Perfect grilled cheese is simple, satisfying

It’s easy to overlook the grilled cheese as a culinary delight. Reminiscent of rainy childhood afternoons, and most typically prepared with highly processed ingredients, this hot sandwich can in fact yield an opportunity for fresh and delicious experimentation — even for the most cooking-averse grown ups.

“Put together properly, you can really experience the perfect bite,” says Nancy Silverton, whose famed Campanile made waves in L.A. with its sandwich nights — so much so that she went on publish “Nancy Silverton’s Sandwich Book.”

Says Silverton, “If it’s the perfect bread, the perfect cheese, and it’s toasted properly, you don’t need anything else, right?”

Indeed, the simplicity of the recipe means that every cook is free to experiment at will. “It really just comes down to certain people have certain preferences,” says Mindy Friedlander, who owns Jerry’s Sandwich Shop, a popular lunchtime stop in Chicago’s West Loop. With the sandwich relying largely on personal taste, you’ve only got three decisions to make: Bread, cheese and cooking method.

Heavy, dense breads will make it harder for heat to penetrate the cheese, so if you’re not using a press — which skips the problem by compressing breads and heating from both sides — either slice them thinly or pick a lighter bread. And think briefly about the bread’s flavor. “What bread’s going to go best with the cheese you’re using?” asks Sicha Ortuzar, a partner and chef at midtown Manhattan’s ‘Wichcraft. For adventurous lunchers, Ortuzar serves a cheddar grilled cheese with ham and poached pears on cranberry-pecan bread.

With cheeses, remember that you’re going for a consistency best described as gooey. Because cheese is just a fancy mix of water and fat, extremely aged cheeses, like parmesan, have little water and can disintegrate into an oily mess. Conversely, spreadable cheeses like soft goat cheese can easily turn into a puddle. From there, flavor reigns king, and if you can afford to splurge on high-quality cheese, your tastebuds will likely thank you. “If you go to the gourmet cheese section, they’re going to have a whole lot more flavor,” says Margaux Sky, author of “Fabulous Fillings and Beautiful Breads.”

If your budget doesn’t allow for the finest of cheeses, it can help to add in a few embellishments. The most traditional are tomato and onion, but Ortuzar suggests taking a cue from cheese aficionados. “[Think of it like] eating things from a cheese board — the condiments people serve with that,” he says.

Power of the panini press
Once you’ve nailed down your ingredients, it’s time for assembly. If you’re worried about your waistline, you can bypass the butter; a seasoned or nonstick pan makes it unnecessary. Should you succumb to butter’s temptation, Silverton recommends using clarified butter when possible, since it has a higher burning point. For a lighter taste, you can also just brush on a little olive oil.

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Cheese will melt more quickly and evenly if it's grated, but don’t go overboard. Two ounces will be plenty for flavor, and more will likely spill out as the sandwich melts.

If you want to dress it up with fresh vegetables or spreads, you’re wading into murky territory. Some cooks swear by simply insulating tomato or apple slices between piles of cheese, which helps to keep the bread from becoming soggy. Others champion adding extras in after cooking. Just remember that the former approach will yield hot, soft ingredients, while the latter will give you a crisper, fresher taste.

Once assembled, many cooks — Silverton, Ortuzar and Friedlander among them — swear by a panini press, which guarantees even heat and can prepare two sandwiches at once. If you’re using the stovetop, you’ll want to use a low to medium flame, says Ortuzar. “If its too hot, the bread is going to crisp up too fast and the cheese is not going to melt,” he cautions.

Wherever your experimentation takes you, don’t overlook the plain and simple pleasures of lightly buttered bread and melted cheese, says Silverton. “When we’d do those sandwich nights at Campanile, no matter how fancy and innovative the sandwiches were, the most popular in the end was just the simple grilled cheese.”