You think making a great grilled cheese is easy…nope! This is what I have used and the tips below are great for changing things around...

• Medium thick sliced Sourdough bread. Let it sit out and get a little stale.
• 2 Tsp melted butter per sandwich (not sure I actually use this much)
• Three types of cheese: White cheddar, Mild cheddar and Mozzarella (or Gouda or Provolone). I go three slices thick.

Heat pan first to medium-low. It's very important to cook at a low temp. Put a little butter in a cast iron skillet. Brush one side of bread with butter and put in pan. Top with cheese. Top with second piece of bread and brush top with butter. Leave it alone for at least three minutes. Flip and cook until cheese has melted everywhere. Again, three minutes at a minimum.


Nice and crunchy bread with lots of melted cheese.


Tips I've used to make the sandwiches I like:

* The best-tasting sandwiches combine three cheeses. For a creamier cheese middle, make one of them a soft cheese such as fromage blanc. This acts as a suspen­sion; just as egg whites suspend the heavier particles in a soufflé, so does the soft cheese suspend the grated cheese and distribute it more evenly across the bread. The end result is a much creamier filling.

* Think about pairing cheeses to complement texture. For example, if one of the cheeses you’re using is hard, such as Parmesan, use another cheese that’s more elastic, such as mozzarella.

* Find a bread that enhances your sandwiches. We like baguettes or levain, but use your favorite bread. Bread that is slightly stale is better; because it’s not as moist, it browns better.

* Use regular butter, not clarified butter. At Sidekick, our lunch counter in the Ferry Building in San Fran­cisco, we started out using clarified butter but found that regular butter made tastier sandwiches. Those milk solids add to the flavor.

* Use a well-seasoned cast-iron skillet or any large pan with a heavy bottom. Set your pan over medium-low to medium heat. Because you’re cooking with regular butter, you don’t want a too-hot pan, or the butter will burn.

* Don’t skimp on the cheese; use a good amount. It’s okay if the cheese filling spills out onto the hot pan. Those crunchy cheese bits around the edge of the sandwich are always welcome.

* Cooking a grilled cheese takes longer than you’d expect. Count on at least 3 minutes on each side.