When I was growing up grilled cheese for dinner was a pretty common occurrence in our house. Now that I’m a mom, I can see why my mom was a fan.
Easy, inexpensive, everyone likes them. No one complains.
My mom made them with Kraft Singles Cheese and one of the highlights of grilled cheese making was my sister and I opening the plastic wrap on those Singles and peeling the cheese off the plastic.
We tried to open the cheese without dinging or breaking the cheese corners. Sounds easy enough but when you’re a kid and in a hurry, broken corners can be unfortunate casualties.
I will never forget all the cheese my sister and I used to eat in a sport I’d call squares-of-cheese-folding. We’d fold multiple pieces of Singles into squares and see how high we could stack the squares and how much we could fit in our mouths. At one time. The things kids do. And they still do it.
Give kids a package of Singles and it doesn’t take long before cheese folding, stacking, tearing, and even cheese art happens.
You can use cookie cutters and cut out pretty cheese shapes, layering cut out pieces on top of other pieces. Think gingerbread house decorating but with cheese. Don’t ask me how I know this.
I also grew up in Minnesota, just one state away from Wisconsin where cheese eating is a statewide sport. And we won’t talk about the Minnesota State Fair and fried cheese curds and how I love those greasy little nuggets.
What better was to embrace my inner kid than to make mini grilled cheese sandwiches.
And let’s face it, anything that’s mini just tastes better.
I love tomatoes so much and they are wonderful in grilled cheese sandwiches.
Plus, they add a few more nutrients and a pop of color to the otherwise pale, yet highly comforting, little stacks.
Oh and I really love condiments. Ketchup is required as a dip for grilled cheese.
Three cheese ranch dressing, blue cheese, salsa. Name a condiment and I’ll happily take my grilled cheese sandwiches for a bath in it.
I was out of homemade spicy honey mustard but that would have been a great little dipper, too.
Just like old times.
Except mini.
I think these would make perfect party food. Birthday parties for kids or adults, baby or bridal showers, summer parties, barbeques, Memorial Day and Fourth of July parties.
Trays of drinks being passed followed by trays of mini grilled cheese sandwiches would be a big hit I’m thinking.
Then again, I never met a pile of warm cheese and warm buttered white bread that didn’t go down oh-so-good.
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Mini Grilled Cheese and Tomato Sandwiches
Mini Grilled Cheese and Tomato Sandwiches – Mini food always tastes better! Perfect little party appetizers that are easy, fast, and irresistible.
Ingredients
- 1 French baguette, sliced into 1/2-inch rounds
- 2 Roma tomatoes, sliced into 1/4-inch rounds (each tomato will yield about 5-6 slices)
- Kraft Singles Cheese, 1 slice per sandwich, cut or folded into sixths
- butter, about 1 tablespoon per sandwich
Instructions
- Prepare a large non-stick skillet by spraying it with cooking spray. Butter one side of bread and lay it buttered-side-down into the pan. Top with the cheese squares by staggering them slightly when placing them onto the bread rather than stacking all the squares exactly on top of each other (this will create height to the finished sandwich). Top with one tomato slice. Butter another piece of bread and place it on top of the tomato slice, buttered-side-up. Repeat for as many sandwiches and you wish to make.
- When all your sandwiches are in the pan, turn the stove to medium or medium-high heat and cook sandwiches for about 3 minutes on the first side. Flip and cook for another 2-3 minutes on second side, or cook until both sides are browned to desired level. Serve immediately.
- Consider serving with ketchup, ketchup + hot sauce, salsa, three cheese ranch salad dressing (shown in photos), mustard, mayo, or any desired dip.
- Tip: To encourage cheese melting, use a pan with a lid as the trapped heat and steam will help encourage the cheese to melt. Otherwise you run the risk of the bread browning too fast before the cheese has melted.
Nutrition Information:
Yield:
8Serving Size:
1Amount Per Serving: Calories: 140Total Fat: 3gSaturated Fat: 1gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 1gCholesterol: 4mgSodium: 283mgCarbohydrates: 24gFiber: 1gSugar: 3gProtein: 5g
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we always ate Grape Jelly on our grill cheese sandwiches. Standard lunch fare.
