The History and Origin of the Grilled Cheese (2024)

FAQs

The History and Origin of the Grilled Cheese? ›

The cheese dream, an open-faced grilled cheese sandwich, became popular in the U.S. during the Great Depression. U.S. government cookbooks describe Navy cooks broiling "American cheese filling sandwiches" during World War II.

The history of grilled cheese can be traced back to the Great Depression era in the United States. It was affordable and convenient, it could be made on the fly by vendors and families alike, and it was quite filling.

Some claim the snack's origins date back to 1912, when Wilf Chumbly of Halton, Lancaster put some cheese on a bit of bread. Welsh rarebit is thought to date back even longer. Today, cheese buffs put everything from Worcester Sauce to Tomato Ketchup, paprika and Oxo Cubes on melted treats.

The recipe for what we consider as the modern grilled cheese sandwich was set into motion after J.L. Kraft & Bros. Co., which eventually became Kraft Foods, began making processed cheese after 1914, according to HowStuffWorks.com.

So both started with “toasted cheese sandwiches”, and both changed it in their own ways: Britain made the name more cutesy, representing their home-based cooking efforts, while America tried to sound a little more sophisticated and asked for their cheese “grilled” rather than toasted.

"Toasties" are the British word for practically any grilled sandwich and are similar to what we call a panini here in the States. I always call it a "cheese toastie" when preparing one at home.

Respondents say grilled cheeses are best for quick and easy weekday meals (53%), when a craving hits (38%) and on rainy days (27%). Nearly two-thirds (62%) feel that a grilled cheese is best made at home and 40% like having one for lunch more than any other meal.

The grilled cheese (sometimes known as a toasted sandwich or cheese toastie) is a hot cheese sandwich typically prepared by heating slices of cheese between slices of bread with a cooking fat such as butter or mayonnaise on a frying pan, griddle, or sandwich toaster, until the bread browns and the cheese melts.

If you're slathering it in butter or mayonnaise – it's probably not a meal you'd want to indulge in daily. If you're grilling it under a broiler or using a sandwich press, it's probably a healthier food choice.

Once cheese curds are formed, acid levels dictate the ultimate 'gooeynees' of cheese by relaxing the grip that calcium has on micelles. Cheeses with an acidity in the range of pH 5.3-5.5 — such as gouda, gruyére or manchego — make for solid melting, according to the video.

What is a 7 letter word for cheese on toast? ›

The shortest crossword solution for CHEESE ON TOAST is 7 letters long and is called RAREBIT.

Fancy a panini, Reuben sandwich, quesadilla, croque monsieur or Welsh Rarebit? The grilled cheese sandwich or toastie has many names and comes in many forms around the globe. At the heart of them all is the stretchy, rich and tasty deliciousness of cheese.

Although the idea of putting bread and cheese together has been around since ancient times, the grilled cheese we know and love was thought to have originated in the United States during the 1920's.

In 1902, Sarah Tyson Rorer's cookbook titled “Mrs. Rorer's New Cookbook” had a sandwich named the “melted cheese” sandwich.

Called a “cheese dream” during the Great Depression, the concept sometimes involved ham or bacon, or perhaps eggs, cayenne, mustard or mayonnaise, browned on both sides and served in tomato sauce at Sunday supper. In fact, a 1918 Good Housekeeping magazine also featured cheese dreams.

Today “toasted cheese” is British English for what Americans call “a grilled cheese sandwich.” But in the days before sandwiches were formally known and named as such, “toasted cheese” existed in a variety of guises.

To bring tomato soup and grilled cheese together, it would take a world war. Grilled cheese sandwiches were popular among sailors and other military members during World War II. Afterward, government institutions, as well as schools, started packaging the sandwich with tomato soup to give the meal additional nutrition.