The Best Bread-And-Dairy Combo For Grilled Cheese, According To An Expert

The very best thing about grilled cheese (apart from its taste, of course) is that it's infinitely adaptable. We're not just referring to the abundance of extra ingredients you can add; you can also switch up the bread and cheese to give your sandwich a major upgrade. Of course, there will always be one combination that is the best of the bunch, or — worse — there are some combinations that can straight-up wreck a grilled cheese. And who would know more about sandwiches than Diana Manalang, chef and owner of New York City's Little Chef Little Cafe?

When Mashed asked Manalang to share her favorite bread-and-dairy combination, there was a clear winner: "Cheddar [...] I love putting it between some Pepperidge Farm thin-sliced white bread." When it comes to using thin-sliced bread, Manalang says it yields the "best cheese-to-bread ratio." As for pairing cheddar and white bread, it may seem like a simple combination, but there's a reason why these two home kitchen staples work so beautifully together.

When it comes to pairing different ingredients, even for something like cheese and bread, it's all about combining complementary flavors. White bread has a slight sweetness, which increases as you chew it (due to the amylase enzyme present in saliva that creates simple sugar from starch). This can be a bit too much on its own, or it can become saccharine when combined with a sweeter cheese like Swiss or Brie. Cheddar, with its tangy flavor, balances that sweetness and creates a fuller taste experience.

Even better, cheddar has some serious depth on its own. As this cheese ages, it subtly changes in taste and sharpness. A young cheddar, for example, is delightfully mild and creamy, so it would be ideal if you actually prefer your grilled cheese to have a bit of sweetness. Plus, if you prioritize a good melt when making a grilled cheese, a young cheddar will work to your advantage. Young cheddar is much stretchier when it melts due to its long protein strands and high levels of moisture.

On the other end of the sharpness scale, an aged cheddar is zestier and has a nuttiness that adds a depth of sophistication to the cheese. To maximize the potential of this combination, it's best to follow Diana Manalang's advice: "The sharper the better."