Toaster Oven Grilled Cheese

A Toaster Oven Grilled Cheese sandwich is the perfect easy lunch or snack. The toaster oven makes this a nearly hands-off experience for comfort food that the whole family loves!

It’s a classic grilled cheese sandwich made easier because it’s made in the toaster oven and you don’t have to stand over a hot stove or fry pan to make it. Serve it alongside a bowl of Tomato Parmesan soup or Crock Pot Vegetable Soup for sheer perfection!

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Please let me know if you have any questions about this recipe. I read all the comments myself and I try to help as soon as I can. I have readers from all levels of comfort and experience in the kitchen on my site, and I’ve tried to answer some of your questions already in the post. But if I’ve missed anything, please feel free to leave a comment and ask.

Why use a toaster oven to make a grilled cheese?

Well, there are a few reasons I can come up with. It’s super easy, even the kids can make it and not worry about burning themselves.

The toaster oven heats it all the way through so your sandwich is melty and ooey gooey.

And, maybe you don’t have a stove, as is my case. My stove is still absent due to the kitchen remodel.

How to make

While it’s traditionally prepared on a stove top in a skillet, being able to make a grilled cheese in the toaster oven is a game changer. And speaking of games, these grilled cheese sandwiches would be great to serve on game day.

This recipe was developed using the {affiliate link} Breville toaster oven. It will work great in other toaster ovens, but the setting names may vary slightly.

And another nice thing is that you can make a couple of sandwiches at once. No need to make one sandwich at a time!

The full printable recipe ingredients and instructions are available in the recipe card at the bottom of the post. You can find important tips and tricks in the post.

Ingredients

With just three basic ingredients, bread, cheese, and butter, this marvel of tastiness is easy to customize and try out different kinds of breads and cheese. Go elevated and elegant with fancy cheeses or classic and delicious with cheddar.

Bread

Use your favorite bread.

I recommend a hearty bread like sourdough, whole wheat, or multigrain; they toasts up nicely with crispy edges.

You can use a soft white bread if you (or your kids) prefer. These soft breads tend to have more sugar in them, and will toast up faster. Keep an eye on the sandwich as it cooks, so it doesn’t burn.

If your bread is super thick, dense, and hearty it may take longer as well.

Cheese

Again, go with your favorite here.

Sliced cheese is typically 1 ounce each. I think 3 slices is a nice amount of cheese, if you want to up the cheese and go with 4, that also works great.

I like to do a mix of cheeses: cheddar, for classic flavor and melty-ness. Some Havarti for creaminess. Provolone adds a nice saltiness.

Other delicious options: Colby, Monterey jack, Swiss, smoked gouda, fontina, or mozzarella. And, yes, American cheese will also work well. It tends to melt much more quickly, and so you may lose a bit out the sides, but just scoop it up and back into the sandwich.

One tip: avoid shredded cheese, it will melt too quickly.

Butter

I like spreadable butter, it won’t rip your bread, and it’s so quick – no waiting for it to soften to room temperature.

If you don’t have spreadable butter, I recommend salted butter over unsalted. But either will work.

And, yes, you can use margarine, vegan plant-based butter, or even olive oil as a spread.

Method

Spread butter on one side of each slice of bread. Make sure to get the whole slice covered with a thin smear of butter so that it all gets toasty and crispy. And, if you want to use a little more butter than is called for in the recipe, go for it. I don’t usually even measure the butter when I make these.

Place a piece of parchment paper or aluminum foil on an oven safe tray. The solid metal tray that came with the oven will prevent the melted cheese from dripping onto the heating elements. And the dark color of the metal tray will toast the bread faster.

Place one slice of bread, buttered side down, onto the parchment paper. Top with three slices of cheese. Place the other slice of bread on the cheese, buttered side up.

If your toaster oven has multiple rack levels, start by placing the tray on the middle rack, or on the rack that’s indicated for your setting. The “bagel” setting for the Breville is in the middle, so this rack placement works well for me.

Place the tray with the sandwich on it, in the toaster oven.

Cooking

Turn the oven on the bagel setting, toast setting, broil, or bake setting around 375° F for about 8 minutes.

You might need to play around with the time and temp a bit to find the perfect settings for your oven. If your oven runs hot or you’re using a convection toaster oven, try adjusting the temperature down by 25° F.

Watch carefully as it cooks to ensure it isn’t burning. You may need to rotate the tray during cooking because all ovens have hot spots.

Remove the tray from the oven and carefully flip the sandwich over. Just like a stove-top grilled cheese, you need to flip the sandwich so that both sides toast up.

Place the tray back in on the same setting for an additional 3 to 4 minutes, or until both sides are golden brown and the cheese is melty.

Tip: Keep an eye on the sandwich the first time you make it to determine the timing needed going forward. Toaster ovens will vary in temperature and hot spots, and not everyone has the same doneness preference. Reduce the cooking time if you prefer it lightly toasted and increase the time if you prefer your toast well done.

If the cheese melts out of the sandwich a bit, simply press the melted cheese back towards the bread.

Cut sandwich in half and serve hot.

Can I cook this on the Air Fryer setting?

Yes, you can make these grilled cheeses in an Air Fryer. Air Fry at 350° F. Make the sandwich as directed. Add the sandwich to the basket, and cook until golden brown on top, about 3 to 4 minutes, then flip it and cook until browned on the second side, about 1 minute more.

How to Store them

If you have leftovers, or want to pre-make these sandwiches, you can store them wrapped in parchment paper or foil in the fridge for up to 3 days.

They can also be frozen for longer storage. Wrap tightly and store in a freezer safe bag for up to 2 months.

To reheat, wrap each sandwich loosely in foil and place on a baking sheet. Pop them in the big oven or the toaster oven at 425° F for 10-12 minutes. If previously frozen, add a little extra time or thaw overnight in the fridge before cooking.

You can also use these {affiliate link} grilled cheese bags to reheat them.

Serving suggestions

How do you like to eat your grilled cheese? I love to dunk mine in ranch dressing. These are also great with a little ketchup.

Serve alongside a nice arugula salad or a bowl of easy Tomato Soup or Tomato Lentil soup.

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