The History

Before i share with you my recipes, let me tell you the history of this delicious sandwich.

The Story Behind Grilled Sandwich

    In the early 1900s, a young man named James L. Kraft was pushed out of his partner's business and stranded in Chicago with only $65.  Kraft bought a mule and purchased cheese wholesale and sold it to local grocers.

   Kraft soon realized that the major problem with cheese was spoilage, most restaurants and store owners did not have refrigerators so cheese wheels had to be used within a day of cutting.

   In 1915, James L. Kraft invented a way to manufacture a blended, pasteurized cheese that he called "processed cheese."  This pasteurized cheese could be transported across the country without spoiling.  He patented his invention in 1916 and soon began selling Kraft cheese across the country.

   Early grilled cheese sandwich recipes were made by mixing the grated cheese with a binder, such as salad dressing or white sauce or mustard, and toasting the sandwich between two slices of buttered bread.  These were called "Toasted Cheese Sandwiches."

   During World War I, the United States Army purchased 6 million pounds of Kraft's cheese. In World War II, Navy cooks prepared countless "American cheese filling sandwiches" for hungry Naval seamen.

  Soon, grilled cheese sandwiches were everywhere. In 1949, Kraft Foods introduced Kraft Singles an individually wrapped slices of processed cheese and it became even easier for home cooks to make grilled cheese sandwiches.  

     Today, grilled cheese is making a resurgence with gourmet versions popping up in restaurants across the country and people exploring international varieties of grilled sandwiches.