Grilled Cheese Sanwiches
By David & Martha Cox 08/15/2011Think you know everything there is to grilled cheese? Yeah, you probably do.
If you know everything I’m about to tell you, that is.
Grilled cheese is a great sandwich. However, I think it gets mistreated most of the time. At best, it seems grilled cheese is just a pre-packaged, single slice of American cheese sandwiched between two slices of bread and fried on a skillet. It never realizes its full potential. But that’s okay, because I’m going to show you how to make a decent grilled cheese sandwich that your whole family will enjoy.
Use Good Cheese
Ditch the American cheese. It tastes like paste. Instead, get a block of cheddar cheese and a knife. Peel off slices of cheese about 1/16″ – 1/8″ of an inch thick. You can layer as many slices of cheese on each sandwich as you want, but this is the most crucial part of making a good grilled cheese sandwich.
Consider Condiments
A lot of grilled cheese recipes call for three ingredients: Cheese, bread, and butter. Why not add some spicy mustard (my favorite)? Or some mayonnaise? You can even throw some sliced onion or pickle relish on that sandwich. There’s no rule that says grilled cheese can’t have anything else on it, so don’t feel like you don’t have any other options.
Make it in the Microwave
Think I’m crazy? They call it grilled cheese for a reason, don’t they? Well, you can make it in the microwave.
The first step is to toast the slices of bread. Grilling the sandwich toasts the bread, but since we’re using the microwave, we need to toast the bread first. Next, layer your toasted sandwich bread with condiments and cheese. Finally, put it in the microwave on High for about 15-25 seconds. Around the 25 second mark, my cheese usually turns completely molten, and runs out of my sandwich, so be careful.
All in all, microwave grilled cheese sandwiches take only a fraction of the time that traditional grilled cheese sandwiches do, and they taste every bit as good.
Or Go the Traditional Route
If you don’t feel like making grilled cheese in the microwave, then do this: Spread butter on the sandwich bread you’re going to use. Then layer your cheese and condiments on the sandwich bread, with the buttered sides of the bread facing out.
Finally, throw the sandwich down on a hot griddle that has been previously greased with butter, and let it grill for a few minutes. After a while, flip the sandwich over with a spatula, and let the other side grill for a few minutes.
When you’re done, the bread should be toasty and the cheese should be melted.
A lot of people don’t like grilled cheese sandwiches because the sandwiches are often dry or boring (or grilling them takes too long). Following these few little pointers will let you put together a very cheap, simple sandwich that tastes great. Enjoy!
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