When it comes to making the best grilled cheese which spread is is better for toasting? Is it better to spread Mayo or Butter on the outside of a grilled cheese? Which has the best flavor and texture? Today we’ll answer the question once and for all.
Grilled cheese sandwiches are a beloved classic, an easy to make and satisfying snack you can whip up in minutes. If you’ve made a grilled cheese or two in your life then you probably have been reaching for the butter to coat the outsides of the bread when toasting to deliver that golden crunchy exterior we’ve all grown to love.
Have you ever heard about subbing out butter and opting for mayonnaise instead? Mayonnaise, really? I know it sounds bizarre but there are an ever increasing heap of people that swear by it being the better choice for toasting, and there are some compelling reasons why you’ll probably tend to agree.
Today we’ll answer the question once and for all by putting mayo and butter up against each other to find which is the superior spread for toasting a grilled cheese!
The Case For Butter
It’s never let us down before right? Butter is a great choice for toasting a grilled cheese. Using butter adds a subtle salty flavor to the grilled cheese that nicely compliments the bread and cheese.
It’s really the texture though where butter shines, it’s hard to beat the taste of biting in to a crispy and crunchy perfectly toasted grilled cheese that’s be grilled with a big helping of butter slathered on it.
When it comes to toasting a grilled cheese with butter you do need to be mindful not to burn the outside before the cheese has melted inside which unfortunately can be easy to do. Condolences if this has ever happened to you, we know how heartbreaking it can be!
One negative for butter is that it can be notoriously hard to spread, especially when it’s be refrigerated. By the time you’ve got it to spread your bread may be looking a little mangled. Obviously not ideal.
The Case For Mayo
Now lets talk about Mayo. I had my doubts when I first heard about it but after giving it a go I was quite surprised.
For starters it was so easy to apply to the bread because it was so soft and spreads effortlessly, allowing you to generously coat the bread without ripping it up.
In addition to this, mayonnaise is a lot easier to cook with. Due to it’s ingredients it has a higher smoke point than butter which means you can toast it for longer and on a higher heat so it won’t burn as easy as butter does.
The texture of a mayo grilled cheese is crispy on the outside but soft and fluffy as you bite into it, the moisture in the mayonnaise seems to prevent the bread from drying out as quickly which makes for a great texture.
You’ll definitely notice the more tangier taste of a grilled cheese that’s been cooked with mayonnaise, it’s not overpowering but is definitely noticeable and in my opinion, it actually compliments the cheese and works really nicely.
The Verdict
It really comes down to how you like your grilled cheese. Both are delicious options and work really well for tasty grilled cheese sandwiches. Mayonnaise toasts a lot better than butter and has a nice crispy yet fluffy texture however it doesn’t have that same salty buttery taste that we’ve all come to love on a grilled cheese.
So to decide where you’re team mayo or butter I’d recommend you give both a try to see what you like. Heck why not use both to get the best of both worlds? You can’t really go wrong with a grilled cheese and that’s what makes them so great.
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