Some days, you want to enjoy a grilled cheese sandwich to lift you up. However, making a grilled cheese sandwich on the stove isn't as simple as it may look. Sometimes the bread burns before the cheese can melt.
If this has ever happened to you, making grilled cheese sandwiches in your toaster oven is the solution. Your sandwich will come out flawlessly grilled each time.
How to toast a sandwich in a toaster oven? Follow these steps:
Step by Step Process of How to Make a Grilled Cheese Sandwich
When you make a grilled cheese sandwich in your toaster oven, the bread gets crispier and more flavorful; the cheese melts; and all of the flavors blend together in a lovely, delightful way.
Step 1: Choose Bread
Pick a bread that fits well in a toaster oven and that you like the flavor of. You can use any type of bread you'd like, from thick-cut sourdough to thin-sliced multigrain bread. Just keep in mind that the thinner the bread, the faster it will toast.
Step 2: Choose Your Filling
The most common is cheese, probably because it melts nicely onto the bread and doesn't leave behind any messy crumbs.
A couple of slices of cheddar or mozzarella should do the trick, but you can also try Swiss or pepper jack for a little extra kick; just make sure whatever you use melts well.
If you want to get fancy, you can add meat and/or vegetables; just be aware that some fillings may take longer than others to cook through completely.
Step 3: Butter The Bread On Both Sides
Spread butter on each slice of bread on both sides. This will make your toast crispy and golden brown on both sides. You can also use mayonnaise or margarine instead if you prefer those spreads over butter.
Step 4: Preheat your Toaster Oven
Line a baking sheet on your toaster oven cooking rack.
Preheat the toaster oven to 375 degrees F. Turn on the convection, if available. The convection setting will give you a crispier texture and even cooking. Some models have a "toast" function specifically for making toast. If yours doesn't have that, set it to "bake" or "convection bake."
Place the buttered bread slices on the preheated pan or baking sheet to toast. Toast for 1 or 2 minutes or until slightly brown.
Step 5: Assemble Your Sandwich
Once you've got all your ingredients ready, put them together in whatever order you like best. Try not to overstuff your sandwich; you want the filling to heat through without getting soggy or overcooked, so keep the layers thin and limit how much filling you add.
Step 6: Make Grilled Cheese Sandwiches
Place the sandwich in the toaster oven. If you are using a wire rack, position it so that the sandwich will be at least halfway between the top and bottom heating elements of the toaster oven. This will ensure even browning of both sides of the sandwich.
Toast the sandwich for an extra 1 to 2 minutes until golden or dark brown depending on how you like your oven-grilled cheese sandwich.
Tips for Perfect Grilled Cheese Sandwiches in a Toaster Oven
Choose The Right Cheese
While there are many different types of cheese that taste delicious in a toaster oven grilled cheese sandwich, some melt better than others. Try using cheddar, Swiss, or pepper jack. Stay away from cheese that is labeled "processed."
Instead of purchasing pre-shredded cheeses like mozzarella or fontina, shred them yourself. Make sure your sandwich is evenly melted inside and crispy on the outside by using this method.
Try to experiment with different kinds of cheese: Cheeses have their own unique flavor profile. Try experimenting with different cheeses such as cheddar, provolone, Swiss, or gouda. All these cheeses will give your grilled cheese sandwiches a different twist.
Use Oven Mitts
Grilled cheese sandwiches cook quickly and can get hot enough to burn your fingers when they come out of the oven. Use oven mitts when handling hot sandwiches so that you don't burn yourself when lifting them up from your toaster oven.
Use Bread That Can Handle It
You'll want bread that can handle high temperatures without getting soggy or breaking apart; this means either sourdough, multigrain, Ciabatta Bread, etc., if available where you live.
Butter Both Sides of Bread
One of the secrets behind perfect grilled cheese sandwiches is buttering both sides of each piece of bread and briefly toasting them before adding any fillings like cheese or meat.
You can spread butter on top of each side using a pastry brush or spoon, but dipping both sides in a bowl full of melted butter works just as well, especially if you're making multiple grilled cheese sandwiches at once.
What Is The Best Bread for Grilled Cheese Sandwich?
If you're looking for the best bread for grilled cheese, there are a few different options depending on your preferences and what kind of sandwich you want. Here are some of our favorites:
Pullman Bread
Pullman bread, also called sandwich bread, is a kind of bread that is popular. It makes it perfect for a toaster oven grilled cheese sandwich because it will hold up to being pressed when making a sandwich.
This is a sandwich bread made with wheat flour, butter, whole milk, sugar, and yeast.
It is long and rectangular, with a shiny top crust. It's been around since the mid-1800s and was originally used by restaurants to make sandwiches.
