Ina Garten's "Ultimate" Grilled Cheese Recipe Is A Creative Take On A Classic

On one end of the grilled cheese spectrum are Kraft singles and white bread, while on the other is Ina Garten.

Salon recently unearthed a 2013 clip of the Barefoot Contessa doing what she does best: elevating simple, wholesome comfort food to an unprecedented level of decadence.

In a brief video for the Food Network, Garten demonstrates her method for crafting the Ultimate Grilled Cheese, which boasts a handful of unique additions.

She starts by coating the outside side of each slice of bread with butter. OK, nothing too crazy, right? Then Garten begins working on the filling, whisking together mayonnaise, Dijon mustard, and grated Parmesan cheese, which she then slathers it on the inside of the bread.

While it's not uncommon to see Dijon mustard and mayonnaise in fancy grilled cheese recipes, we can't say the same for Parmesan cheese. Garten herself describes the grated cheese as "an unusual ingredient."

She hasn't even gotten to the main event and these sandwiches are already destined for greatness! (Tip: plan to serve it with a bowl of Garten's famous tomato soup.)

With her bread prepared, Garten adds a few small pieces of diced cooked bacon to each sandwich "for a little extra flavor." And as far as cheese goes, individually packaged slices need not apply. Garten opts for a blend of freshly grated white cheddar and Gruyere, which adds a nice nutty flavor. She piles that on and pops the sandwiches in a panini press.

The result? A perfectly balanced grilled cheese that's cheesy, smoky, and tangy.

Yum.