Consider this less a recipe and more a note from my kitchen. I fully recognize that no one needs instructions for making a grilled cheese sandwich, but this is how we make tomato grilled cheese in our home, and I think some of these simple, everyday foods are worth recording.
Tomato grilled cheese is what happens when an old-fashioned grilled cheese sandwich meets the height of garden season. Ours starts with homemade bread, plenty of butter, a little mustard, ripe garden tomato, cheddar cheese, and sometimes a sprinkle of Italian seasoning.
There is nothing complicated about it, but there are a few details that make a very good one. The tomato gets salted, the cheese goes on both sides of it, and the sandwich cooks slowly enough for all that cheddar to melt before the bread gets too dark. This is not a sandwich to rush.
What Makes a Good Tomato Grilled Cheese?
- Keep the heat low. This is probably your most important tip. A good tomato grilled cheese is fairly substantial, and high heat will brown the buttered bread long before the cheese in the center has a chance to melt.
- Put cheese on both sides of the tomato. Rather than bread-cheese-tomato-bread, sandwich the tomato between layers of cheddar. You get melted cheese against both pieces of bread and the tomato stays tucked into the center.
- Salt the tomato. Even with salty cheddar, the tomato itself needs seasoning. A little good quality salt makes a big difference, particularly with a thick garden tomato.
- Use the mustard you like. Dijon and stone-ground are my favorites, but ordinary prepared mustard works just fine. This is everyday household food, not something that requires a special trip to the store.
- Italian seasoning is optional. I often add a light sprinkle, but the sandwich is just as good without it.
- Choose a sturdy bread. Homemade sandwich bread is perfect here. You want something substantial enough to hold the tomato and melted cheese without becoming soggy.
- A great knife helps. A poor tomato knife is frustrating! This one is my favorite.
The Secret Is Lower Heat
I touched on this above, but it deserves its own section because it solves the classic grilled-cheese problem: burned on the outside, not melted on the inside.
Butter wants to brown long before a thick sandwich’s interior necessarily gets hot enough. Lower heat gives the cheddar time to soften and melt while the bread gradually becomes crisp and golden. We have a gas stove that runs hot and cook grilled cheese on low heat. You won’t regret being mindful of this step!
Tomato Grilled Cheese: A Late-Summer Classic
Ingredients
Method
- Butter one side of each slice of bread generously. Spread mustard on the opposite side of each slice.
- Place one slice of bread, butter-side down, in a skillet over low to medium-low heat.
- Cover each slice of bread with cheddar cheese. Add enough tomato to cover the cheese in a single layer and season the tomato with salt and, if desired, a sprinkle of Italian seasoning.
- Add another layer of cheddar over the tomato. Top with the remaining bread, mustard-side facing in and butter-side facing out. The tomato should now be sandwiched between two layers of cheese, with cheese touching both slices of bread.
- Cook slowly until the bottom is crisp and deeply golden and the cheese has begun to melt. Flip the sandwich and continue cooking until the second side is golden and the cheese is melted throughout.
- If the bread is browning before the cheese has completely melted, reduce the heat further and cover the skillet for a minute or two.
- Remove from the skillet, let rest briefly, then serve warm.