Honestly, a recipe for a toasted cheese sandwich?!? No — I wouldn’t presume to tell anyone what to put into a TCS, although some form of cheese is highly recommended 🙂 . Instead, these are just a couple of tips to elevate your TCS from so-so to crispy, gooey perfection.

Normally I would use my homemade sourdough bread, but I’m out (making more this weekend) and homemade cheddar, but all of them have a few months to go. So I used the supermarket versions . . .

First tip: cut the cheese (sorry) so it covers ALL of the slice of (untoasted) bread. That way a little will goop out the sides. The cheddar I’m using is “very sharp,” so I cut it a bit less than 1/4″ thick. With a milder cheese, you can cut it thicker:

Optionally, add some garnishes. I love juicy ripe (non-supermarket) tomatoes, or some chutney, or caramelized onions, etc. This time I just added some salad greens:

Add the top layer of bread, and spread it with ROOM TEMPERATURE butter. It’s important that the butter be soft, so you can get a nice thin, but even coat:

Don’t forget the edges!

Heat a cooking surface to LOW. This is also important. If the temperature gets too high, the bread will overcook and burn before the cheese melts. Carefully flip the sandwich over (butter side down) into the pan. Spread butter on the top piece (be careful not to get burned!). Allow the sandwich to cook until of desired doneness, starting to check at about 3 minutes. Flip and repeat on the other side, until crispy and the cheese starts to ooze.

The is the most important step of all: YOU MUST CUT THE SANDWICH ON THE DIAGONAL. If it’s not cut on the diagonal, it’s not a toasted cheese sandwich 🙂

Toasted Cheese Sandwich, Corn Soup, Salad:

Yum!

-R