Grilled Cheese for One!

This is my all time favorite way of making grilled cheese! As opposed to other techniques I've tried before, this technique always gives me a very satisfying pull of cheese when I cut it in half. Do mind that this is a single serving; adjust ingredient quantity as needed.

• 2 slices of white bread (or any sandwich bread of choice)
• 2 slices of American Cheese (I use white American cheese, sliced thin)
• 1-2 tablespoons of Butter or Margarine (If you prefer a crisp bite, I would suggest butter; however, if you prefer a softer texture, I would suggest using margarine)
• Any plate
• Butter Knife
• Spatula
• Nonstick Pan & Lid
• Stovetop or Double (or Single!) burner

Before you get started, you need to gather all your ingredients! Grab a plate, a butter knife, butter or margarine, 2 slices of American cheese (if you're feeling adventurous, you could use cheddar, gouda, or havarti cheeses!), and 2 slices of sandwich bread of your choice. I use sliced white bread, but you could also use sliced wheat bread, sliced artisan bread, or Texas toast.

Grab your butter (or margarine) and your sliced bread. Lay the pieces of bread on the plate side by side for buttering. You'll want to use 1 tablespoon of butter for the whole sandwich, using 1/2 of a tablespoon of butter for each slice. If you want an extra crispy bite, I suggest buttering both sides of the bread. You'll be using 2 tablespoons of butter for the whole sandwich, which sounds like a lot, but it is important for getting that crisp!

Whichever amount of butter or margarine you decide to use, you'll want to spread that onto the bread with a butter knife (If you don't have a butter knife, you could also use the back of a spoon!). Make sure you spread the butter evenly to every corner of the bread.

You read the title! Grab your sliced cheese(s) of choice and slap them onto those buttered slices of bread! I typically use 2 slices of cheese per sandwich, having 1 slice of cheese on each piece of bread. As opposed to putting 2 slices of cheese directly in the middle of the sandwich, I recommend putting the 2 slices of cheese on the same side of the bread (see photo) so that when you put the two pieces of bread together, there will be cheese on every corner. This technique ensures cheese in every bite, even when eating the crust!

Now's the time for you to turn on your pan. You could preheat your pan while you assemble the sandwich, but a slower cook ensures the proper melting of cheese to get that gooey effect and you don't want your pan to get too hot before you put the sandwich down. You'll want to turn your pan on to a medium to low setting. For my electric stove, I'll have it on the 4th or 5th heat level. As your pan heats up, you could add some butter or Pam cooking spray to make sure your sandwich doesn't get stuck to the pan. Make sure this is also spread evenly!

Put your grilled cheese on the pan once the butter has melted. The pan doesn't have to be too hot in order for you to put the sandwich on. Either way, the intention is to keep the temperature low and cook this grilled cheese slow for that gooey cheese pull and those crispy bread edges. Once your sandwich is in the pan, go ahead and put the lid on top of the pan, covering the grilled cheese. This technique contributes to that gooey inside we're looking for.

After about 5 to 10 minutes, I'll check out the bottom of the grilled cheese (the side directly touching the pan surface) and see how the browning process is going. If you buttered both sides of the bread (and honestly, even if you didn't), we're looking for a golden brown, almost yellowish, crisping of the bread. Be patient! Once this is achieved, you can flip the sandwich to the un-toasted side so we can get the same golden brown crisp on that side of the bread, too. Give that side 5 to 10 minutes to grill, covered.

Once both sides of the grilled cheese are grilled to perfection, you can pick it up with the spatula to place it back onto your plate. Turn the stove off while you're at it...you wouldn't want to forget this step.

Then, grab the same butter knife you used earlier (it's called efficiency) and cut your sandwich in half! I prefer rectangles, but triangles are super cool, too.

This is the moment we've all been waiting for. Take a bite into that bad boy! Call me crazy, but I suggest dipping your grilled cheese in chocolate milk (I know, crazy, right?). If that doesn't interest you, you could always dip this lovely grilled cheese in some tomato soup! You won't find the tutorial for how to make that here, though.

I hope you enjoy this tutorial and, more importantly, your grilled cheese!!