For me, a grilled cheese sandwich is just pure comfort. And truth is, even a bad grilled cheese is satisfying. But a great grilled cheese will change your day for the better.
Most of us have childhood memories of our perfect grilled cheese. Mine is the classic sandwich dished up at my local drugstore. My best friend and I would ride our bikes there, sit at the counter and order a fresh-squeezed lemonade with a grilled cheese. The sandwich was made on a griddle with white bread and a single slice of American cheese.
As I got older and my tastes grew more sophisticated, my allegiances changed. For a while, my favorite was a Chicago Greek diner version with rye bread, Swiss cheese and bacon. It, too, was made on a griddle. But when I tried to duplicate the experience at home, it was never as good.
Most of the time, the bread would burn long before the cheese was perfectly melted. That’s because I was grilling my sandwich in an open skillet on the stovetop. That was my problem.