I can’t tell you how much I’d love to go to the Minnesota state fair just to experience the food there!! And these sandwiches are so cute. Love the addition of the tomato!
When I saw you were at the Betty Crocker test kitchens, I about died. I grew up so close to their and my grandparents would take me to feed the ducks near the water and paths that were in front of their buildings when I was a little girl as it was about 10 mins from their house!!
These look so cute (and delicious!). Can’t wait to give them a go! We appreciate you linking up to our “Strut Your Stuff Saturday.” We love seeing all of the great recipes and fun ideas! Hope to see you again next week! -The Sisters
These are such adorable little grilled cheese sandwiches and they look so fun too. What a great idea to do mini ones. These would definitely go down a treat at a party.
These are too cute! Anything mini is always cute, but the tomatoes sticking out is perfect! And the baguette makes this so much better than the wonderbread version as kids.
Back when I use to eat bologna, as a kid, I would love fried bologna sandwich with a cheese slice and mayo. Something I would never eat anymore, but the thought brings back happy memories! Now it’s gluten free bread and almond cheese, not quite the same.
Ahh I LOVE grilled cheese and tomato! It’s even better with a few strips of bacon! Never wild have thought about this as a finger food but it’s genius!
Oh man, did we ever fold those suckers and stack them! I was always so disappointed when the corners broke off, too!
Tomato soup was a standard for dipping, as well as ranch dressing, ketchup, ranch dressing mixed with mustard!!, onion dip and even chive dip. We dipped it in all kinds of stuff. The saucier the better! :-)
I love the mini ones you made. Super fun! :-)
tomato soup & grilled cheese is the stuff Lent was made of :)
dinged corners…glad you know what I meant on that one. haha!
These look fabulous, cute, and fun – they would be a huge hit with my niece’s. Awesome job!
these are too cute and even though i’m not too into the cheese singles.. these shoots are mouthwatering!
I had fun taking pics of them!
How adorable! We love grilled cheese sandwiches in our house, especially my Husband! There the best with a big bowl of tomato soup!!
I was thinking the other day what could I add to grilled cheese to make it a tad but healthier. DUh! I needed that little reminder about tomato. I like the mini idea too.
It makes them a tad healthier…that way you can have more, right? :)
I love these little sandwiches, Averie! I would love to have had these for an afternoon snack after school!
It would have been a perfect afterschool snack for me, too!
What’s brown and sticky?
I’ll go with caramel sauce? Can’t wait to hear the punchline..
my fave after school snack growing up was american cheese on a toasted english muffin. i think i have a toaster oven as an adult b/c of this.
Did you really just do a post and recipe for grilled cheese? Wow…
Yes it was a sponsored post for Kraft and I had fun making mini grilled cheese and sharing them with my family.
I didn’t eat a ton of grilled cheese when I was young but I would get random cravings for it, and I still do! Pretty much anything with melted cheese on it sounds good to me, and I wholeheartedly agree with adding tomatoes! When I was little I didn’t mind the Kraft Cheese, but now I’d prefer a more “sophisticated” cheese, or even a blend of a few cheeses :) And tomato soup on the side, of course.
Oh this looks splendid. I do
Love grilled cheese and though I’m nt so much a dipper with it, the more butter involved, the better:)
I think every single person in the US since the 50s has grown up making those gigantic stacks of folded cheese. So oddly pleasing. :) That honey mustard sounds like the perfect addition to classic grilled cheese!
These are so cute! And who doesn’t love a grilled cheese, right? These would be so adorable served at a party – for adults AND kids!
Cutest little grilled cheese ever! Thank you for stopping by last week! Lovely blog here & I will happily be following from now on! That cheesy taco casserole looks beyond! I’m looking forward to trying it soon!
You have fabulous recipes…love your treats and sweets!
these look like great appetizers! Although I like my grilled cheese jsut classic bread and a couple slices of cheese. But i love it on really good bakery italian parmesean bread. SO good!
Averie… I’ve never referred to a sandwich as “adorable”… but there’s a first time for everything, right? I can’t wait to try these! Roma tomatoes are my favorite. I wish I would’ve thought of something similar when my son was little.
