The Southern Trick for Making Perfect Grilled Cheese Every Time

Growing up, visits to my grandma's retirement home apartment were predictable and idyllic. On the afternoons we spent together, I’d curl up in a recliner approximately three feet from the TV, and Grandma Winnie would spend the afternoon treating me to all my favorite foods and as much Nickelodeon as I could handle.

I loved these visits because they meant I’d get to have her macaroni and cheese, green beans, tomato and cucumber salad, and occasionally, one of her perfect grilled cheese sandwiches.

Like everything she cooked, Grandma’s grilled cheese was simple but spot on. The ratio of white sandwich bread to gooey American cheese was exceptional, and the crowning touch was the flawlessly toasty bread, with its tawny sheen and satisfying crunch.

How Grandma Winnie Made the Best Grilled Cheese

As a kid, I never questioned how this sandwich was made. I had other concerns, like would Brad and Ted from Hey Dude ever go on a date?

The ingredients and techniques involved in my grilled cheese were of no importance to me as I happily ate my sandwich, sprinkling crumbs into the crevices of the recliner.

But as I got older, I started to notice little things about the way she cooked, silently filing them away in my mind. One day, I was watching her make a grilled cheese sandwich (a rare screen break!), and what I saw shocked me.

She took a liberal slick of mayonnaise and spread it all over the outside of the bread before adding it to a warm pan. What alchemy was this?

I thought I understood the basics of the grilled cheese sandwich—bread, cheese, maybe a little butter—but what I saw taught me something important: If you want a truly beautiful golden-brown crust on a griddled sandwich, you’re going to need some good mayo.

Why You Need Mayo for the Best Grilled Cheese Sandwich

As it turns out, Grandma Winnie’s trick for the best grilled cheese is rooted in science. Mayonnaise achieves the same (or better) browning as butter. It also has a higher smoke point, which means that as your cheese gets all gooey and melty, you’ll develop that quintessential golden brown color on the bread without scorching your sandwich.

Turns out, I did care about the ingredients and techniques after all. It just took me a while to realize it. These days, I wouldn’t think of making a grilled cheese sandwich any other way.