Tasting Table Asks: Which Cheese Do You Prefer For A Grilled Cheese? - Exclusive Survey
Few kid-friendly foods share such an enduring and passionate adult fanbase as the humble grilled cheese. April 12 is celebrated as National Grilled Cheese Sandwich Day, but folks have been enjoying grilled cheeses for centuries (via National Today). John Wilkins, a professor at the University of Exeter told The Daily Beast that even ancient Romans were making a version of melted cheese on bread using primitive ovens. According to the Farmers' Almanac, during the Great Depression, the cheap and easy open-faced grilled cheese sammies were referred to as "cheese dreams."
Today, Americans put away an estimated 2.2 billion grilled cheese sandwiches every single year. It's not hard to understand why — they're tasty, easy to assemble, and the ingredients are some of the most common you can find. True fans will tell you a modern grilled cheese sandwich is all about showcasing good cheese. New York restaurant consultant Arlene Spiegel agrees. "From France to Wisconsin to small New York goat farmers, the respect for the origins and process of cheese-making are back on the forefront," says Spiegel, via Daily Beast. That's why we asked 601 Tasting Table readers about their preferences du fromage to find out, once and for all, which cheese is the most popular for a grilled cheese, and the results are in. Where did your favorite one rank?
American cheese, please!
When it comes to classic grilled cheese, Croque Monsieur-inspired sammies don't fit the bill. Bringing up the rear of the pack is Brie, with 2.83% of the vote. Next up is Swiss with 7.15%. The 2022 World Cheese Awards crowned a Swiss-made Gruyère as the Best Cheese in the World (via CNN), but it looks like for this application, traditional Swiss is a little less popular with our readers. Close ahead is Provolone, with 7.65% of the vote; it's a solid cheese for topping pizzas, but it inspires decidedly less enthusiasm for grilled cheese. And just 12.15% of readers said Gouda is their favorite cheese to grill.
The first- and second-place cheeses pulled far ahead of the pack, together accounting for over 70% of the total vote. In second place is cheddar, which raked in an impressive 33.78% of the vote. And in first place, our readers say that when they're making a grilled cheese sandwich, they reach for American cheese. Fare encompassing the sphere of Kraft Singles was named the best grilled cheese cheese by no less than 36.44% of the voters.