Name: Ultimate Grilled Cheese Sandwich
Ingredients: butter; 4 slices Country White sourdough bread, cut on deep diagonal into ⅓-inch-thick slices (each about 7x3½ inches); 4 thin slices prosciutto; 8 large fresh basil leaves; 8 (¼-inch-thick) slices young asiago cheese or drained fresh mozzarella cheese; ¼ teaspoon dried crushed red pepper; 2 tablespoons olive oil; 6 (⅓-inch-thick) slices heirloom tomato (from about 1 large)

Why it works: Olive and tomato are a kitchen classic. They rank in the top 1% of all ingredient pairs, and cooks put them together in 15,539 recipes. Both carry 3-hexenal, which smells apple, fruity. The science ↓

Ultimate Grilled Cheese Sandwich

Oven400°F

Timeabout 9 minutes in the skillet and oven

Ingredients

butter
4 slices Country White sourdough bread, cut on deep diagonal into ⅓-inch-thick slices (each about 7x3½ inches)
4 thin slices prosciutto
8 large fresh basil leaves
8 (¼-inch-thick) slices young asiago cheese or drained fresh mozzarella cheese
¼ teaspoon dried crushed red pepper
2 tablespoons olive oil
6 (⅓-inch-thick) slices heirloom tomato (from about 1 large)

Directions

Prepare the sandwiches

Preheat oven to 400°F.
Lightly butter 1 side of each bread slice.
Place 2 bread slices, buttered side down, on work surface.
Top each with 2 prosciutto slices, then 4 basil leaves, then 4 cheese slices.
Sprinkle with salt and crushed red pepper.
Top with remaining 2 bread slices, buttered side up.

Cook and bake

Heat olive oil in heavy large ovenproof skillet over medium-high heat.
Add sandwiches to skillet and cook until golden on bottom, about 4 minutes.
Turn sandwiches over; transfer skillet to oven and bake until golden and cheese melts, about 5 minutes.
Remove from oven.

Add tomato and serve

Carefully lift off top bread slices from sandwiches and insert 3 tomato slices into each, then cover with bread tops and serve.

Nutrition, whole recipe (rough)

998Calories

32 gProtein

43 gFat

120 gCarbs

What these numbers assume: 9 portions

Ingredient	Portion assumed	kcal
Flour	1 cup (125g) all-purpose	455
Olive Oil	1 tbsp (14g)	119
Cheese	1 oz (28g) cheddar	113
Butter	1 tbsp (14g)	102
Sourdough	1 slice (36g)	93
Mozzarella Cheese	1 oz (28g)	85
Tomato	1 medium (123g)	22
Chili	1 tsp (2.7g)	8
Basil	5 leaves fresh (2.5g)	1

One typical portion per ingredient; the recipe's quantities are not counted. A rough guide only, not for medical or dietary planning.

Recipe from the Recipes Wiki (Fandom).

Steps grouped into stages for easier reading; the method is the source's own.

Explore the science

The flavor team

The pairs that carry this dish. Each one is judged two ways: how much their aromas overlap, and how often cooks already put them together.

Olive + tomatotop 1% of all pairs

Smell alikemoderate

Cooked together15,539 recipes

Shared aroma: 3-hexenal (apple, fruity).
Basil + tomatotop 1% of all pairs

Smell alikemoderate

Cooked together3,979 recipes

Shared aroma: 3-hexenal (apple, fruity).
Basil + olivetop 3% of all pairs

Smell alikemoderate

Cooked together5,063 recipes

Shared aroma: 3-hexenal (apple, fruity).
Basil + peppertop 4% of all pairs

Smell alikestrong

Cooked together5,294 recipes

Shared aroma: methyl cinnamate (strawberry).
Butter + breadtop 7% of all pairs

Smell alikemoderate

Cooked together27,232 recipes

Shared aroma: delta-decalactone (sweet, creamy).

Ranks compare each pair with 20,000 random ingredient pairs on CompKitchen. How we score pairs

What each ingredient does

Sourdough bread: Provides a sturdy structure that crisps and browns when pan-fried and baked.
Asiago cheese: Melts to bind the sandwich together and adds rich, savory flavor.
Prosciutto: Adds salty, savory depth that complements the melted cheese.
Heirloom tomato: Adds juicy moisture and acidity that balances the rich cheese and bread.
Butter: Promotes browning and golden color on the bread surface.

The step that matters

Carefully lift off top bread slices. Tomato slices are inserted after baking, so lifting the bread gently keeps the hot, melted cheese filling intact and prevents the sandwich from tearing or sliding apart.

Swap the basil

How well each one fits the dish's main ingredients (butter, bread, prosciutto, cheese, pepper, olive, tomato):

Thymefits about as well
Garlicfits about as well
Basilthe original
Parsleyfits about as well

Fit is the average pairing score against butter, bread, prosciutto, cheese, pepper, olive, tomato. Candidates are from the same food group and used in at least 100 recipes.

“What each ingredient does” and “The step that matters” were written by Claude from this recipe’s own method and reviewed in samples by CompKitchen.

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Ultimate Grilled Cheese Sandwich