How To Keep Your Grilled Cheese From Falling Apart In The Air Fryer

Sometimes the best things in life are the simplest: a walk on a sunny day, a cup of coffee enjoyed with a friend, or even a grilled cheese sandwich with stringy, melted cheese. There are many ways to make a grilled cheese, from a pan on the stovetop to inside a panini press. While maybe not the traditional way to cook a grilled cheese, the air fryer also works really well. In the air fryer, the bread gets crispy, and the cheese is slowly melted. Just keep the temperature on low for a few minutes, and then flip it over and repeat.

Using an air-fryer for making the perfect grilled cheese is an excellent option for the unexperienced cook to the well-seasoned chef because it is pretty much impossible to burn the sandwich, compared to other cooking methods like the stove top where the high direct heat can easily burn the bread if not monitored closely. If a perfectly cooked grilled cheese isn't reason enough to use an air fryer, there's another great reason to use one — lack of messy cleanup! 

However, there is still the chance of a major letdown should the sandwich come apart. But, with one simple trick, the sandwich will stay together to be enjoyed.

An air fryer works its magic by circulating warm air around the food in order to cook it. In the case of a grilled cheese sandwich, the top slice of bread is at risk of being blown off the sandwich by the fast-moving air, especially if it is lightweight or soft bread. To keep the sandwich intact, use a toothpick or two to hold it all together. There's no need to worry about keeping the toothpick in the hot air fryer, as it is safe to use at a lower temperature, which is already the best temperature to cook a grilled cheese. When the sandwich is ready to be turned over, remove the toothpicks and then flip it with a non-metal utensil to continue cooking the sandwich. At this point, the cheese will have become melted enough to hold the sandwich together. Or, if you don't have any toothpicks on hand, a small metal rack placed on top will also work and can be removed when the sandwich is ready to be flipped over.

All that is left after determining the grilled cheese has reached the optimal level of crispiness, and meltiness is to enjoy with or without the classic companion of a bowl of tomato soup.