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Extra-cheesy protein grilled cheese, the whole dishExtra-cheesy protein grilled cheese, close up

Extra-cheesy protein grilled cheese

15 min · 26 g protein · 288 cals / serving

A grilled cheese with a thicker cheese layer than the classic, not a thinner one: sharp cheddar for flavor, a lighter cheddar and blended cottage cheese for a deep, molten layer, a thin swipe of Dijon, and a crisp buttered outside on nutty sprouted-grain bread.

Servings2

Ingredients

Steps

  1. Stir the blended cottage cheese with both grated cheddars until evenly mixed.
  2. Butter one side of each slice of bread. Turn two slices butter-side down, spread them thinly with the mustard, pile on the cheese mixture and top with the other two slices, butter side up.Step 2, what it should look like
  3. Cook in a skillet over medium-low heat with a lid on for 4–5 minutes, until the underside is deep golden and the cheese has started to melt.Step 3, what it should look like
  4. Flip, press gently with a spatula and cook another 3 minutes with the lid off, until the second side is crisp and the cheese is molten to the middle. Rest a minute before cutting.Step 4, what it should look like

Good to know

Why the lid?

A thicker cheese layer needs time to melt, and the lid traps enough heat to get it there before the bread burns. Low and slow beats hot and fast for every grilled cheese, this one most of all.

What does the cottage cheese do?

Blended, it melts into the cheddar and turns it saucy, so the sandwich oozes like one made with twice the cheese. It has to be smooth; lumpy curds just weep.

Can I use other bread?

Any sturdy sandwich bread works. Sprouted-grain bread is dense, so it crisps well and holds the molten middle without going limp; a high-fiber low-carb sandwich bread also grills well and lifts the score to about 59 instead of 45. Soft white bread browns fastest, so keep the heat low.

Per

Calories
180
Protein
(37%)
16 g
Fat
(29%)
6 g
Carbohydrates
(34%)
16 g
of which sugar
2 g
Fiber
2 g
Sodium
567 mg

More meals

Computed from the ingredients with our published formula, not yet kitchen-tested. How

As written, 577 kcal goes into the pot and 333 g of ingredients comes out as about 320 g of food: 180 kcal per 100 g. Cooking moves water and energy density is the score's biggest lever, so the dish is scored as cooked, not as an average of its parts. Every ingredient links to its food page, with the same data and score. The label's percentages are each macronutrient's share of the calories. The full formula.