Garlic Salt Is The Simple Ingredient For A Better Tasting Grilled Cheese
The simplest form of a grilled cheese sandwich can be delicious. However, being that it's technically only two ingredients — bread and cheese — there's no denying the flavor can be very one-dimensional. The addition of tomato is always a classic, and if you're feeling fancy you can even add some broccoli rabe to it for a broccoli cheddar soup-inspired take on the sandwich. But there's only so much you can add before it goes from a grilled cheese to a panini or melt. The good news is that if you want to keep your grilled cheese as simple as possible but still want to upgrade the flavor, all you need is garlic salt.
Garlic and cheese are known to complement each other and salt is a natural flavor enhancer. Putting garlic salt on a grilled cheese therefore will add a layer of flavor proven to be tasty. Incorporating the seasoning in the sandwich is easy, just sprinkle it on the bread after buttering it. This will allow it to stick well so you get a bit of garlic in every bite.
Best types of cheese for a garlic salt grilled cheese
While garlic salt contains salt, its dominant flavor is still garlic. This garlic flavor tends to go best with stronger cheeses such as sharp cheddar. For a more gourmet grilled cheese, you could also go with aged Fontina, which has the added benefit of being creamy and highly meltable. If you're also planning to put tomatoes on your grilled cheese, combining it with mozzarella and garlic salt will give it a flavor reminiscent of a Caprese.
To really lean into the garlic flavor, opt for a mountain cheese like gruyere or comte, or one with a rind, as these types of cheeses tend to have a funkiness that mimics garlic. Weinkase Lagrein, a type of cheese that's infused with garlic as well as wine, herbs, and pepper, can also have a similar effect on grilled cheese. Since garlic salt will add salt to your sandwich, just be sure to avoid Halloumi and processed cheeses such as American, as these varieties are already salty.
What you can substitute for garlic salt in a grilled cheese
If you don't have any garlic salt on hand but still want to elevate your grilled cheese with its flavor, it's easy to substitute or make it yourself. The seasoning comes together simply by combining garlic powder with three times as much salt, or whatever ratio suits your taste preferences.
When you add garlic salt to a grilled cheese, you do so by sprinkling it on the buttered bread, and that means you can also substitute garlic salt for homemade garlic butter. Even if you do have garlic salt but don't want your sandwich to be overly salty or garlicky, this can be a good option because you can control the amount of garlic powder or minced garlic you mix into the butter. You can also go with roasted garlic for a milder taste. But regardless of whether you use garlic salt or another alternative, garlic is a reliable way to take your grilled cheese to the next level.