Today's food holiday: "Grilled Cheese Sandwich Day"

April 12th is "Grilled Cheese Sandwich Day" while the whole month of April celebrates "Grilled Cheese Month."

A grilled cheese sandwich uses three basic ingredients (bread, butter, and cheese) plus heat and became popular in the Depression as "an inexpensive company supper dish." The traditional sandwich consists of sliced bread that is buttered on the outside with slices of cheese(s) on the inside which melt to the bread. It is toasted, broiled or grilled in a pan or grill which allows the cheese to melt. Variations include typical sandwich additions (i.e., lettuce, tomato, etc.) and sometimes various meats, such as a "ham and cheese sandwich."

Cooked bread and cheese is an ancient food, according to food historians, popular across the world in many cultures; evidence indicates that in the U.S., the modern version of the grilled cheese sandwich originated in the 1920s when inexpensive sliced bread and American cheese became easily available. The "cheese dream"  (open-faced version) became popular during the Great Depression and continued through World War II and into the 1950s. By the 1960s, the grilled cheese sandwich included both slices of bread and was very common as a "comfort food" in the US, often paired with soup as the famous "soup and sandwich" which continues today in many restaurants as a lunch option.


It was estimated in 2001 that Americans consume around 2.2 billion grilled cheese sandwiches yearly. Grilled cheese sandwiches are considered good food on a budget.

Some attribute the French to the grilled cheese sandwich because of the similarity to the French's famous "Croque" (ham and cheese grilled) sandwich. The Croque Monsieur, or “Crispy Mister,” appeared on Parisian café menus in 1910. The original Croque Monsieur was simply a hot ham and Gruyere cheese sandwich, fried in butter. (Some believe it was accidentally created when French workers left their lunch pails by a hot radiator and came back later to discover the cheese in their sandwiches had melted.)

(Source: Wikipedia & frenchfood.about.com; photo credit: bronxbanterblog.com, 1957 time capsule.wordpress.com, croque monsieur sandwich still in the oven after broiling, Wikipedia)