As a college student, I prefer to stick to pretty basic meals. One of my all time favorites is grilled cheese – you just can't go wrong. But as a student, I'm starting feel slightly more sophisticated (key word being "slightly). Recently it seems as though whenever I go out to eat, I'm always looking for a grilled cheese to try. Some are out-of-this-world crazy, while others are pretty basic.
Being the chef that I am, I took making grilled cheese to a new level. I figured I would find that perfect balance between crazy grilled cheese and too basic grilled cheese. Don't freak out though – it's still simple to make. Here's how to make the best grilled cheese in just minutes.
1. Ingredients
You can add whatever you'd like to a grilled cheese, but here are my personal favorites. We have butter, so your bread doesn't stick to the pan, bacon bits (the bits because they're simple), garden vegetable cream cheese, yellow onion, tomato, feta, and provolone cheese. It's important to figure out what you like, but also don't be afraid to try new things. You might be pleasantly surprised. Crafting grilled cheese is all about being adventurous.
2. Sauté the Onion
Caramelizing onion is very simple and will add the perfect flavor to your sandwich. Slice a yellow onion, add some olive oil, and let it cook. I like my onions almost burnt so I let mine cook for a while, but they go pretty quickly.
3. Begin with the Cheese
After your bread has been buttered, place it on your pan (don't turn the burner on quite yet) and add your cheese. I began with the garden vegetable cream cheese, then the sliced provolone, and topped it with some feta. Feel free to use a variety of cheese or just one – you do you!
4. Add the Onions and Bacon
Once you have sautéed the onions to your liking, add them on top of your cheese with the bacon as well. The bacon and onion will add some extra flavor helping you move beyond the basics. Some other ingredients to add might include salami, pepperoni, or ham.
5. Add Veggies
For my sandwich I only added tomato. If you're looking to spice up the grilled cheese even more, consider adding spinach and peppers as well. Now this might sound crazy, but if you're feeling adventurous, try adding a sliced apple too. I typically choose between tomato and the apple. You'd be surprised at how nicely an apple compliments bacon and cheese.
6. Grill to Perfection
After you've compiled all of your ingredients, add that final piece of bread. Don't forget to butter it and grill away. Then you can finally enjoy your grilled cheese. Now that you know how to make the best grilled cheese, don't let that basic grilled cheese become a regular meal. Change it up and assure your parents you're not just eating American cheese squished between two pieces of bread.