Make Grilled Cheese The Italian Way And You’ll Never Go Back

There are plenty of great ways to upgrade a grilled cheese sandwich. As our ultimate grilled cheese recipe makes clear, something as simple as combining multiple cheeses and using sourdough bread can really improve this comfort food. However, there’s a more involved option that takes inspiration from a delicious Italian dish. Known as mozzarella in carrozza (“mozzarella in a carriage”), this recipe is essentially a breaded and fried sandwich. The fully intact grilled cheese gets coated in flour, egg wash, and bread crumbs before each side is fried in olive oil.

This process might seem unnecessary when you consider that grilled cheese tastes pretty fabulous on its own, but it’s a great way to amplify the best characteristics of the sandwich. A crispy, perfectly browned exterior is key, and coating the sandwich in breadcrumbs prior to frying will create an even crispier texture. Frying the sandwich also causes the cheese to become extremely melty, and everyone knows that cheese pulls indicate a superior sandwich.

Read more: Ranking Fast Food Fried Chicken Sandwiches From Worst To First

Tips For Making This Upgraded Grilled Cheese At Home

There’s a lot that can go wrong when making mozzarella in carrozza. Using high heat is one of the biggest mistakes you can make with grilled cheese, and it can derail the deliciously contrasting textures. Keep your stovetop temperature low (about 325 degrees Fahrenheit) to ensure outer crispiness and inner gooiness. Also, let your fried sandwich rest for about a minute or so after removing it from the pan, as this will help the cheese congeal a bit before you dig in.

When it comes to bread, Italian is the natural choice. Try to use stale bread if possible. Day-old bread is less likely to become a sodden mess when subjected to an egg wash. Bread crumbs are another important consideration. You generally want to use an option that’s finely ground to avoid an overly crunchy texture, which might be the case if you use something like panko. While mozzarella is a given when it comes to this dish, you don’t need to limit yourself to that variety alone. For inspiration, check out our list of different types of cheese and how to best use them in a grilled cheese sandwich, which includes options like gruyère, fontina, and cheddar. However you customize it, whipping up mozzarella in carrozza is a great way to treat yourself.

Read the original article on Mashed.