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Oven Grilled Cheese is the best way to make this nostalgic favorite. This no-fuss technique will make 6 sandwiches at once that are melty on the inside, crispy and golden on the outside.
A tasty grilled cheese sandwich is the ultimate in simple comfort food. Serve these baked grilled cheese sandwiches with simple sides like potato chips, pickle spears, Macaroni Salad, or Fresh Corn Salad. Or go full on nostalgia and serve up a hearty bowl of tomato soup for dipping.
5 Tips for a Foolproof Oven Grilled Cheese
- Choose the right cheese. The best cheese for a grilled cheese sandwich is a creamy and melty cheese, like Cheddar or Monterey Jack. American cheese is always a classic choice, but Pepper Jack or Mozzarella are also good.
- Choose the right bread. Use thicker slices of bread that can hold up to the melted butter, and to your bite. No wimpy white bread allowed!
- Spread the butter from crust to crust. This is a trick I learned a long time ago and it makes a huge difference! You want every millimeter of your sandwich coated with butter because butter is what makes the crust golden and crispy.
- Cover the sheet pan with foil. I’ve tried parchment paper and you just don’t get the same crispiness to the bread as you do with aluminum foil.
- Let the cheese set. Unless you want gooey cheese seeping out all over your cutting board, give the sandwiches at least 5 minutes to cool, allowing the cheese to set. This will keep the cheese from oozing out and will help retian the shape of the sandwich.
RECIPE WALK-THROUGH
How to Make Grilled Cheese in the Oven
See the recipe card below for full, detailed instructions
Step 1: Spread butter on one side of 12 slices of bread. To maximize flavor and crunch, make sure to spread the butter all the way to the edges. Sprinkle a little garlic salt on top of the butter.
Step 2: Cover a sheet pan with foil. I’ve tried parchment and you just don’t get the same crispiness, but it can be used. Lay 6 of the buttered bread slices, butter side down, onto the sheet pan.
Step 3: Top each piece of bread with cheese. Thin slices, use two and thicker slices you may only need one. Top with another slice of bread, butter side up.
Step 4: Bake for about 5-7 minutes, then flip each sandwich and bake until both sides are golden and crispy. Ovens vary, and even the pan you use can make a difference. Mine usually take about 12 minutes total.
- Let the sandwiches cool on the baking sheet, giving the cheese time to set. Slice and serve with your favorite sandwich sides.
More Classic Sandwiches
Oven Grilled Cheese Variations
Of course, you have your classic cheese on toasted bread, but what if you want to jazz it up a bit? Try these special sandwich variations:
- Italian: Add ham and salami or other Italian meats and mozzarella cheese. Serve with pepperoncinis.
- Bacon + Blue Cheese: Add some sliced bacon and crumbled blue cheese in between slices of mozzarella or jack cheese.
- Brie, Apples, and Jam: For a sweeter sandwich, add sliced brie cheese, thinly sliced apples, and fig jam. A peppery arugula salad would help to cut the sweetness.
- Sun-Dried Tomato and Basil: Fresh basil and sun-dried tomatoes add a fresh and flavorful twist to this sandwich. This combination would be great with provolone or mozzarella cheese.
Storage Tips
Storage and Freezing
Refrigerator: Let sandwiches cool to room temperature before storing. Wrap them in foil or place in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3 days.
Reheating: Reheat in the oven or toaster oven at 350°F until the bread crisps up again—about 10 minutes. The microwave works too, but the bread will be softer.
Freezing unbaked sandwiches: Assemble the sandwiches but don’t bake them yet. Wrap each one tightly in plastic wrap, then foil, and freeze for up to 2 months. When ready to eat, bake from frozen at 425°F. Add a few extra minutes to the baking time to make sure the cheese melts.
Freezing cooked sandwiches: Wrap individual sandwiches with plastic wrap or foil and pop them into a freezer bag. Store in the freezer for up to 3 months. Reheat straight from frozen in the oven at 375°F until warmed through and crisp.
