Two slices white bread
Two slices Kraft American Cheese (not the ‘processed cheese food’!)
Olive oil
Heat a small pan and pour in some olive oil. Put in a slice of bread to coat one side with the olive oil. Remove the bread and repeat with the other slice. Discard any excess olive oil in the pan. Place one slice of bread, oiled side down, into the pan. Add the two slices of cheese. Top with the other slice of bread, oiled side up. Toast over medium heat for about a minute or so, until the bread is golden brown. Turn the sandwich over and toast for another minute.
Yes, I said American cheese. I know the trend is to use cheddar, but there’s nothing like American cheese for grilled cheese sandwiches. Don’t use Kraft Singles. Use the Deli Slices.
I used to butter the bread with margarine, but why dirty a knife if you don’t have to? Olive oil is probably better for you anyway.
Wheat bread is better for most things, but not for grilled cheese sandwiches. Part of the appeal of grilled cheese sandwiches is the reminder of childhood. Back then (for me), everyone ate white bread.
Believe me, I’ve made many GCSs with cheddar cheese. It just isn’t the right cheese for the job. Too oily when melted, and it doesn’t melt very well. It’s gotta be American.
Basic GCS;
wheat bread, American cheese, butter on the bread
Bacon GCS;
first, grill up some nice, crispy bacon, dump off most of the grease, take the bread and cheese, , put the bacon in between two layers of cheese and use the bacon grease residue instead of butter to brown the bread
Tomato GCS; basic GCS with tomato slices
the one common thread, and secret here, is to use a cast-iron skillet, nothing else cooks as well as good old Cast Iron
Agreed. I have what may be the perfect GCS cooker, a 5-inch square cast iron mini-griddle. It holds heat well enough that I can get even sliced from a block cheddar cheese to melt. I set the burner on medium-low, let the griddle heat up, put the sandwhich in, and the cheddar will finally melt by the time both sides have been browned to perfection.
My wife makes killer grilled cheese sandwiches. She uses whole-wheat bread (we don’t keep white sandwich bread around, and anyway I prefer the flavor and chewiness of whole-wheat; it’s what I grew up on), sharp cheddar (maybe not as perfectly gooey as American, but a far superior flavor IMO), and butter (necessary for the proper flavor). She also adds dried herbs and garlic powder. It’s fantastic.
I use whole wheat and butter, but the Kraft cheese is the same. I like cheddar sometimes for a change. My nephew, however, insists that the perfect sandwich is made with white bread, butter, and colby/jack marble cheese. It does have a nice gooey texture with a strong cheese flavor.
Spread a small amount of softened butter on two slices of sourdough.
Put thinly sliced mozzarella on the dry side of one slice, then some sliced pickled beets. Salt & pepper, then another layer of mozza. Close the sandwich and cook, either in sandwich press or in a dry skillet, using a spatula to press the sandwich before turning.
Sliced onion may be substituted for picked beets to great effect, if either of two conditions are met: [list=a][]Diners are confident that their faces will be at least two feet apart for the remainder of the evening. []Diners are at least as toasted as the sandwiches.[/list]
I have the cooking gadget that my mother used to make grilled cheese sandwiches for me. It makes all the difference. I don’t know what it’s called or where you could get one today; mine is over 50 years old. I couldn’t find one by googling, so I’ll describe it.
2 pieces of metal about 5" dia. round, each slightly concave. They are joined together with a hinge so they open and close like a book. The edge opposite the hinge of each circle has a long metal rod about 12" long with a wooden handle (think knife handle-ish) on the end. So the gadget opens and closes the circles come together as do the handles.
Open the gadget, put a piece of lightly buttered white bread down on one side. Cheese on top (my Mom used American). The other piece of buttered white bread on top. Close the gadget. The buttered sides of both pieces of bread should be toward the metal not the inside of the sandwich. The 2 pieces of metal will crimp the edges of the bread off. There is a metal loop on one of the handles that will fit over the other handle and keep the handles closed tight.
Now put the gadget first one side down on the low flame of a gas burner and then flip it over and do the other. You can open the gadget and peek to see if it’s brown enough.
When it’s finished, you have a nice hot grilled cheese sandwich, the cheese being inside the toasted bread which is now a totally enclosed round pocket. Yumm… Best grilled sandwiches ever.
I have the cooking gadget that my mother used to make grilled cheese sandwiches for me. It makes all the difference. I don’t know what it’s called or where you could get one today; mine is over 50 years old. I couldn’t find one by googling, so I’ll describe it.
2 pieces of metal about 5" dia. round, each slightly concave. They are joined together with a hinge so they open and close like a book. The edge opposite the hinge of each circle has a long metal rod about 12" long with a wooden handle (think knife handle-ish) on the end. So the gadget opens and closes the circles come together as do the handles.
Open the gadget, put a piece of lightly buttered white bread down on one side. Cheese on top (my Mom used American). The other piece of buttered white bread on top. Close the gadget. The buttered sides of both pieces of bread should be toward the metal not the inside of the sandwich. The 2 pieces of metal will crimp the edges of the bread off. There is a metal loop on one of the handles that will fit over the other handle and keep the handles closed tight.
Now put the gadget first one side down on the low flame of a gas burner and then flip it over and do the other. You can open the gadget and peek to see if it’s brown enough.
When it’s finished, you have a nice hot grilled cheese sandwich, the cheese being inside the toasted bread which is now a totally enclosed round pocket. Yumm… Best grilled sandwiches ever.
Ooops. Sorry about the double post. I only hit the button once, I swear.
But I found a link for a similar gadget. It’s call a pie iron. Imagine that. It’s a camping thing. And you can still buy them. Difference though is that mine is round and crimps the edges together. This one keeps the bread squarish and looks like it wouldn’t crimp unless the bread is bigger than the iron. And this “modern” one has a non-stick surface. Have fun.
