Description
Gourmet grilled cheeses blend crispy bread with melted, artisan cheeses from global kitchens. Sharp cheddar, creamy mozzarella, and tangy goat cheese create luxurious sandwich experiences you’ll crave repeatedly.
Ingredients
Scale
- 1 lb (1 pound) lean ground beef
- 8 slices sourdough bread (about ½-inch thick)
- 4 cups (1 pound/454 g) shredded sharp cheddar cheese
- 4 tbsps (½ stick/113 g) unsalted butter
- 1 tbsp olive oil
- 1 tsp kosher salt
- 1 tsp garlic powder
- 1 tsp onion powder
- ½ cup water
- Pinch of black pepper (optional)
Instructions
- Preparation: Soften unsalted butter at room temperature for effortless spreading, ensuring smooth application on bread slices.
- Meat Preparation: Sear ground beef in a large skillet over medium-high heat, fragmenting the meat into fine crumbles until thoroughly browned.
- Seasoning and Sauce: Enhance beef with salt, black pepper, Worcestershire sauce, brown sugar, and water, creating a rich, glossy coating.
- Simmering: Reduce heat and allow beef mixture to simmer, stirring intermittently, until sauce thickens and develops a luxurious sheen.
- Bread Layering: Generously coat sourdough bread slices with softened butter on one side, positioning them butter-side down in a clean skillet.
- Cheese and Filling: Distribute shredded cheddar cheese across bread slices, then lavishly spoon sloppy joe mixture over the cheese, adding an extra sprinkle of cheese.
- Sandwich Assembly: Crown each slice with a complementary bread piece, butter-side facing upward, forming four cohesive sandwiches.
- Grilling: Cook sandwiches over medium heat, rotating once, until bread achieves a golden-brown crust and cheese melts into a creamy embrace.
- Serving: Remove from skillet, allow brief cooling, slice diagonally, and present immediately for optimal taste and texture.
Notes
- Butter Softening Strategy: Allow unsalted butter to sit at room temperature for precisely 30 minutes to ensure smooth, even spreading on bread without tearing.
- Meat Browning Technique: Break ground beef into small, uniform crumbles while cooking to create consistent texture and prevent large meat chunks in sandwiches.
- Sauce Simmering Tip: Stir beef mixture occasionally during 8-10 minute reduction to prevent burning and achieve a glossy, thick sauce that enhances flavor.
- Cheese Melting Perfection: Cook sandwiches at medium heat for exact 3-4 minutes per side, watching carefully to achieve golden-brown bread and completely melted cheese without burning.
- Prep Time: 10 minutes
- Cook Time: 20 minutes
- Category: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner
- Method: Frying
- Cuisine: American
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 5
- Calories: 662
- Sugar: 2g
- Sodium: 763mg
- Fat: 41g
- Saturated Fat: 23g
- Unsaturated Fat: 14g
- Trans Fat: 1g
- Carbohydrates: 39g
- Fiber: 2g
- Protein: 34g
- Cholesterol: 115mg