I love “adorable” food and you’re right..usually decorated cupcakes & cookies get the nod for adorable but this time it was savory..first time for everything!
Oh yeah! I did a ton of cheese stacking/folding in my childhood. The only way to eat American cheese! That was the only kind of cheese I liked as a kid. Now, I’d rather have a nice hunk of Cheddar. Yum!
Glad you were a member of the cheese-folding club, too!
Nom :) Grilled cheese rocks! I like using a couple different kinds of cheese, tomato and spinach! Fantastic
Hi girlie…hope you’re enjoying your break and having extra time to snuggle with K :)
I can’t believe I almost forgot … You’ve been chosen again, Averie … You have been nominated for my NEW Food Stories Award for Excellence in Storytelling. Check out my site for the details (foodstoriesblog dot com).
thanks for all the awards…I appreciate it!
I’m obsessed with anything miniature! These are adorable.
I can’t wait ti have kids and throw little parties haha
I have to agree with you … anything mini does taste better :-)
I am so with you on ketchup being the perfect condiment for grilled cheese sandwiches! I love these, they are so cute! (Cute about a grilled cheese??) Have to make these.
oh how cute!! – i lovee grilled cheese.
my mom used to make me sandwiches with turkey and kraft singles in a sandwich press that melted everything together and kept the gooey cheese inside. so delicious.
Great photos, Averie and I love the story that came along with it! We used to make our grilled cheese with Kraft single slices as well. I used to call them “strip cheese” when I was a kid. What a riot!
Yummy :) sounds perfect for my sons first birthday in July.. thanks for sharing!
And happy bday to him (a little early) :)
My brother isn’t obsessed with grilled cheese….he is obsessed with cheese quesadillas! Basically the same, but with tortillas :P
cheese quesadillas are always good but weren’t on the menu in rural MN in the 80s :)
You can probably imagine how I feel about these with my sandwich kick lately. Absolutely adorable!!
Yes, Sandwich Queen, I understand :)
These are adorable! I love grilled cheese on rainy days with tomato soup.
omg YES, with tomato soup! Can’t believe I didn’t write that, too. Those were the dinners Lent was made of :)
How cute are these?! Love them.
Have you heard of Fry Sauce? It’s big in Utah. Equal parts mayo and ketchup (sometimes a bit of BBQ). Great for dipping grilled cheeses in… and fries too!
yes and also adding chipotle seasoning..I used to waitress at a place that served wings when I was in college and wing/fry sauce, so good!
Hi Averie! These are so freaking adorable. What a perfect thing to serve up as an appetizer or with a big bowl of tomato soup. I have some tomato soup in the freezer and it’s supposed to get cooler this week so I might just pull it out and make some of these. The kids love anything mini! I actually just posted these mini couscous cakes and the kids had a blast eating them. Sometimes you have to change up the basics and to make them interesting again!
xoxo,
Jackie
YES, with tomato soup! Can’t believe I didn’t write that, too. Those were the dinners Lent was made of :)
mini couscous cakes = that’s much fancier than mini grilled cheese :)
They may sound fancier but they are just as easy to make :)
and thanks for your emails LMK about the comment replies!
OOOOO.
MMMMM.
GGGGG.
Done. Times a billion. Done.
This is your kinda recipe b/c of the CHEESE! :)
You can never go wrong with carbs, gooey cheese and tomatoes together!! I love how golden and crusty the bread looks!
Butter, baby. Gotta love it for browning.
Oh how fun. I haven’t made a grilled cheese in ages. Love making them as a kid and would spread ketchup on them
I like your use of the word “spread”. That would be more accurate than “dipping in” for me :)
So cute! I love tomatoes on my grilled cheese too.
These are so cute! I love this idea!
Ha! In yesterday’s post, I was just talking about how much I love miniature stuff and then these show up in my face this morning – I want them all!!
Your little bean bites look adorable, too!
Cute little mini sandwiches with yummy looking buttery-toasty bread!! I remember the grilled cheese -tomato soup pairing when I was a kid. My first 2 yrs of college were spent in LaCrosse, WI so I know what you mean about the love of cheese there ( but those cheese curds are oh so good!). I like a classic grilled cheese but also apple w/ cheddar or pear w/Brie.
