Wild And Colorful Rainbow Grilled Cheese Recipe

Mashed recipe developer Patterson Watkins has a playful approach when it comes to developing new recipes. Sometimes, this comes from her own experimentation, and other times she's inspired by what's trending on the internet. "There are all sorts of silly, whimsical food things happening online — and I am all for it!" That's the case with this wild and colorful rainbow grilled cheese recipe, which was making the rounds on TikTok. "This sandwich just puts a smile on your face. Everything you love about a melty, buttery, crispy grilled cheese with a serious Lisa Frank-esque makeover." The only thing more comforting and cheerful than a good homemade grilled cheese sandwich might just be one that's bursting with rainbow colors.

At its foundation, this is a pretty standard recipe, but a few drops of food coloring take this grilled cheese to the next level. Watkins comments, "I would love to serve this to my girlie-gang, they would get a kick outta this at our next hang." Meanwhile, she suggests making mini sandwiches or cutting them into smaller pieces to serve at a fun festive event. "Or, if I am munching solo, I could see making this just for myself as a mood booster," she says. And of course, let's not forget, "Kiddos would definitely love this (and love helping make these in the kitchen)." This rainbow grilled cheese offers plenty of pizzazz, so Watkins likes to keep it simple with sides, opting for chips and pickles.

For this recipe, you'll need grated white cheddar cheese, gel food coloring in six colors (pink, orange, yellow, green, blue, and purple), salted butter (softened), and sliced panini-style or country-style bread.

Divide the grated cheese between 6 cups or bowls.

Add the food coloring to the bowls, designating a specific color for each. (Depending on your food coloring, you may need to make your own green and purple colors).

Gently stir or toss the cheese to thoroughly coat in the food coloring. Set aside to saturate for 10 minutes (this will help deepen the color).

Meanwhile, spread butter over one side of each of the bread slices.

Fill the un-buttered side of 4 slices of bread with stripes of the colored cheese, creating a rainbow look.

Cap the sandwiches with the remaining bread slices, buttered side-up.

Preheat a large skillet or griddle over medium heat.

Once hot (and working in batches if necessary), add the sandwiches to the skillet, and toast for 3 minutes per side or until golden and melty.

Remove from the skillet, slice in half on a diagonal, and serve.

A grilled cheese sandwich (no matter how colorful) is nothing without a good helping of cheese. That said, the type you choose will affect the taste and texture, so it's good to go with something reliable. Watkins opts for white cheddar here but points out, "White cheddar does tend to be on the sharper side of the cheese spectrum." That's great if you're looking for maximum flavor, but as she notes, "If you're serving littles or picky eaters, I would opt for a milder white cheese like mozzarella." Another option she recommends is grating a brick of American cheese, though you might want to stick to the white kind so that the colors remain vibrant. "Wisconsin brick cheese would be especially scrumptious," she adds. 

Buying pre-grated cheese might seem like a good way to save time, but it's not the best choice for an ooey-gooey grilled cheese. Shredded cheese often contains cellulose to prevent the bits from sticking together, affecting its capacity to properly melt. "I like grating my own cheese, it makes for a much more melty (less clumpy) final product," Watkins comments. Feel free to shred it prior to use and store it in the fridge until you're ready to assemble your grilled cheese.

If the only food dye you have in your pantry is liquid rather than gel, you might want to invest in the gel version. "Gel food coloring is much more concentrated than liquid food coloring," Watkins explains, adding, "A little goes a long way, and that thicker consistency means a much more vibrant color." On the flip side, if you were using liquid food coloring, you would need more of it to achieve equally bold colors. "That much liquid would also moist up your cheese a lot, sogging it out, and potentially, leading to a not-so-nice looking end result," she warns. The liquid might even separate from the cheese and leak into the bread, making it mushy and destroying the pretty effect of the sandwich.

Watkins is a strong proponent of gel food colorings and notes that though they costs a little more, they last a long while. "I use them all the time. I bought my batch a few years back too, they are still vibrant and fun — worth the little extra money you'll spend on them," she comments. Look for them at craft stores or keep it simple with a click on Amazon.