National Grilled Cheese Month (and an Apology)

First off, I must start with an apology for the degree to which I have been slacking on posting as of late; an action that is particularly unforgivable given that this month is National Grilled Cheese Month!  In tribute I'm bringing you this post-- a hodge podge of grilled cheese factoids, a refresher on grilled cheese making tips and pitfalls to avoid, and how to find delicious grilled cheeses in your own home town.

Did you know that Americans make, on average, 2.2 billion grilled cheeses at home each year? (Although I'm single-handedly working to push this number higher.)  And while I recently crowned my favorite sandwiches and ingredients, I recently discovered that the most popular cheeses for grilled cheese are cheddar and American.  I totally understand why.  Cheddar is one of my favorites for making a wide variety of grilled cheeses whereas American is the ingredient in the beloved classic grilled cheese. 

It's great to think about what the majority of Americans prefer, but let's talk about a few tips to ensure success when making your own grilled cheeses at home.  I know I've touched on many of these throughout the past year, but it never hurts to have a handy all encompassing reference point.

* Use a non-stick pan.  While my grandma may have relied on her cast iron skillet, the best way to ensure an evenly cooked, easy to flip sandwich is to cook it in a non-stick pan.  End of story.

* Put the butter on the bread, not in the pan.  You want the butter to end up on the bread anyway, right?  Why not just take care of that up front?

* Don't be afraid to alter the cooking process.  From smushing the sandwich together to make sure the ingredients are trapped inside to covering the sandwich to ensure the cheese melts, a variety of tactics can be employed once the sandwich is inside the pan to help assure it is cooked to perfection.  While everyone may experiment and come up with their own tactics, I've found smushing and covering to be two of the most useful.

And the number one most useful tip that I tell everyone who asks me about how to make a good grilled cheese?

GRATE THE CHEESE! 

It's as simple as that.  Grated cheese allows for even coverage, more volume, and, most importantly, perfect melting.  Slices of cheese that are too thick tend to not melt thoroughly and slices that are too thin tend to just hold their square shape and not really cover the sandwich up to the very edge.

This brings me to the most common pitfalls associated with grilled cheesing.  Let me start this off with a story.  Last week I was traveling for work and found myself in Atlanta on National Grilled Cheese Day (April 13).  Since I couldn't celebrate by making one of my favorites I opted to order a grilled cheese for lunch.  Unfortunately for me this Friday the 13th lived up to its unlucky reputation and the sandwich I got was quite the disappointment.  The sliced cheese sat smack in the middle of the sandwich leaving a solid inch of crust around it and the thick tomato slices and overcooked bacon did little to make up for the lack of sufficient cheese.

Looks innocent enough, right?  Don't be fooled!

I felt bad as I had persuaded some of my fellow diners to order grilled cheeses as well in honor of the day, but was dismayed to hear that they all thought the sandwich was good!  This showed me that the average person doesn't necessarily know what to look for in a top notch grilled cheese.  So in addition to adhering to the above principles when possible, here are some tips on avoiding grilled cheese disaster.

* When cooking at home, be patient.  Better to cook the sandwich on a lower heat for longer than try to get the sandwich made quickly and burn the outside.  If you don't cook low and slow you'll end up with burned bread and cheese that has not melted.  This is something I struggle with both because of my gas stove and because I'm impatient, but it's advice to be heeded whenever possible.

* More cheese doesn't ALWAYS mean it's better (just most of the time, hehe).  But for real, be mindful of the balance of ingredients-- are you using something strong like garlic?  Then maybe keep that under control so as to not drown everything else out (a lesson learned from the Green Goddess).  Conversely, are you going for the gooiest sandwich possible?  Then don't be afraid to pile on the cheese (even if it oozes out into the pan-- crispy cheese bits are duh-lic-ious).  Basically, find the recipe that works for you and run with it.

And, most importantly: don't order the "gourmet grilled cheese" at a non-grilled cheese restaurant unless there is actually something special about it.  Nine times out of ten I have found that these alleged "ultimate grilled cheeses" are just some variation of cheese, tomato, and bacon.  A delightful combination but, as related above, one that is often poorly handled.  That's not to say never order a grilled cheese at a restaurant, just be wise in doing so.  For instance, look to see if they've gotten innovative with their ingredients.  This probably means they've put some thought into it and thus it's potentially worth your time.

The addition of avocado and extra gooey cheese took this otherwise standard grilled cheese to a higher level.

But what to do when you really want a great restaurant-made grilled cheese?  Well, lucky for us all, grilled cheese fever is rapidly spreading.  Before I travel I make a point of researching potential grilled cheese deliciousness and so far have always found a restaurant that offers a famous grilled cheese (see: Field Reports).  Food and Wine even compiled this useful list of some of their favorite sandwiches from across the country.  And while the majority of the sandwiches are located in major metropolitan areas, there are enough small town spots to make me optimistic that there's a quality grilled cheese lurking virtually anywhere!  (Five Guys even gets a shoutout for theirs, and we know those are easy to find.)  And even after searching high and low you still can't find a good grilled cheese near you, perhaps it's time to try your hands as a grilled cheese restaurateur?  I'll be happy to pay you a visit!  Until then I'll continue to try and find my way to the Grilled Cheese Invitational.