for grilled cheese! I particularly love brioche bread, because it’s high moisture and oh so buttery. I found that bread with large holes in it, like Italian bread or sourdough is a bit too hard to bite into. Chutneys - I particularly love cilantro-mint chutney and mango chutney for my grilled cheese sandwiches. I think they pair particularly well with cheese and bread. Imli chutney I found does not suit my palate with cheese, but tomato chutney or apple butter chutney would be delicious! Cheese - I use mozzarella when pairing my grilled cheese with chutneys but really any cheese that will melt works! I’ve also done sharp cheddar and American cheese and enjoyed those. Chaat Masala - A blend of ground spices with a distinct tangy flavor that’s used to make chaat, fruit salads, etc. Substitute with ¼ teaspoon of aamchur, kala namak (black salt), or pomegranate seed powder. Ghee - This is a traditional cooking fat in lieu to oils in Indian cooking. The milk solids and impurities are removed from regular butter to make clarified butter. Substitute ghee with unsalted butter, but I swear using ghee will change your life.
I’ll talk a bit more about which cheese and chutneys to use below. The goal here is to help you customize your grilled cheese to your liking while introducing chutneys into it!
Which Cheese to use
Mozzarella is my number one recommendation because it pairs super well with both the mango and cilantro-mint chutney. It’s mild enough to let the chutneys do their thang and gives them their space to shine! To be more specific, I use both shredded mozzarella and fresh balls of mozzarella, or really whatever I have on hand. If you use mozzarella, don’t get low moisture mozz because it takes a while to melt. As I mentioned above, I also enjoy a sharp cheddar or American cheese paired with the chutneys. If you have other cheeses you think will pair well with the chutneys you use, do what will make it the most enjoyable for you! Mild cheeses are generally the best ones to turn to for Chutney Grilled Cheese.
Which Chutneys to use
Chutneys are condiments in India that use herbs, spices, fruit, vegetables, etc to serve alongside food for a burst of flavor. There are many types of chutneys with countless variations according to region, even per household. There’s also a great small business you can support, Bleaf, who make authentic Indian chutneys. Another great option is to go to a local Indian restaurant and ask to purchase their chutney! They most likely have that option on the bottom of the menu with the rest of the sides. It’s crazy easy to make the cilantro-mint chutney at home, too. You can check out my mom’s recipe, which I use for mine and results for a slightly spicy, herby grilled cheese. A healthy sprinkle of chaat masala adds tons of umami. It’s truly unreal. I could probably eat this for every meal! There are a ton of chutneys out there, but I think these two make for the best grilled cheeses. It would also be so yummy to smash both of the mint-cilantro and mango chutney slices together and enjoy that with creamy tomato soup!
Tips for Making Grilled Cheese Sandwiches with Chutney
It’s hard to make a bad grilled cheese but here are a few tips to yield the crispiest bread with the gooiest cheese!
Layer the cheese on top of the bread first, then chutney, and then more cheese. This prevents the bread from getting soggy. Toast both slices of bread. Layer one of the slices with the cheese and chutney, and then put the other slice on top of it, grilled side down. Yes, the grilled side will be facing inwards! It’s amazing. Then flip it on to the other side and grill again. Cover the pan with a lid and put the heat on low. This gives the cheese a chance to melt before the bread is toasted. Use a cast iron for an even golden crisp on the bread. Don’t be afraid to add more ghee into the cast iron as needed! This is how you’ll get a gorgeous golden brown sandwich.
More Indian Dinner Recipes to try
Recipe
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