How To Reheat Grilled Cheese – I Test 5 Methods

It’s not often you’re going to have leftover grilled cheese, but anything is possible! There are a lot of suggestions for the best way to reheat grilled cheese online, so I decided to test them all out.

The best way to reheat grilled cheese is on the stove. Heat a frying pan over medium-high heat and add the grilled cheese. Sprinkle a few drops of water into the pan and cover with a lid for 2-3 minutes. Remove the lid and crisp the bread on each side for a further 1-2 minutes.

How I Tested Reheating Grilled Cheese

I got a few of my favorite grilled cheese sandwiches from Starbucks and left them in the fridge overnight. The next day, I tested reheating them in the following ways:

• On the stove: Gooey cheese and crispy bread.
• In an air fryer: Great for extra crispy bread.
• In an oven: Slower and dryer bread.
• Under the broiler: Okay, but the stove is better.
• In the microwave: Avoid this method.

Reheating Grilled Cheese On The Stove

Time: 5-7 minutes
Rating: 8/10

1. Take the grilled cheese sandwich out of the fridge and let it come to room temperature (you can skip this step if you don’t have time).
2. Set your stove to medium-high heat and put the grilled cheese butter-face down in the pan. If there’s no butter on the bread, melt a little in the pan.
3. Sprinkle a little bit of water in the pan and cover with a lid, leaving a slight gap for steam to escape.
4. Heat for 2-3 minutes.
5. Remove the lid and turn the heat up to high. Flip the toastie and crisp each side for 1-2 minutes.

If your toastie already has lots of butter in the bread there’s no need to add extra to the pan or it might end up too greasy.

Steam frying the toastie first helps get the cheese nice and melty, but don’t go overboard with the water. To speed things up a bit you can also microwave the sandwich for 30 seconds to melt the cheese, then put it straight into a hot pan (but I don’t recommend this – the results weren’t as good).

Results: This method was my favorite. The cheese was gooey and the bread was crispy – I’m not going to lie and say it was as good as new, but it was good enough to satisfy my grilled cheese craving.

Reheating Grilled Cheese In An Air Fryer

Time: 4-5 minutes
Rating: 7/10

1. Set your air fryer to 360°F (180°C).
2. Place your grilled cheese in the air fryer and heat for 4-5 minutes, flipping halfway through.
3. Check on the sandwich and heat for a further 1-2 minutes if needed.

Air fryers can heat things unexpectedly quickly, so make sure you check on the grilled cheese regularly. Just one minute can make the difference between nicely crisp and burnt.

Results: The grilled cheese from the air fryer was also pretty good, and it was easier than the stove (i.e. no washing up!). I recommend this method if you like extra crisp bread, and don’t mind the cheese not being as gooey.

Reheating Grilled Cheese In The Oven

Time: 10 minutes
Rating: 6/10

1. Preheat your oven to 400°F (200°C).
2. Sprinkle a little water on your grilled cheese before placing it on a wire rack in the oven.
3. Heat the grilled cheese for around 10 minutes, or until you see the cheese getting bubbly.

Because the grilled cheese is in the oven for a while, you need to do something to prevent it from drying out. That’s where the water comes in – it will keep the bread soft, but won’t stop it from crisping up.

You can also use a baking tray, but then you’ll want to flip the sandwich halfway through heating to crisp up both sides.

If you use a toaster oven, check on the grilled cheese after 5 or 6 minutes. The smaller oven space means it will heat up faster.

Results: The oven is a decent way to reheat grilled cheese but it was slower than the other methods and the bread was more dry than crispy. I only recommend this method if you have multiple grilled cheeses to reheat.

Reheating Grilled Cheese Under A Broiler

Time: 4-5 minutes
Rating: 7/10

1. Set the broiler to low.
2. Put the grilled cheese on a lower rack of the broiler for 4-5 minutes.
3. Flip the grilled cheese halfway through.

It can be tempting to put the broiler on high to speed things up, but you don’t want the top to burn before the cheese is all melted.

Results: The broiler is a good method for reheating grilled cheese, but the results just weren’t as good as the stovetop or the air fryer. The bread was slightly too dry for my liking.

Reheating Grilled Cheese In The Microwave

Time: 1 minute
Rating: 2/10

I never recommend reheating grilled cheese in the microwave. It will go soggy, greasy, and chewy. If the microwave is your only option, microwave the grilled cheese in 30-second increments until warm.

Once the grilled cheese is warm, eat it straight away. If you let it cool down again the bread will get really dry and tough. The sandwich will become inedible.

How To Store Grilled Cheese

To store leftover grilled cheese, let it cool to room temperature before putting it in an airtight container and storing it in the fridge. The grilled cheese will stay good for 2-3 days. It will be safe to eat for around 5 days, but the quality won’t be good.

If you’re planning on taking your grilled cheese to work, the best way to keep it warm and melty is by packing it in a hot thermos.

While you’re making your grilled cheese, fill a thermos with boiling water to heat it up. Let the grilled cheese sandwich cool (so the bread doesn’t get soggy) before cutting it into strips.

Empty the water from the thermos and dry it with a paper towel. Place the grilled chees strips inside and seal the thermos. The metal will be hot from the boiling water and will keep the cheese nice and gooey for a couple of hours. The bread won’t be crisp, but it will stay firm.

Can You Freeze Grilled Cheese?

You can’t freeze cooked grilled cheese sandwiches. They’ll turn mushy and horrible. But you can prep the sandwiches in advance and freeze them before you grill them.

Follow these steps:

1. Assemble your sandwiches how you like them. I butter one side of each bread slice, then put the cheese in between the unbuttered sides.
2. Pack the sandwiches in a freezer bag, removing as much air as possible. You can also wrap the sandwiches in foil.
3. Freeze the sandwiches for up to 6 weeks.
4. You can heat the sandwiches straight from frozen in the oven at 400°F (or 375°F for a convection oven). It should take around 15 minutes, and you’ll need to flip the sandwich halfway through.

Tip: Don’t make the sandwich too thick, or it won’t heat all the way through.

How To Reheat Grilled Cheese [Tested Methods]

In this short recipe, I show you the best way to revive and reheat your leftover grilled cheese.

5 from 2 votes

Print Pin Rate

Course: Side Dish, Snack

Cuisine: American

Keyword: how to reheat grilled cheese, reheat grilled cheese

Prep Time: 5 minutes minutes

Cook Time: 10 minutes minutes

Total Time: 15 minutes minutes

Servings: 1 person

Calories: 350kcal

Ingredients

• 1 portion grilled cheese

Instructions

• Take the grilled cheese sandwich out of the fridge and let it come to room temperature (you can skip this step if you don’t have time).
• Set your stove to medium heat and put the grilled cheese butter-face down in the pan. If there’s no butter on the bread, melt a little in the pan.
• Sprinkle a little bit of water in the pan and cover with a lid, leaving a slight gap for steam to escape.
• Heat for 2-3 minutes.
• Remove the lid and turn the heat up to high. Flip the toastie and crisp each side for 1-2 minutes.

Nutrition

Serving: 100g | Calories: 350kcal