Perfect grilled cheese is simple, satisfying

The Perfect: Grilled Cheese
Experimentation aside, here’s a simple grilled cheese you can make with ingredients you likely already have in the fridge.

• 2 slices whole wheat or whole-wheat sourdough bread
• 2 ounces grated sharp or extra sharp cheddar cheese, preferably white
• 1-2 slices tomato
• 1 slice onion
• 1 T. butter, softened

1.   Lightly butter outside of one piece of bread.

2.   Spread half of cheese on bread.

3.   Place tomato and onion on top of cheese.

4.   Spread remaining cheese on top of tomato and onion.

5.   Place second piece of bread on top.

6.   Butter top slice of bread.

7.   Heat seasoned cast-iron, or nonstick, skillet over medium-low flame. [See variation*]

8.   Place sandwich in pan.

9.   Cook until underside is golden brown and cheese is beginning to melt, 1-3 minutes.

10. Flip sandwich.

11. Cook until underside is golden brown.

12. Remove from pan and turn off stove.

13. Cut sandwich in half and serve immediately.

Variation: Grilled Cheese en masse
Need to make a slew of sandwiches? Assemble up to 8, put them on a nonstick baking sheet and bake them at 350 degrees until the underside browns, about 5-10 minutes. Flip and cook until underside browns, another 3-5 minutes. Besides churning out a stack of sandwiches, any add-ins will soften nicely — my favorite is green apple — and, done right, onions will begin to sweeten in the heat.

Classic Grilled Cheese
Upscale ingredients and simple presentation made this the biggest seller at Nancy Silverton’s sandwich nights at Campanile. Silverton favors Gruyere for its distinct flavor and “unique meltability” — when hot, it stretches into satisfying strings as you pull the sandwich away from your mouth.

• 8 slices white or whole-wheat sourdough bread
• 8 ounces Gruyere cheese, sliced into 24-32 1/16 inch-thick slices
• Softened butter, about 2-4 T.

1.   Turn panini press on and set it to high. Let it heat up for 5-10 minutes.

2.   Butter each slice of bread. Ideally, you should line the bread up as if you are making the sandwich and butter both outsides of the bread.

3.   Set half of the bread slices buttered side down and cover them with the cheese slices, folding them over if they extend past the edges of the bread. Place the top slice of bread over the cheese, buttered side up.

4.   Close the top of the grill and cook for until lightly browned, a few minutes.

5.   Serve immediately.

‘Wichcraft Grilled cheddar with smoked ham, pear and mustard on cranberry-pecan bread
A complicated medley of flavors make this grilled cheese a meal in your hand.

• 8 Slices good quality cranberry-pecan bread
• 10 oz sharp Vermont cheddar, (8 slices)
• 8 thick slices (1/8 of an inch) of good quality smoked ham (such as Jambon Royale from Niman Ranch, available through D’artagnan)
• 6 oz poached pears (see below)
• Dijon mustard
• Fresh ground black pepper

Poached pears:
Yield: about 1-½ pounds

• 2 pears
• 2/3-cup sugar
• 2/3-cup cider vinegar
• 2/3-cup water
• 1 piece star anise
• 1 tsp whole black peppercorns
• 2 ea cloves
• Pinch of dried hot pepper, such as ground pepperoncino, cayenne, or red chilis
• ½ cinnamon stick

Combine all ingredients, except for pears, in a pot and bring to a simmer. Simmer for 15 minutes.

Peel and core the pears, slice at about 1/8 of an inch. Add the pears to the liquid and simmer for a couple of minutes. Remove from the heat and cool in the liquid.

To assemble the sandwiches:

1.   Lay four of the slices on a board and place a slice of cheese on each one. Lay two slices of the ham on each sandwich

2.   Remove pears from the poaching liquid, being careful to leave the spices behind. Allow it to drip so the bread stays dry

3.   Lay the pears over the ham

4.   Grind fresh pepper over the pears and cover with remaining cheese slices.

5.   Spread a thin layer of Dijon mustard to the top slice of bread and place on top of the sandwich

6.   Grill the sandwiches on a hot Panini grill; no oil or butter is necessary. If you don’t have a grill you can cook them on a hot sauté pan, brush the bread with a little olive oil, cook the first side on the top range, flip it and finish in the oven until the cheese is thoroughly melted

Tracie McMillan is a Brooklyn-based writer who covers food and social issues.