Classic Grilled Cheese

2 slices of bread, thin-medium thickness: sourdough (my personal favorite), whole wheat, multi-grain (particularly good grilled)

2-4 slices of cheese: havarti, swiss, colby, marble, cheddar, monterey jack, etc. (There really isn’t a wrong cheese unless it is too hard, like parmesan, or too soft like feta.)

Softened butter

Heat a shallow pan on medium. (Pan must be hot when you place the bread or it won’t cook properly.) Spread butter on one side of each slice of bread. Place the first slice butter side down, add cheese, then place the second slice of bread butter side up. Cook until bread is golden-brown, then flip. When both sides are golden-brown and the cheese is melted, it’s ready. Remove from pan and eat immediately.

This sandwich is an excellent accompaniment to soup.

**To add variety, try specialty bread like olive oil and rosemary.** You can also add a thin slice of tomato.

 

Hearty Grilled Cheese

2 slices of bread, thin-medium thickness: sourdough, whole wheat, multi-grain (particularly good grilled)

2-4 slices of cheese: havarti, swiss, colby, marble, cheddar, monterey jack, etc. (There really isn’t a wrong cheese unless it is too hard, like parmesan, or too soft like feta.)

2 slices of deli meat: ham, turkey, salami, prosciutto, etc. Can mix and match.

2 slices of cooked bacon (optional)

Softened butter

Heat a shallow pan on medium. Spread butter on one side of each slice of bread. Place the first slice butter side down, add cheese, then add meat, then bacon. Place the second slice of bread butter side up. Cook until bread is golden-brown, then flip. When both sides are golden-brown and the cheese is melted, it’s ready. Remove from pan and eat immediately.

**You can easily leave out the meat and replace it with a tomato slice for a grilled cheese BLT**

 

Apple Grilled Cheese (Will Harper’s favorite)

2 slices of bread, thin-medium thickness: sourdough, whole wheat, multi-grain (particularly good grilled) **This sandwich is particularly good with a thickly sliced bread with a hearty, full flavor. One with seeds is a great choice.**

2-4 slices of cheese: Havarti or Swiss / cheddar or Colby

2-4 very thin apple slices, from a sour-mildly sweet apple for Swiss or Havarti cheese, from a sweet apple for Colby or cheddar cheese (the goal is to mix sour with sweet)

Brown or Dijon mustard

Softened butter

Heat a shallow pan on medium. (Pan must be hot when you place the bread or it won’t cook properly.) Spread butter on one side of each slice of bread. Place the first slice butter side down, carefully spread a thin layer of mustard on the bare upper side, then place a slice of cheese, the apple slices, and another slice of cheese. (If you want it extra cheesy, do 2 slices of cheese on either side of the apple.) If you really like mustard, add a tiny bit more on either the cheese or the bare side of the bread, and top with the bread butter side up. Cook until bread is golden-brown, then flip. When both sides are golden-brown and the cheese is melted, it’s ready. Remove from pan and eat immediately.

**You can add a couple of slices of bacon to this one to make it more filling.**

 

Grilled Cheese with Egg (One of Liz and Will’s favorite breakfasts)

1-2 eggs, depending on the size of the bread

2 slices of bread, thin-medium thickness: sourdough, whole wheat, multi-grain (particularly good grilled) – Avoid breads with too strong a flavor like rye – it can overpower the other flavors.

2-4 slices of cheese: havarti, swiss, colby, marble, cheddar, monterey jack, etc. (There really isn’t a wrong cheese unless it is too hard, like parmesan, or too soft like feta.)

Softened butter

Slather butter (all the way to the crust!) on two slices of break and set aside. Heat a pan to medium, add butter, crack eggs into pan. Sprinkle with salt and pepper and cover with a lid to cook more evenly. Once eggs are cooked to desired done-ness (medium is best, but choose your favorite), remove lid. Carefully lift egg(s) from pan with a wide spatula and place one slice of bread butter side down on the hot pan. Place a slice of cheese on the bread, then gently set the fried egg on the cheese. Place another slice of cheese on the egg and place the remaining bread slice on top, being careful not to break the egg yolk.

Once bread is browned, carefully flip sandwich to brown the other side. Ideally, the yolk will not break until you bite into it, but if it break during the flip, it’s alright. Just remove the sandwich from the pan sooner to avoid overcooking the eggs.

Eat and enjoy! You’ll need something to wipe your hands on, this one gets messy. 🙂