Grilled cheese sandwiches made easy

By JANET K. KEELER

© St. Petersburg Times,
published October 17, 2001

Grilled cheese, please! Warm and comforting, the grilled cheese sandwich is back and better than ever. After all, here's an understated classic just perfect for imaginative variations.

The mantra of every master of the grilled cheese sandwich should be "Slow and low." That means to cook it on heat low enough that the bread doesn't burn and give it enough time for the cheese to melt.

Other tips:

Heat the skillet for about three minutes over medium heat before putting the sandwich in it.

Traditional recipes call for the bread to be buttered inside and out, but it's less fattening to butter just the sides that are toasted. There is so much flavor in the cheese that less butter doesn't make any difference in taste.

Cook on each side until golden and the cheese has melted, about 2 to 3 minutes per side. Keep a close eye on the sandwiches so they don't burn.

Cheese slices should be evenly distributed and of equal thickness to ensure they melt at the same rate. If the cheese is too thick, the bread will burn before the cheese melts.

Clicks

Here are Web sites with recipes and information about cheese:

www.graftonvillagecheese.com.

www.shelburnefarms.org.

www.cabotcheese.com.

www.ilovecheese.com.

Books about cheese

The Cheese Lover's Cookbook & Guide by Paula Lambert (Simon & Shuster, 2000).

The New American Cheese by Laura Werlin (Stewart, Tabori & Chang, 2000).

- JANET K. KEELER, Times food editor, and Times wires

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