Grilled Cheese: Celebrate!

It's not only National Grilled Cheese month, but today marks National Grilled Cheese day as well. I mean come on - how can you not have a grilled cheese sandwich today. It would be a down right sin to just ignore it. So please - do yourself a favor.

Need some tips? Here are some ideas that work well for me:

1. Use good bread and pair it with the cheese/theme you're creating

Sweet sandwich? Sweet bread (cinnamon raisin, for example) French bread works awesome

2. Use a good melting cheese

American, Swiss, Brie, Gouda, Mozzarella, Muenster, Colby, Les Frères, Blue (sometimes)

3. Butter the pan, not the bread

You'll use less butter and it will cover the entire sandwich. Yes, mayo can work too - but then you'll want to spread it on the bread first.

4. Use medium heat and don't be afraid to use the oven

Sometimes your cheese hasn't melted all the way through once the outside is nice and crisp - that's ok! Toss it in the oven at 300* for a few minutes. That'll take care of it. You can also use a stainless steel bowl to cover your sandwich while it's grilling - just be sure to use pot holders to pick it up.
I like to use a cast-iron pan, personally - but any type of frying pan will do.

5. Be creative!

Anything goes. Peanut butter, pickles, bacon - you name it. It can be put in grilled cheese.

For this particular grilled cheese, I used French bread and Jeffs' Select Gouda from Caves of Faribault.