Butter….Gotta love it for browning. Cheese curds, yes, so good. Seriously how could you not love fried balls of cheese. Sounds so greasy and decadent (as are mini-donuts) but they’re so good!
These little sliders are so sweet!
I always thought it was crazy to dip grilled cheese in ketchup…until my boyfriend coaxed me to try it one night. I tried it…and loved it :) Now I’ll dip my grilled cheese in almost anything: ketchup, sriracha, BBQ sauce, coconut mango sauce. . .bring on the condiments!
Bring them on for me too..including coconut mango sauce! Do you make it or do you buy it? I need THAT!
I buy it: http://tropicalpepper.com/product.asp?idProduct=90
However, the ingredients aren’t too scary (i.e., artificial), so it might be easy to re-create!
thanks for the reply back & the link..wow that looks SO good! Right up my alley!
Averie, these are too cute! I laughed reading about your folding squares of Kraft Singles – I did that ALL the time!! I love tomato + grilled cheese… and even my family and boyfriend think I’m gross when I do this, but I am known to dip my grilled cheese sammies into ketchup! Glad you are the same!! Beautiful pics too :)
Glad you like the pics and Cheese Folding. See…EVERYONE did it, right? :)
Tomato and cheese is probably my favorite sandwich combo of all time and I LOVE sandwiches, so that’s saying a lot. These are adorable! I’d eat a dozen of them. :D And I used to do the foldy square thing with American cheese slices, too. hahaha I also used to make melted cheese sandwiches in the microwave. Those were the days! Oh, we never had the cool orange cheese, either. Always white. Not as fun! :( lol
There is just something nostalgic about the orange squares :) I’d make microwave nachos using Doritos with it, too. Memories!
My afternoon snack in high school was a toasted white bagel (from the bagel shop I worked at) with a slice of kraft melted on each half, eaten open faced. It sounds so boring, but it was so tasty and it was always exactly what I wanted. I’m craving it right now. Again.
I used to be a grilled cheese whore. I don’t think more than three days could pass without me eating one. For years that hapened. And I was picky about them too. White bread only, fake processed cheese only, and absolutely no tomatoes! Maybe some turkey slices if it was a meal, but not if it was a snack!
Growing up in Wisc, I can totally see you getting down with some cheese!
One day we have to go to the MN State fair and eat some fried cheese curds and mini donuts together :)
Adorbs! :)
Oh these are so adorable!
These are SO cute! Perfect for a walk around party out on the deck. Terrific idea.
The name of your blog makes me smile :)
Those minions sandwiches will make for a perfect snack when I have friends over for drinks..instead of the usual (and boring) tortillas + dip and/or cheeses & crackers platter.
Great idea!
Yes, way better than chips ‘n dip or the usual fare. LMK if you make anything similar!
This is SERIOUSLY awesome. I love the idea of cutting it width-wise.
I love anything mini, and I love grilled cheese with tomato. These mini sandwiches are adorable!
Thanks so much, Laura!
Hi Averie, haven’t been here in a week, and it seems like a long time… Your little grilled cheese sandwiches are very-very cute! Lovely writing…
Welcome back! Was wondering where you were :) Glad you like the little sammies :)
I love grilled cheese! *when i could eat it :/ Now my tummy doesn’t like dairy — But I love brie with green apple or brie just straight up on a baguette! those pics are gorgeous! thanks for sharing:)
brie and green apple (or just brie) is AWESOME! :)
Oh my! This post brought back so many memories for me!!! Haha, I forgot about cheese stacking – I did that too! And I remember getting an immense amount of satisfaction from peeling the plastic wrapper off perfectly. I would eat slices of that cheese for a snack … or while I was looking for a snack … or while at friends’ parties in high school, lol!
glad I’m not the only one who cheese-stacked :)
These are such fun little grilled cheese sandwiches & I love reading your memories too. Think I can recall doing some of the same things!
When I was making these, I was thinking of you! The 50mm lens and the grilled cheese; you were on my mind :)