Multigrain
Multigrain bread has more grains than regular white bread, which means it contains more fiber and nutrients than your standard loaf.
The grains in a multigrain bread can include oats, wheat bread, rye, triticale, and barley. The grains are mixed together during the kneading process and then baked in a loaf pan or on a baking sheet.
They're usually good toasted or grilled because they have a nutty flavor and crunchy texture.
Sourdough Bread
A sourdough is technically an ancient form of leavened bread that relies on naturally occurring yeast during its fermentation process instead of commercial yeast. Sourdough produces a unique tangy taste that will work well with a toaster oven grilled cheese sandwich because the sourness helps cut through fatty foods like cheese.
English Muffins
The English muffin is a smaller, round bread that can be split in the middle to make it a little easier when adding ingredients for a grilled cheese sandwich. It's possible to get even more flavor out of the muffin by toasting it first, just like you would toast a regular slice of bread.
English muffins are extremely easy to make at home, so you don't have to buy them from a bakery or grocery store. They are made from flour, egg wash (egg yolk), salt, sugar, and yeast.
Ciabatta Bread
Ciabatta is an Italian loaf made from flour and yeast with little or no fat added during the kneading or rising stages of production. This makes it an excellent candidate for use as the bread for your next toaster oven-grilled cheese sandwich because its texture will hold up well under high heat without burning quickly as other softer slices of bread might do under similar conditions.
Which Cheese Is Best for Grilled Cheese Sandwich?
In my experience, it all depends on the kind of sandwich you're looking to make. I've experimented with a wide variety of cheeses; cheddar, Swiss, provolone, Gouda, mozzarella, and Brie, and I think each has its own benefits.
Cheddar isn't exactly known as melting cheese, but it's one of my personal favorites because of its subtle nutty flavor. I always enjoy a classic grilled cheese with cheddar because it does not have an overpowering flavor to distract me from its light and crispy texture.
Mozzarella works well in grilled sandwiches because it melts so easily. It doesn't have much of a distinct taste, so it's easy to pair with other ingredients like tomatoes or bacon. Besides being delicious and versatile, mozzarella is typically inexpensive and readily available at most grocery stores.
Provolone is another good choice for grilled cheese sandwiches; it's similar to mozzarella in that it melts well and has a mild flavor, but it has a slightly stronger taste and is firmer when sliced, which makes it great for piling on lots of toppings.
How Long Does It Take for Bread to Toast in A Toaster Oven?
Bread is usually toasted until it is golden brown, but different people prefer different degrees of brownness. For example, some people like their toast very dark while others prefer it light.
Toasting times vary from one toaster oven to another and from one type of bread to another. But generally speaking, if you are using the normal toaster oven, then you can expect your grilled cheese toast to be made in about four minutes.
What Temperature Do You Toast Sandwiches in The Oven?
You may have heard that people often make grilled cheese sandwiches on high heat in a toaster oven. This isn’t always the best option, though. You want your sandwich to brown evenly, which means keeping the heat medium and not very high, as this will burn your sandwich.
Toaster oven grilled cheese sandwiches are best done at 350 degrees Fahrenheit.
Toaster Oven Types
Now that we've seen how to make delicious sandwiches in an oven, you can find out more about different types of toaster ovens to suit all your needs. Check out the extracts from those reviews:
2 in 1 Toaster Ovens
These toaster ovens generally feature a 2 slice toaster on top of the oven chamber. Hence, 2 in 1 toaster ovens not only can they toast using the chamber, but also using their slots above. The benefit here is that the slot toaster can be used for some quick toasting for breakfast whereas the oven can be used for irregular food like pizza, bagels etc that cannot fit into the slots.
Rotisserie Toaster Oven
The benefit of a multi-function Rotisserie toaster ovens is that they can help you de-clutter your kitchen space. For example a toaster oven that combines both rotisserie as well as an air fryer feature can end up saving you from individually investing in a separate appliance.
Toaster Ovens with French Doors
These are the rarest kind of toaster ovens since only a select few extra large models feature these. Nevertheless, if you value good looks and ease of access, then french doors toaster ovens are excellent - you can find one that can fit your basic requirements be it affordability, digital, or compactness.
6 Slice Toaster Ovens
These are generally large ovens that are fit for a regular sized family. Not only can these toaster ovens toast 6 slices of bread at a time, they can also cook large recipes as well. The difference in price depends upon the features the model offers. Some offer simple features with knob controls, others offer digital controls or even smart features.
Basic Toaster Ovens
If you have very simple and minimal cooking like toasting, reheating or preparing frozen meals, then you can certainly look into the best basic toaster ovens out there. They are not just compact, they are also quite affordable. However, the definition of “basic” differs from person to person.