10 Fun Facts About Grilled Cheese

According to food historians, cooked bread and cheese is an ancient food, enjoyed across the world in many cultures.  The United States modern version of the grilled cheese sandwich originated in the 1920s when inexpensive sliced bread and American cheese became easily available. Originally it was made as an open-faced sandwich.

United States government cookbooks describe Navy cooks broiling “American cheese filling sandwiches” during World War II.

Grilled cheese sandwiches are versatile thanks to the ability to mix and match cheeses, bread, and seasonings.  Adding sauteed vegetables or herb-infused oils can elevate this simple comfort food to a whole other level.

• 1920s – Between the 1920s and the 1970s, the sandwich was called a “Cheese Dream“
• 1902 – One of the earliest references to melted cheese sandwiches is featured in Sarah Tyson Rorer’s “Mrs. Rorer’s New Cookbook.
• 1910 – The ‘Croque Monsieur’ (consisting of toasted bread, ham, and cheese) hits the menus in France.
• 1927 – Otto Frederick Rohwedder designs a bread-slicing machine.
• 1993 – In the movie, the character of Sam, played by Johnny Depp, prepares a stack of grilled cheese sandwiches using a clothes iron.
• 2004 – the online casino GoldenPalace.com paid $28,000 for a half-eaten grilled cheese with the likeness of the Virgin Mary depicted in the “burn” pattern.
• 2009 – Los Angeles hosted the world’s first grilled cheese cooking competition: thousands and thousands of people competed at and attended the National Grilled Cheese Invitational, which has turned into a much-anticipated annual food festival.
• A grilled cheese sandwich is often accompanied by tomato soup, a southern delicacy!
• Grilled cheese sandwiches can be served with bacon , tomato, and various other additions.  It makes the meal much more filling.
• Today’s notion of the grilled cheese is commonly traced back to the 1920s, when the Iowa man considered “the father of sliced bread” invented a bread slicer that made distributing white bread easy and affordable.
• 3/4 of people who buy sliced cheese make at least one grilled cheese per month.
• The world record for eating grilled cheese is 47 sandwiches in 10 minutes.
• The typical grilled cheese sandwich contains about 291 calories.
• The Ancient Romans were the first civilization to make a cooked bread and cheese type sandwich. Many cultures since have invented their own take on the dish. In Switzerland it is customary to toast the bread and melt the cheese separately before combining them, while in France the Croque Monsieur (grilled ham and cheese sandwich) is popular.

Sources: