Start Making Grilled Cheese With This Frozen Bread For A Thick And Buttery Upgrade

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From last-minute dinners to midnight snacks and kid-friendly lunches, it's hard to beat a classic grilled cheese sandwich ... that is, unless you're making it with Texas toast. This flavorful upgrade is the thick, robust shortcut to the ultimate grilled cheese, and it might be stocked in your freezer already. In a Reddit thread inquiring, "Anyone else like thick Texas Toast for GC's?" the comments section is filled with enthusiastic assent. "Absolutely," writes one. "Can hold more cheese that way." On the side, Texas toast would also soak up the maximum amount of roasted tomato soup for the richest, heartiest meal.  

Pre-seasoned slices of Texas toast can be found in the freezer aisle at most grocery stores. The bold, flavor-packed addition of butter, Parmesan, and garlic salt yields an effortlessly dimensional sandwich. Meanwhile, those thick, sturdy slices ensure a structurally sound grilled cheese, which can be especially useful if you plan to dress up your sammy with lots of toothy toppings or multiple types of cheese. Here at Tasting Table, we swear by a Havarti-Gouda grilled cheese duo for its ultra-melty textures and flavorful tasting profiles. Sharp cheddar cheese would also complement the salty-savory flavor of the Texas toast. 

To make it, simply assemble your grilled cheese sammy as you normally might, layering the sliced or shredded cheese between two pieces of Texas toast before pan-frying to golden-brown perfection. If you're working with unthawed bread, keep in mind that some of the bread's excess moisture might end up logged in the cheese. To ensure the best texture, pre-cook frozen Texas toast according to the package directions before using it to build a sandwich. 

One Reddit commenter notes that they have "mixed feelings" about the Texas toast grilled cheese hack. According to the poster, basic white bread is the key to a classic G.C., but Texas toast is the better choice for building bigger melts — such as this stacked Tex-Mex grilled cheese recipe with avocado, jalapeño, diced veggies, and more. Thanks to the large, sturdy shape of the bread, gourmands can feel free to load on even more toppings to elevate their grilled cheese. 

To brighten the savory Texas toast with a fresh element, add a thick slice of beefsteak tomato and some cracked white pepper. A smear of sweet-tart blackberry jam would counterbalance the umami-saltiness of the Texas toast, creating an instant trip around the entire palate. Or, to lean into the bread's umami garlic note, try topping your grilled cheese with strips of smoky bacon, caramelized onions, sauteed mushrooms, or even leftover Buffalo chicken dip. 

This upgrade is as impactful as it is cost-effective. At a Walmart in Chicago, an 11.25-ounce box of eight slices of frozen Texas toast by New York Bakery brand costs just $2.97 — enough to make four grilled cheese sandos. Or, the same-sized box of the store's generic Great Value brand garlic Texas toast runs for an even cheaper $2.08, 52¢ per sammy. Plus, the fact that Texas toast is frozen means that its shelf life is significantly longer than regular bread. Those slices can be waiting on hand for whenever the next grilled cheese craving strikes.