Recipe Tips
- You can use salted or unsalted butter. Use garlic salt with unsalted butter and garlic powder with salted butter.
- Serve with pickles on the side for a classic diner feel. Or, try my Cheddar & Dill Pickle Pasta Salad which would pair perfectly.
- If you want leftover sandwiches, you wrap them up and place them in the fridge for a couple of days. Reheat in a skillet or in a toaster oven or air fryer.
More Sandwiches You’ll Love
- Crispy Dill Chicken Sandwich
- Monte Cristo Sliders
- Italian Beef Sandwiches
- Garlic Butter Ham & Cheese Sliders
- Chicken Parmesan Sandwich
Oven Grilled Cheese
Ingredients
- 12 slices of sandwich bread
- Butter softened and spreadable
- 12 slices cheese Cheddar, Mozzarella, Pepper Jack, American
- Garlic powder or salt optional
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 400 degrees F. Line a large baking sheet with nonstick foil.
- Spread butter thinly and to the edges of one side of each slice of bread. Sprinkle a little garlic salt on each piece if desired.
- Place 6 slices of bread butter side down on the baking sheet. Top with sliced cheese, then with another slice of bread, butter side up. Sprinkle with a little more garlic salt.
- Bake in the preheated 400 degree oven for 7-10 minutes, then flip each sandwich over to brown the other side.
- Let cool on the baking sheet for about 5 minutes before slicing and serving.
Notes
Nutrition
Nutritional Disclaimer Kristin Maxwell of “Yellow Bliss Road” is not a dietician or nutritionist, and any nutritional information shared is an estimate. For accurate calorie counts and other nutritional values, we recommend running the ingredients through your preferred online nutritional calculator. Calories and other nutritional values can vary depending on which brands were used.
These take me back to Junior/Senior Highschool
That’s how the lunch ladies made grilled cheese for lunch 😋 . Nice and soft in the center and the crispy edges were great for dipping into the tomato soup
Awesome feedback Jim! Thanks for stopping by.
This was SO good! I’d had some leftover garlic and herb compound butter I’d made for another meal earlier this week, and was trying to figure out what else I might use it for. I came across this recipe and it was like fate had happened! I used my flavored butter, omitting the need for the salt/powder. I used the cheeses I had on hand – Swiss and Pepper Jack, and it was the best grilled cheese I’ve probably ever tasted! I agree with everyone else that I will probably never cook this stovetop again.
Fantastic feedback Marie! Thank you so much for stopping by to share.
This was excellent. They were the perfect sandwiches for dunking in tomato soup. The added garlic really made these yummy.
Love the feedback Kimberly! Thanks for stopping by.
Absolutely delicious! I used American and Cojack cheeses which made it flavorful. The garlic salt was a brilliant addition! Yum! Yum! Yum! I ate one. Our teenage son ate the other five sandwiches! Thank you for sharing your recipe.
That sounds delicious! I have a growing teenage son just like that! LOL
Looks fantastic.. would love to try the Italian variations..
Just wondering if I can use the frozen Texas toast ??
Good question! I have made sandwiched with the toast before, but not a grilled cheese. I think it would be tasty.
This looks good but I would like to do it for 2 people. How long do I put it in the oven for?
The bake time will be the same no matter how many you make.
It’s a 5 Star for sure. I will be making my grill cheese sandwiches this way from now on. So easy. I omitted the garlic salt & it was still DELICIOUS
Love the feedback Denise! Thank you so much for stopping by.
Got your email today so made these for lunch. Oh my gosh delicious! The crunch from the oven was amazing. Probably the best grilled cheese ever! My husband loved it. Thanks so much!❤️
Yes!! I love hearing that! We make these all the time and they’re so easy and so good.
Such a cool idea especially for a group! Do you use salt or powder? PIcture shows powder..
They are great for a crowd! I have used both, and you can too. I meant to add that option to the recipe card.