A Grilled Cheese Romance: Best Butter Substitute Recipe

The Humblest of all the Comfort Foods

Grilled cheese sandwiches, the easiest and most flexible of all the comfort foods becomes even easier with butter substitutes for grilled cheese. Grilled cheese sandwiches have always been an icon of romance and true love to me. On the surface, two slices of bread with melty cheese in between seems a humble meal, but let me tell you a story…

Grilled Cheese Nostalgia

When I was growing up, I remember grilled cheese nights. 

Usually on a Friday, since we abstained from meat. My mom sometimes added tomatoes, onions, and mustard to whole-grain bread. 

But what I remember most of all was the fact that there was always, and I mean always, a burnt one.

Now, let me preface this by saying my mom is a good cook. She’s fed my dad, my eight siblings, and myself for decades. She can whip up something with a moment’s notice; she could look at a scarce pantry and figure out how to make a feast. She takes great pride in nourishing her family with delicious home-cooked meals, and she never burns anything. 

Except for every time she has ever made grilled cheese sandwiches. 

A Grilled Cheese Romance

Growing up with so many mouths to feed, my parents were extremely frugal; they knew how to stretch a dollar, and they never, ever wasted food.

So, when there was a grilled cheese sandwich burnt to a blackened crisp, where others would have tossed it in the trash without a second thought, my mother, not saying a word, would always, without fail, put it on her plate, buried under a heap on potato chips to not draw attention to it. 

And she would turn back to the kitchen to flip over another sandwich. 

And while her back was turned, somehow, without anyone seeing, it would somehow make its way across the table onto my dad’s plate. 

When she would return moments later with a perfect grilled cheese sandwich for my dad’s plate, and seeing the blackened one on his plate already, she always scolded, “Jim! That one isn’t for you!”

He always answered, “But I like it extra crispy like this.”

But it wasn’t extra crispy.  In fact, we all knew that if you took a bite, you could practically taste the Earth’s crust. 

And she would shake her head and reluctantly go back to her seat with her own golden-brown work of art, and we bowed our heads to say grace together, and dinner conversations would resume as normal. No more talk was had about the blackened concoction that had once been slices of bread and melted cheese. Nothing more needed to be said.

But all of us children knew. We knew we were in the presence of true love.

The Most Flexable Comfort Food

Now that I have a family of my own, grilled cheese sandwiches are a staple in our home. They are affectionately known as ‘grilled cheese toasties.’  ever since my eldest, Audrey, was learning to talk and was the pickiest of eaters in all the world, she refused to eat a grilled cheese sandwich, but for some reason, would eat it if you called it a ‘cheese toasty.’ Parenthood is a real trip.

But to my husband, grilled cheese sandwiches are comfort food, especially paired with a bowl of tomato soup; he is on cloud nine. 

I love it as an easy-peasy, meatless Friday option for the family. Put out some tomato soup or potato chips and a dill pickle; we’ve got a house full of happy campers around here. It really is the best thing, especially on an autumn or rainy evening. 

Best Butter Substitute for Grilled Cheese

If not eaten on a Friday, my favorite rendition is a bacon grilled cheese, which in itself is next level right there, and an amazing butter substitute is bacon grease. Bacon grease is great in the place of butter or oil in a pan. Save that grease. Don’t be afraid of a little (or a lot) of bacon grease. This is not medical advice, but we haven’t died yet. 

I prefer using butter, bacon grease, or extra virgin olive oil over vegetable oil or canola oil any day. Aside from the health aspects, the delicious flavors can’t be beat. 

However, on a Friday when bacon and bacon grease are off the menu, we use either butter or in a pinch, mayonnaise. Mayonnaise is a great butter substitute for grilled cheese because it really gives it that beautiful golden brown crispy texture.

Grilled Cheese Recipe:

Ingredients:

2 slices of sourdough bread

2 slices of sharp cheddar cheese (or American cheese)

Butter, bacon grease, or mayonnaise-based on preference for outside of the bread.

Butter, bacon grease, or extra virgin olive oil for pan

Could it get any easier than that?

Directions:

Heat the skillet of choice over medium-low heat to medium heat (use a cast-iron skillet for an extra beautiful crispy texture). Add butter or oil to the pan. I know people who claim a great option is avocado oil because of its natural flavor, healthy fats, and that it can handle higher heat, but I haven’t used it yet myself. 

Put butter (or mayonnaise or bacon grease) evenly on a slice of bread, homemade sourdough is a great option if you’re feeling up for the challenge! Once skillet has heated, place buttered or mayo side down in the pan. Put sliced cheese on the bread and put another slice of buttered bread on top, buttered side up. Check the bottom slice by lifting the corner with a spatula, and once it reaches the level of darkness desired, flip it over. Be careful; since the cheese isn’t melted to the bread yet, everything will try and slide around. 

Once the sandwich is flipped, press down firmly on the sandwich with a spatula to create that crispy panini sandwich effect. 

Once the other side has reached the desired level of darkness, remove it from the pan. Repeat as many times as needed, depending on the size of the army you are feeding. Add more butter or oil to the pan as necessary.

Endless Flexibility

Sharp cheddar is my favorite cheese for its flavor and how well it pairs with sourdough bread, and American cheese is one of the best cheeses for a wonderful melty cheese but swap out for more unique flavors or whatever happens to be your favorite cheese and based on personal taste.

The type of bread used is also completely up to you, with white bread probably taking the cake for the most commonly used; options go from rye all the way to French bread. The sky is the limit. 

There isn’t much you can do to go wrong with trying different flavors when it comes to finding a perfect butter substitute for grilled cheese that best suits your palate and dietary needs.

Serve with a bowl of tomato soup, potato chips, and always, always, with a dill pickle on the side.

Be sure to experiment with everything under the sun. Make it fancy with brie cheese and jam for a rich flavor, add bacon, and try every type of cheese you can think of. Add tomatoes and grilled onion. Make it your own according to your own personal taste or keep it super simple and have a more traditional grilled cheese sandwich. 

But whatever you do, if the sandwiches you are making are darker than the night sky itself, maybe, just maybe turn down the heat a little next time. 

Or just find yourself a soul mate that will fight you for it, either or.

Fing more meal inspiration and ways that your family can fast and feast here.

AMDG

Emma Williams

Wife and mother, artist and storyteller. Romanticizing everything. Living life biblically and liturgically, adventurously and intentionally.