Toasted cheese sandwiches with an attitude

You pick the attitude; I'll help with the sandwich. A simple grilled cheese sandwich can be much better than soft and squishy white bread and mock-dairy cheese-food.


First: good bread. I like wheat, the family likes white, so I use homemade white with a hint of wheat or commercial wheat that isn't too full of what Husband (affectionately) calls nuts and twigs.
Second: spread the butter thin, very thin, on one side of the bread. This side will go on the outside while the sandwiches are cooking, er, toasting.
Third: use good cheese. Individually wrapped slices of cheese food are okay in a pinch, but good Wisconsin cheddar is better. If it's not melting fast enough for you, grate it first. Also try colby, swiss, provolone, or for the gutsy palates, pepperjack. Real cheese takes the blandness and gives it zip.


Now the fun: the add-ins. Inside the sandwich, try these:

• tomato, sliced thin
• sliced ham, very thin
• any good lunchmeat: turkey or chicken, even salami
• chorizo or polish sausage for an ethnic twist

On the outside, consider:

• olive oil of your choice in place of butter
• thyme, rosemary or basil
• Italian seasoning

These simple steps can make your basic sandwich into a full-fledged luncheon ingredient or visitor-worthy panini. Well, my visitors tend to have simple tastes like I do, so it works for me.

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