quick and perfect grilled cheese

photo credit: andrea baranowski for saveur magazine

Grilled cheese sandwiches are one of my all time favorite foods, especially since they are so easy to make. However, making a good gluten free version of the classic grilled cheese has not been so easy. My grilled cheese woes quickly disappeared recently after finding two fantastic products that are the secret to the most perfect gluten free grilled cheese sandwich: Udi’s gluten free bread and Toasta Bags!

Andrea and I recently reviewed Udi’s gluten free products, and we both think their breads taste great and toast well! Udi's whole grain or white sandwich bread are ideal for grilled cheese sandwiches, read our review of Udi's products here.

The cheese that I like to use is called Tre Stelle sliced cheese packs, and they come in a variety of flavors such as marble, cheddar, or swiss. If you are vegan, then you are most likely already aware of Daiya vegan cheese, and I hear it melts well too. There are some incredible variations to the classic grilled cheese, and Tastespotting has several pages of great recipes. Add tomatoes, mushrooms, prosciutto, bacon and arugula, or even avocado and apples! 

I found Toasta Bags at Ed’s Gluten Free Specialty store recently, and they are excellent for making the perfect toasted sandwich! Toasta Bags are made with a soft Teflon material that fits right into your toaster, eliminating the need for frying pans or sandwich makers!

Toasta Bags work best in a variable width toaster, and cooking times vary depending on the toaster you have, but generally they toast any sandwich to perfection and they also spare your toaster from a cheesy mess!

Besides grilled cheese sandwiches, you can use your Toasta Bag for cooking other foods like pizza, french fries, pastries, and even salmon fillets quick and easy. Each bag can be re-used up to 100 times and is dishwasher safe. 

The best part about Tosta Bags is the fact that they aid in preventing cross contamination if you use a shared toaster at home or at work. Enjoy! Robyn.