The grilled cheese sandwich has been with us since the 1920s and has remained fundamentally unchanged for almost 100 years.  It is a great snack, lunch, or midnight munchie.  But… sometimes it goes horribly, horribly wrong.  Instead of gooey yet crunchy perfection, you get blackened bread and inedible garbage.

Well, never fear!  We’ve got the recipe to ensure your next grilled cheese sandwich is perfectly cooked.  Let’s just assume you are using the three usual ingredients:

• Bread
• Cheese
• Butter

Here are the important steps to get that diner golden brown (if that’s not a color, it should be).

1. Use a pastry brush or spatula to spread the butter.  Make sure it is melted or soft.
2. Use a skillet if possible, but low even heat is very important.
3. Cover it with a lid!  This is often forgotten, but it will keep in the heat to melt the cheese without browning the bread too much.
4. Don’t wander off too far.  The cook time isn’t long, so check it every few minutes.

When you get that perfect golden brown, make sure to serve with some tomato soup and a pickle.  Life has never been so good.  For more ingredient ideas, have a look at The grilled cheese sandwich cheat sheet.  For the ULTIMATE grilled cheese, check out The Grilled Cheeseburger.  Seriously, why use a bun when you can use two grilled cheese sandwiches?!  Did you know you can drink grilled cheese?  Try Grilled cheese vodka!