Sheet Pan Grilled Cheese Is My New Favorite Dinner Hack

Angel Albring

17 January 2025 at 7:00 pm·3-min read

Grilled cheese is a classic weeknight savior—quick, easy and universally loved by kids. But when you’ve got six kids, like I do, this cheesy delight transforms from a simple meal into a full-on production. It’s like running a diner during the dinner rush, with each kid requesting their preferred level of crispiness or favorite cheese combo, and just as the first batch hits the table, someone always yells “Mine’s cold!” And let’s face it, grilled cheese loses its magic the moment it’s lukewarm.

By the time the last sandwich is ready, I'm tempted to slap some cheese on crackers and call it a night.

That's why this grilled cheese tip is a game-changer and a lifesaver for me. For nights when I need a breather, I'll be using this method to cook them all at once so that everyone gets a hot cheese sandwich and I get a moment to relax—and maybe even eat a sandwich, too!

Content creator Stephanie Gigliotti (@stephgigliotti) shared her favorite grilled cheese sandwich trick on Instagram, calling it her "favorite way to make grilled cheese for everyone" and I am sold! I can't wait to give this a go.

Sheet Pan Grilled Cheese Sandwiches Are a Game-Changer

Stephanie said she makes her grilled cheese sandwiches on a sheet pan so that everyone gets a hot sandwich, and this is exactly what I needed to see!

To make grilled cheese sandwiches on a sheet pan, preheat your oven to 400 degrees. Brush your sheet pan with melted butter and add your bread to the pan. Add a generous layer of your favorite cheese, then top with the remaining bread. Butter that bread with more melted butter. Stephanie said you can use regular butter, garlic butter, seasonings or even add some mayo to the outside of the bread to make it extra crispy and give it a little tanginess.

Bake for five minutes and flip the sandwiches. Bake another five minutes to finish the sandwiches. This will give you perfectly melty, buttery grilled cheese for everyone with no short-order-style cooking required!

See Stephanie's sheet pan grilled cheese trick here.

This Trick Is Tried and True

Stephanie called this trick "lunch lady style" because school cafeterias make grilled cheese sandwiches in batches using large-scale, efficient methods to serve hundreds of students quickly. Generally, they use massive sheet pans or cook the sandwiches on industrial-sized griddles.

For efficiency, many cafeterias bake the sandwiches in convection ovens, pressing them lightly with a second pan on top for even cooking. If you wanted to, you could top the sandwiches with another sheet pan and weigh it down with a cast iron skillet or another heavy ovenproof pan to get the tops browned without having to flip the sandwiches. No matter which method you choose, the sheet pan grilled cheese method balances speed, consistency and flavor and it's a well-tested and well-loved way to get a large batch of sandwiches out to hungry kids in no time!

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