You longtime Cook’n subscribers have read a number of articles on grilled cheese sandwiches in our newsletter of the years. Amazing how there can be so much to say about a humble little cheese sandwich! Well, I want to add my two cents. Let’s talk about what happens when we mix our fats for coating the bread slices.

The staunch purists advocate for butter only. The more avant-garde cheesers say mayonnaise is the way to go. Turns out, though, that there are some distinct advantages to using both!

I just found this idea in Martha Stewart’s Feb 1, 2026 newsletter. After some focused experimenting, Martha and crew decided mixing the two spreads creates the perfect grilled cheese. Here’s why:

Combining butter and mayonnaise improves the texture: Mayonnaise and butter together create a crisp texture on the bread. Mayonnaise helps create a Maillard reaction, which contributes to the golden-brown color and adds significant crunch. It also ensures that the bread won’t burn before all of this is achieved.

(NOTE: For any that may not know about the Maillard reaction, The Maillard reaction is a fundamental chemical reaction between amino acids (proteins) and reducing sugars that occurs when food is heated, typically above (280 degrees F), creating brown colors and complex savory flavors. It is a form of non-enzymatic browning responsible for the crust on steak, toasted bread, roasted coffee, and the crispiness of fried foods.

Combining butter and mayonnaise creates a special depth of flavor: Butter adds a unique, rich, fatty flavor that you can’t get from only mayonnaise. The perfect texture is all good and well, but we’re looking for an amazing flavor, too. Mixing the two fats accomplishes that.

Combining butter and mayonnaise facilitates even browning: An even layer of mayonnaise and butter produces the most even browning on the bread. Not to mention, there won’t be any burnt spots around the edges, thanks to the mayonnaise.

Combining butter and mayonnaise makes this proverbial sandwich more affordable: Butter can be quite expensive; mayonnaise is more affordable. Chances are you have both of these spreads in your kitchen already, so it’s easy to incorporate some mayonnaise, even if you’ve been religiously making grilled cheese sandwiches solely with butter up until now.

Martha concludes her article with advice on the ratio of butter to mayonnaise: “We like to keep things simple and use a 1-to-1 ratio for the best browning and flavor, but you could use a little more mayo than butter or vice versa. Either combination will produce a delicious grilled cheese.”

As I’m a butter-on-the-bread purist, pairing it with mayonnaise has never occurred to me. But I intend to give it a try this week. How about you—butter only? Or mayo only? Or are you open to experimenting as well? Share your thought in the comments section below. And to get us started, no matter what course we choose, here’s my gourmet grilled cheese recipe that I’ve been tweaking for a while now. My next tweak, as just mentioned, is to substitute mayo for some of the butter. (I’ve factored this in for your convenience.)

Alice's Dang Good Grilled Cheese Sandwich

Yield: 4 sandwiches

Ingredients:

2 tablespoons butter softened
2 tablespoons mayonnaise
1 clove garlic mashed
1 cup diced ripe tomatoes
1 teaspoon dried basil
8 slices your favorite bread
salt to taste
pepper to taste
2/3 cup shredded sharp cheddar cheese
2/3 cup smoked gouda cheese
4 slices prosciutto ham

Directions:

Blend butter and mayonnaise together; add mashed garlic, spread on both sides of bread slices. Season with salt and pepper.

Combine diced tomatoes, and basil; mix well.

Pre-heat large skillet or griddle over medium-low heat.

Assemble sandwiches with equal amounts of each cheese, tomato-basil mixture and 1 slice of ham.

Transfer to skillet or griddle and cook until golden on one side, reducing heat if needed.

Flip sandwiches and cook until both sides are golden and cheese is melted.

Cut each sandwich in half on diagonal and serve with your favorite tomato soup and garden salad.

Recipe formatted with the Cook'n Recipe Software from DVO Enterprises.