Liven Up Plain Grilled Cheese With The Extra Citrus In Your Fridge

A grilled cheese sandwich, historically served with a side of tomato soup, is certainly a classic comfort food. But there is a twist to elevate this dish even further -– the addition of lemon. Celebrity chef Giada De Laurentiis introduces a unique take on the traditional sandwich by incorporating sugar-sprinkled lemon slices into a mozzarella-based grilled cheese. This combination of sweet, tart, and savory takes a classic dish and turns it into a zesty experience.

Then, sprinkle sliced and deseded lemon with sugar before placing it in the sandwich for cooking. The sugar on the lemon slices caramelizes, mellowing the tartness while complementing the milky mozzarella. This adds a burst of freshness and a unique texture to the classic grilled cheese.

The caramelization process occurs at temperatures around 320 degrees Fahrenheit, leading to the Maillard reaction — which causes the bread to become deliciously crisp and brown thanks to amino acids and sugars combining to create those craveable flavors and striking coloring.

It's important to note that the type of cheese you use can significantly impact the final result. Mozzarella is an excellent choice due to its high moisture, elastic texture, and mild, milky flavor. This stretch comes from the pasta filata process — stretching the cheese curd in hot water to make a plastic-like consistency often found in Italian cheeses. You can also experiment with the bread to create the sandwich of your dreams — and consider using a waffle iron to get an extra crispy grilled cheese.

If you are interested in zesting up your grilled cheese even more, there are other citrus-infused options. While there are plenty of clever things you can do with leftover lemons, you can instead opt for orange marmalade and cheddar — or grapefruit and Brie. 

While mozzarella works well with lemon in grilled cheese sandwiches, other cheese varieties can also complement citrus flavors. Parmesan, known for its sharp taste, also pairs excellently with lemon due to its salty profile, which enhances the sweetness of the fruit. The cheese's nutty and slightly fruity undertones complement the citrus notes, creating an unexpected but well-rounded flavor. This is similar to what you would find when pairing cheese with lemonade.

Brie offers a buttery and salty taste that can balance the tartness of citrus in a grilled cheese sandwich. The creamy texture and mildness of the Brie make it an excellent canvas for the lemon's tart flavor. This particular type of cheese has a high fat content that helps to mellow the acidity of citrus fruits, creating a pleasant and not too overbearing blend of flavors. Another cheese with a subtle flavor and smooth texture is Gouda. The subdued nutty flavor and butteriness seamlessly meld with citrus — be it orange, grapefruit, or lemon — to create a bright profile.

When pairing cheese and citrus, consider the strength of each. Strong cheeses, like aged cheddar or blue cheese, may overpower the tangy, citrus while milder cheeses like ricotta or goat cheese allow the fruit to be at the forefront.