You know what a grilled cheese sandwich is: Two slices of bread, lightly buttered on the outside, with cheese in the middle. Toss it on a hot pan for a few minutes until the cheese melts and the bread is golden brown, then enjoy. It’s an American staple.
But it’s a food, like many other American staples, which has been eroded by a wave of commodity materials. Heavily-processed cheese, additive-laden bread, and butter are dirt cheap. A generation of children are eating inferior grilled cheeses.
I wanted to rekindle my love of grilled cheese, so I set about by re-creating something pure, natural, and real. Inspired by a friend, I think this grilled cheese sets an example for others to follow.
A few more thoughts on this grilled cheese preparation. It was meant to be a variation on the standard bread/cheese model. If you search out grilled cheese recipes, you will find many which involve additional ingredients, like tomato, ham, bacon, etc. I wanted to retain the simplicity of grilled cheese, and did so by avoiding the use of those items (at least this time).
Ingredients
- Sourdough bread, sliced, from Breadsmith
- Vermont cheddar cheese
- Wilmot Farms cheddar cheese
- Monterey jack cheese
- Butter, salted
Preparation
- Grate the cheese. You don’t need too much.
- Take two slices of sourdough bread. Butter one side of each. Spread it all the way to the edges.
- Place one slice of bread on a griddle or pan, buttered-side down.
- Put enough grated cheese on it to cover well.
- Place second bread slice, butter-side up, on top.
- Flip after one minute. Continue flipping until cheese is melted AND both sides are golden brown.
- Remove from pan and slice in half. Serve hot.
What can I eat with a grilled cheese?
Don’t eat ALL of these with grilled cheese at the same time. Pick one or two.
- Tomato soup (creamy or otherwise)
- Potato chips
- Pickle spears
- Potato or butternut squash fries
How long does this take to make?
A few minutes to prep, a few minutes to cook.
Should I experiment?
By all means, yes! An interesting variation is to use pepper jack cheese (spicy), thinly sliced tomato, and a dressing/vinaigrette of your choice. Go nuts and try anything which sounds good.
May I use something other than sourdough bread?
I wouldn’t. Well-made sourdough bread is almost unbeatable when paired with cheese and and whatever else you dream up.