GRILLED CHEESE HEAVEN

Serves: 4

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GRILLED CHEESE HEAVEN

Ready in: 30 MinTotal time: 30 Min

You can make a fantastic sandwich with just great bread, fresh butter, and your favorite cheese:Grilled cheese is a simple concept, but there are so many wonderful ways to craft the ever-popular sandwich that you could be in Grilled Cheese Heaven every day!While recipes for cheese and bread are mentioned in Ancient Roman texts and the French, have been making their famous Croque Monsieur since the early 1900s, today’s notion of the grilled cheese is commonly traced back to the 1920s, when the Iowa man considered “the father of sliced bread” invented the bread slicer that made distributing white bread easy and affordable. Shortly before that, processed cheese had been patented by James L. Kraft, an entrepreneur whose revolutionary pasteurizing process ensured that cheese wouldn’t spoil, even when transported long distances. In 1949, Kraft Foods introduced Kraft Singles, but it’s interesting that the actual term “grilled cheese” doesn’t make an appearance in print until the 1960s.

Ingredients

• Slice bread
• Cheese (Cheddar, Jack, Colby, Gruyère, Swiss, Fontina, Provolone or Brie)

Instructions

1. Butter bread slices on 1 side. Turn them over. Lay 2 cheese slices on 1 bread slice. Top with the other bread slice, buttered side up.
2. Heat a medium frying pan over medium heat. Flick a drop of water into the pan; if it sizzles and evaporates, the pan is hot enough.
3. Put the sandwich, buttered side down, in pan. Let it cook 3 to 4 minutes, or until golden and crunchy underneath. Turn and let cook for another 3 to 4 minutes, or until golden and crunchy.
4. Choose a cheese that melts well, such as Cheddar, Jack, Colby, Gruyère, Swiss, Fontina, Provolone or Brie….or a mix of them (that's our style!).

TIPS AND TRICKS FOR THE PERFECT GRILLED CHEESE SANDWICH

1. Shred your Cheese! Grated cheese melts faster and more evenly than sliced cheese, so you get the perfect melt before the sandwich burns.
2. Butter the bread with softened butter…and do it generously! Butter the bread, not the pan. Thinly sliced bread and soft butter work best.
3. Cook the sandwich Low & Slow. Don't rush the cooking process. Grill sandwiches slowly over medium heat; watch carefully for maximum melt and crispy bread.
4. Cover and Cook: Cover the sandwich during the cooking process to lock in the heat. This will help the cheese melt faster and more evenly.
5. Press, Flip, Repeat: Use a spatula to press down firmly on the sandwich while cooking; flip the sandwich twice (pressing with each flip) to ensure crisp bread and thoroughly melted cheese.

Notes

(Thank you Laura Werlin, Cheese Goddess, for your terrific tips!)

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