Want to know how to cook the very best GLUTEN FREE grilled cheese sandwich? Let’s do it! You may have tried this before and gave up on it because the results were not what you were aiming for. With a couple of my secrets you will be able to enjoy grilled cheese again without the gluten.
Before I was diagnosed with Celiac disease I was a connoisseur of bread. I was the master at making gourmet grilled cheese. Bread is what makes and breaks any sandwich, including grilled cheese. The fresher and softer the better. My secret was starting with the best bread I could get my hands on. Often times that would be fresh french bread, unsliced. Obviously that life is behind me now.
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Gluten-free bread is often not as soft as we wish. It’s known to be disappointing at times. I reminisce fondly of bread with such a soft texture. Apparently gluten does amazing things for bread. As an expert grilled cheese chef I knew what to do. I must find the right gluten free bread that would make the best gluten free grilled cheese sandwich.
After trying several different ideas I ended up with a slightly unconventional approach. Schar makes some incredible gluten free products. I love Schar! One of my favorites is their baguette. It comes in a two pack at a local grocery store in my area. These baguettes are a little smaller than their conventional counterpart however the texture is pretty fantastic.
Being that the baguettes are smaller we are going to make multiple mini gluten free grilled cheese sandwiches instead of a big one. It sounds strange but you’re going to have to trust me on this one.
Slice the Schar baguette bread in slices somewhere between 1/2 and 3/4 inches thick. Now proceed to build your grilled cheese sandwiches. As the master of grilled cheese I have some additional secrets that I have carried over to my gluten free grilled cheese sandwich making, so don’t tune out yet.
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Prep
Butter one side of the slices as is customary. Get your sliced cheese ready. I highly recommend sharp cheddar pre-sliced cheese. Mild cheddar doesn’t quite have enough flavor. Go with the sharp cheddar at least once if you’ve never tried it. We are not going to assemble these into sandwiches at this time. We are going to cook them open-face in the skillet with the cover on so that the cheese melts faster and our bread doesn’t overcook and dry out.
Start with preheating your skillet. Set the temperature fairly low. Probably lower than you are used to cooking grilled cheese. This will vary by stove as they are all different. Definitely set it much lower than medium. This will give the cheese time to melt before overcooking or burning the bread.
Cooking
After the pan is well preheated place the grilled cheese bread slices butter side down and lay the cheese on the top. Cover the skillet with a well fitting lid. This will keep the moisture inside both steaming the cheese to melty perfection and making the bread as soft as possible. Don’t step away for long as these will cook relatively fast.
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When the cheese has melted fully check the bottom side of the slices to see if they match your preference for texture. Once they look good you can take the slices off the skillet and assemble them into your gluten free grilled cheese sandwiches.
Enjoy the best gluten free grilled cheese
Because you used outstanding gluten free bread, cooked with the lid on to create steam from the butter, and used a lower temperature on the stove, you should have softer more fluffy bread. This is the secret to creating the best gluten free grilled cheese sandwich possible.
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