A Uruguayan Student Figured Out the Secret to Mess-Free Grilled Cheese

Grilled cheese fresh off the barbecue is one of the most oozy, delicious dishes, but preparing it usually comes along with a sticky mess. Thankfully, a terracotta dish specifically made for melting cheese was invented in 2000 by Uruguayan industrial design student Juan Nin. His invention was the result of a class assignment to create a solution for difficult cooking tasks. He came up with the idea for a platter with cavities to melt cheese on a grill, the provolonera. The innovative product improved how provolone cheese is grilled and served in Uruguay and can easily be mimicked at home. 

In Uruguay, the type of cheese used for grilling is typically provolone which responds well to heat. The traditional Italian cheese made its way into Uruguayan asado (a barbecue gathering with a meal of various slow-cooked meats) through Italian immigration in the late 19th century. In Uruguay, an asado typically starts with an appetizer of grilled provolone cheese, called a provoleta. 

Traditionally in Uruguay, semi-hard provolone cheese was grilled whole over an open fire until it had a crisp golden crust. Once the cheese was gooey inside, it would be cut into individual-sized pieces, which was a bit of a mess to serve. Nin’s cookware invention solved the mess. The genius Uruguayan grill-to-table dish goes directly on the grill and has shallow indentations to hold the chunks of cheese securely as they melt. 

In under 10 minutes, the cheese prepared in the provolonera is bubbling and smoked to perfection on the parrilla, a Uruguayan open-fire wood or charcoal grill. When the cheese is grilled in the provolonera, the exterior gets crusty while the inside is molten. Let stand for 30 seconds to cool before moving the platter to a serving table. ​ 

The result is a decadent bite-sized melted provolone, prepared to be scooped up with a fresh chunk of bread. Some Uruguayans like to season the provoleta with a drizzle of olive oil and a dusting of dried oregano. I like to add red pepper flakes for a bit of spice or douse it in my homemade chimichurri sauce. ​ 

The provolonera cooking platter can be used on any grill but should never be placed directly over flames. The cheesy dish can also be prepared in an oven and takes about six minutes to bake or two minutes in the microwave. For an easy grilled cheese sandwich, scoop up the provolone from several of the cavities and place it between two slices of toasted bread. If you don’t like provolone cheese, you could swap it for halloumi cheese or a hard vegan cheese, which is my preference.  

A provolonera is truly the easiest mess-free way to grill cheese and is a must-have in any BBQ repertoire. You can order a heat-resistant terracotta ceramic provolonera on Amazon with 19 non-stick cavities. If you can’t find a provolonera, a food-grade ceramic escargot dish also works, as it has similar cavities where the cheese can be placed.