Grilled cheese is the most wholesome, all-American food there is. It scream childhood! Simple American cheese, bread and butter is perfection, but in this age of adulting, why not give it a little punch? Thus I introduce the buffalo chicken grilled cheese! Filled with layers of melty cheese, creamy ranch and blue cheese, crunchy celery, and spicy chicken, it is like your favorite game-day wings and cheesy sandwich had a baby!
Blue Cheese Spread
The best thing about buffalo wings is the contrast of hot and cold, smooth and crunchy, spicy and cool. This grilled cheese has all of those things too, starting with the blue cheese spread.
Start with 4 slices of sourdough bread (for 2 sandwiches). You want a firm but not tough bread to stand up to the filling. Simply take 4oz of softened cream cheese, 2-3 tbsp of crumbled blue cheese (to your liking), 2 tbsp of ranch dressing, and 1 stalk of celery, thinly sliced. Mix them all together to make a chunky spread, and lather it on one half of each sandwich. Top the spread with a slice of gouda, provolone, or any other melty cheese. The first layer is done!
Buffalo Chicken
Now that we have the cool, creamy element out of the way, it’s time to get spicy. Take 1/2 cup of rotisserie chicken (or one fully cooked chicken breast), shredded, 2 more tbsp of ranch, and 2 tbsp (or more if you dare) of hot sauce or buffalo sauce. Mix until combined and spread it evenly over the cream cheese/cheese slices.
Top with another slice of cheese per sandwich and finish off with the second slice of bread. Press down gently just to make sure everything it evenly distributed and stuck together.
The Perfect Grilled Cheese
Now that the sandwich is assembled, it’s time to reveal the secret to the perfect grilled cheese: mayo! Many people put butter right in the pan, or spread it on the outside of the bread to make sure the sandwich comes out golden and crispy, but I prefer mayo.
Spread a thin layer on the outside of both sides of each sandwich and place them in a skillet over medium heat. It’s foolproof! Unlike butter, who’s milk solids can easily burn and turn your sandwich black, the fat in mayo can help achieve the same golden crispy outside, but with a lot less fear of burning.
Just let the sandwiches take their time, do not turn the heat up too high. The goal is to have a nice warm, gooey inside, and a crisp outside. It’s not a proper grilled cheese if the cheese doesn’t melt!
The buffalo chicken grilled cheese elevates a childhood favorite into something no adult could resist. The perfect balance of spicy buffalo sauce and cool ranch, with a crunch of celery and the creaminess of blue cheese, this sandwich checks all the boxes!
Need More Sandwich Recipes?
- Turkey Apple Brie Panini
- Roast Beef Sandwich With Herb Horseradish Sauce
- Bruschetta Chicken Panini
- Fried Chicken Sandwich With Honey Mustard Slaw
Buffalo Chicken Grilled Cheese
Ingredients
- 4 sliced sourdough bread
- 2 tbsp mayo
- ¼ cup cream cheese softened
- 3 tbsp blue cheese crumbled
- 1 stalk celery thinly sliced
- ¼ cup ranch
- 2 tbsp buffalo or hot sauce
- ½ cup rotisserie chicken pulled/shredded
- 4 slices gouda or provolone cheese
Instructions
- Start by spreading mayo 1 side of each slice of bread.
- In a small bowl, mix the cream cheese, blue cheese, celery, and 2 tbsp of ranch. Spread on the non-mayo side of two pieces of bread. Top both slices with one slice of cheese
- In another bowl, combine remaining ranch, buffalo sauce, and chicken. Spoon on top of both pieces of bread with cream cheese mixture and cheese. Top with remaining cheese slices and the non-mayo side of the remaining two slices face down.
- Place in a pan over medium heat and cook until brown on each side (3-4 minutes each side). Slice in half and serve immediately.
