The History of the Grilled Cheese Sandwich
Did you know the name “grilled cheese” didn’t actually become common until the 1960’s? Before then, these delicious sandwiches were better known as “melted cheese” or “toasted cheese”. Whatever you want to call them, they all invoke a mouthwatering craving for this ultimate comfort food combination of melty cheese and bread.
Early Days of Grilled Cheese
Some renditions of grilled cheese sandwiches have been around for centuries with recipes even appearing in ancient Roman texts. The French started making their own croque monsieurs in the early 1900’s. Things really started cooking (pun intended) when James L. Kraft received a patent for his pasteurization process of cheese which allowed it to be transported without spoiling. Soon after, Otto Frederick Rohwedder invented an automatic bread slicer that produced even slices in the 1920’s in Missouri.
By the time World War II was in full swing, cooks on navy ships prepared thousands of “American Cheese Filling Sandwiches" as instructed by government-issued cookbooks. These were mostly open-faced sandwiches topped with grated cheese.
In 1949, the cheese world was changed once again by Kraft who introduced single wrapped slices of processed cheese call “Kraft Singles”. Around the same time, people started adding the second piece of bread and the modern grilled cheese sandwich was born, although they were not officially called that until the 1960’s.
Grilled Cheese Preparation
This delicious sandwich has been prepared a number of ways throughout time and all over the world. Earliest recipes use an oven (1902: Mrs. Rorer's New Cook Book by Sarah Tyson Rorer), broiled (1929: Seven Hundred Sandwiches, Florence A. Cowles), sautéed in a frying pan with butter (1939: The Boston Cooking School Cook Book), or even using a waffle iron (1953: The Joy of Cooking, Irma S. Rombauer).
Today’s grilled cheese sandwiches are made by methods with an ever-increasing amount of add-ons. Just check out Cheesy Street Grill’s menu to see some truly inventive and delicious grilled cheese creations.
Strange But True
In 2004, there was a half-eaten grilled cheese sandwich with a burn pattern that looked like the Virgin Mary made by a woman from Hollywood, Florida. She started being interviewed by Leno, Letterman, the AP press and even BBC. A Las Vegas casino eventually paid $28,000 on eBay for it.
In 2007 American competitive eater Joey Chestnut set a new world record for downing 47 grilled cheese sandwiches in 10 minutes in Las Vegas.
There is a research group called the British Cheese Board that studied the effects of cheese on sleep. Previous wives’ tales stated that cheese before bedtime commonly produced nightmares or at least vivid and bizarre dreams. They found that 75% of the 200 participants actually had very pleasant dreams. One of the most interesting findings was that the dream themes were dependent on types of cheese. The Cheddar eaters dreamt about fame and celebrities. Lancashire cheese triggered dreams related to work. The type of cheese that incited the oddest dreams? These were caused by Stilton cheese.
Grilled Cheese Recognition Days
People love grilled cheese so much there are three distinct events memorializing their of love of this famous comfort food:
April is National Grilled Cheese Sandwich Month.
April 12th is National Grilled Cheese Sandwich Day.
September 3rd is National Grilled Cheese Day.
Rachael Ray Loves Grilled Cheese!
Cheesy Street Grill is proud to be part of this cheesy culture. Click here to learn how Rachael Ray inspired the beginnings of this up and coming franchise. Want to be a part of our family?
