Grilled to Perfection: Recreating and reviewing the “Top 5 Grilled Cheeses of 2023” according to Chef Tyler on Tiktok

When I think of grilled cheese sandwiches, I envision two toasted pieces of bread surrounding melted, gooey cheese. I thought the only way to customize the sandwich was with different breads or cheeses — until I saw Chef Tyler’s “Top Five Grilled Cheeses of 2023” TikTok. 

Known for making specialty grilled cheeses with wacky ingredients ranging from lobster to spinach and artichoke dip, my mouth watered at his cheese pull videos.

After filming his process, Tyler displays the finished sandwich and reviews it on a scale of one to 10. So far, only four have received a perfect 10 — so I was insistent on trying to recreate these groundbreaking grilled cheeses.

A grilled cheese recipe with raspberries, bacon and jalapeños on it seemed repulsive, so my stomach churned when Tyler rated this sandwich as the fifth best grilled cheese of 2023.

Bacon and jalapeños together? Delicious. Bacon and raspberries? A little questionable. But all three combined is borderline insanity. 

The sweetness and tartness of the raspberries did NOT mix well with the savory jalapeños and bacon. The only part of the sandwich that I enjoyed was the bacon — the raspberries with their tart and sweet flavor combined with the jalapeños stinging spice overpowered any other flavor in the sandwich.

This suspicious combination was made even worse by the textures. The slimy consistency of the raspberries and juice dripping off of my hands made me already biased against this sandwich. 

The bacon and cheddar combo was outstanding, but I still believe that jalapeños and raspberries shouldn’t come within five feet of each other. 

My go-to order at any barbeque restaurant is brisket, but it’s even better on grilled cheese.

The crunchiness of the onion complemented the soft texture of the meat. The brisket and onion pairing reminded me of the mouthwatering Texas Ranger sandwich I often opt for at Meat Mitch — to the point where I was tempted to drench it in barbeque sauce. 

Despite being tasty, making this sandwich was more effort than it was worth. My mediocre cooking skills forced me to buy the smoked brisket from a barbeque restaurant, which required a second stop after the grocery store for the other ingredients. And contrary to Tyler’s effortless video, caramelizing onions isn’t nearly as easy as he made it look — taking much longer than the two second clip in the video. 

Chicken tikka masala — a classic Indian dish of chicken soaked in a spicy and earthy tikka masala sauce usually served on rice with naan bread — might just be my new favorite grilled cheese ingredient. 

The sourdough bread soaked up the spicy sauce, muting the spice level for my fellow foodies with sensitive taste buds. The crunchy, grilled sourdough also complements the creamy texture of the tikka masala sauce. 

Being able to take my staple take-out dish, put it on bread with some cheese and  it on the stove for a couple minutes is the easiest — and best — way to take chicken tikka masala to the next level. 

The best appetizer at any pizza restaurant is undoubtedly the cheesy garlic bread, so when I saw Tyler praising his garlic bread grilled cheese, I had to try it. 

This is the closest thing to a “generic grilled cheese” featured in the video, but the minced garlic and garlic powder on the inside of the bread gave the flavor its own uniqueness that no other grilled cheese could ever have. 

The garlic seeped into the bread and the cheese, making the flavor apparent in every bite. The only thing that could make this already heavenly sandwich better is using Texas Toast and dipping it in marinara sauce. 

Despite being full from my previous three sandwiches, the garlic bread grilled cheese was so tasty that I ate the whole thing — and proceeded to make another one.

With the butter chicken grilled cheese, Tyler manages to turn another classic Indian dish into a grilled cheese masterpiece. The butter chicken grilled cheese was similar to the chicken tikka masala one, the only difference being a sweeter, creamier sauce. 

The consistency of the sauce contrasts the crunchiness of the bread, making the textures melt in my mouth. The cashews in the sauce added a nutty, more earthy flavor.

After trying both Indian-inspired dishes, it was hard for me to rate the butter chicken higher than the chicken tikka masala because of its lack of spice. Even though it was satisfactory, the spice from the tikka masala sauce tops the butter sauce any day.