Grilled Cheese, Simple and Complex

You may have grown up with grilled cheese, but the concept of griddling a sandwich isn’t exclusive to one cuisine. And you don’t need a fancy press to make a beautifully crisp and browned sandwich; the plate technique here does the job perfectly.

1 tablespoon butter, extra virgin olive oil, or neutral oil, like grapeseed or corn

2 slices any bread

Several slices (2 to 3 ounces) good melting cheese: Emmental, Gruyère, Jarlsberg, cheddar, etc.

• Put a small skillet over medium heat and add the butter or oil. Make a sandwich of the bread and cheese.
• When the butter melts or the oil is hot, put the sandwich in the skillet.
• Cover it with a plate and weight the plate with whatever is at hand—a couple of cans of soup or a small but heavy pot cover, for example.
• Cook until the bottom of the bread is browned lightly, 2 or 3 minutes. Turn and repeat. Eat immediately.

MAKES: 1 sandwich

TIME: 10 minutes