grilled cheese sandwich

Meaning

A hot sandwich made by placing cheese between slices of bread, buttering the outside of the bread, and toasting it in a frying pan or on a griddle until the cheese is melted and the bread is golden brown. It is an iconic, simple comfort food in North America.

Examples

• There is nothing better than a hot grilled cheese sandwich on a rainy day.

  There is nothing better than a hot grilled cheese sandwich on a rainy day.

• She likes to dip her grilled cheese sandwich into a warm bowl of tomato soup.

  She likes to dip her grilled cheese sandwich into a warm bowl of tomato soup.

• I made a quick grilled cheese sandwich for lunch because I was short on time.

  I made a quick grilled cheese sandwich for lunch because I was short on time.

• You can upgrade your grilled cheese sandwich by adding sliced tomatoes or crispy bacon.

  You can upgrade your grilled cheese sandwich by adding sliced tomatoes or crispy bacon.

• My kids always ask for a grilled cheese sandwich when they come home from school.

  My kids always ask for a grilled cheese sandwich when they come home from school.

Common Mistakes

• ✗ I want a grill cheese sandwich.

  ✓ I want a grilled cheese sandwich.

  You must use the past participle adjective 'grilled' rather than the noun or verb 'grill', as the sandwich has undergone the process of being grilled.

• ✗ He toasted a cheese sandwich on the pan.

  ✓ He made a grilled cheese sandwich in the pan.

  While the bread does get toasted, the specific, culturally recognized name for this hot, pan-cooked melted cheese sandwich is a 'grilled cheese sandwich'.

Related Expressions

Practice

• A classic American comfort food combination is tomato soup and a ___.

  💡 A warm sandwich with melted cheese toasted in a pan.

  Show answer

  grilled cheese sandwich

• To make a perfect ___, you should spread butter on the outside of the bread before cooking.

  💡 A pan-toasted bread and melted cheese meal.

  Show answer

  grilled cheese sandwich