Love cheese? Love butter? Love the creative canvas that a simple, buttery grilled cheese sandwich presents?

Then the 10th annual Grilled Cheese Invitational was made for you! The widely popular event showcases the cheese-grilling skills of professional chefs as well as the best amateur sandwich grillers (perhaps they're training for the grilled cheese Olympics?).

The contestants are preparing to compete in a public competition starting at 11 a.m. Saturday, April 28th at Lot K of the Rose Bowl in Pasadena, CA.

There are four categories. The most traditional category is for the grilled cheese purists, as each sandwich here must consist of only white bread, butter and American or cheddar cheese. Another category exists for more varied types of said ingredients.

Crazier, less-traditional categories also exist to amp up the creativity factor, including a category for sandwiches with additional ingredients, as long as each contains at least 60% cheese inside. Got a sweet tooth? There is also a dessert grilled cheese category!

Quite possibly the best part of this adrenaline-pumping, cheese-melting event? Attendees help decide the winner! Yes, my friends, you are the judge.

Past GCI winner and chef Eric Greenspan's Foundry is honoring the event with National Grilled Cheese Month, featuring a different gourmet grilled cheese on the menu each week.

At this year's GCI event, there will be live music, cheesy costumes, free cheese samples, and a beer & wine garden.

Find out who will walk away as Grilled Cheese Champion this year, and take pride in knowing that you not only tasted the winning creation, but helped crown it as well. Tickets are $15. For more information on attending, or if you'd like to register as a competitor, check out the official GCI website.

Update: Vendors will sell samples priced $2 to $5 a pop of "some of the best grilled cheese you can find in this city," according to Tim Walker, Founder of the Grilled Cheese Invitational.

Event sponsors will also be handing out cheese samples, free drinks, potato chips, and pickles.

 

You can reach reporter Tanaya Ghosh here or follow her on Twitter here.