As a busy student, sometimes when I get home, I'm really hungry but don't feel like slaving over the stove for more than ten minutes. Which is why I go to my default meal, a grilled cheese sandwich. The beautiful thing about it is that all of the ingredients are usually right in your fridge or kitchen, and while you are waiting for it to cook, you can sit down and relax and, um, study.
There are several variations for how you can make your grilled cheese sandwich. The first thing is to choose the type of cheese that you want. American, cheddar, swiss, provolone...the choices are endless. Lately I go with cheddar, but American cheese takes me back to when my Dad would make me grilled cheese.
The second thing you should figure out is the type of bread you want to use. I'm a slight health nut, so I go with whole wheat bread, but again, the possibilities are endless. Sourdough, French, white, and ciabatta are just a few of the choices.
Lastly, you need to decide if you want your bread to be crunchy or not. If you prefer no crunchiness, just spray your pan with cooking spray. I usually brush olive oil onto the bread, but butter or margarine is good too.
Then you put the sandwich in a pan over medium heat (any higher than that and you'll burn the bread before the cheese gets a chance to get melty) and let both sides get nice and toasty (about ten minutes).
Sandwich done, belly full! A grilled cheese goes well with tomato soup sometimes, but I'm a freak and like to dip mine in ketchup, but anything will do!
There are also other options for grilled cheese, like chopping up a tomato or a bell pepper and putting them in the sandwich before cooking. It is also yummy to sprinkle garlic salt on the bread before cooking. So choose your weapon.
