For A Better Grilled Cheese Sandwich, Use The 10-Second Microwave Test

A grilled cheese sandwich is a classic comfort food, especially when paired with a warm cup of roasted tomato soup for dipping, and there are many international variations. Despite its name, though, it isn't as simple to make as throwing a cheese sandwich onto a barbecue grill. There are a lot of variables that can affect the end result, including the type of cheese you use. Each variety of cheese melts differently and can affect the cooking temperature and length of time you need to cook your sammie for optimal meltiness. There's a simple trick for figuring that out for yourself, though: Simply zap your cheese (on a plate, of course) in the microwave for 10 seconds to see how it reacts to heat.

If the cheese turns into a liquidy puddle, then you'll need to fry your sandwich over higher heat, so the bread toasts before the filling oozes all over your hot pan. This applies to processed cheese and soft cheeses like brie. A slower-melting cheese, like Swiss or cheddar, requires a lower heat so that the bread doesn't burn before the cheese melts. And hard cheeses, like parmesan, that turn rubbery when melted are best suited for forming a cheesy crust on the outside of your sandwich. You can always play around with combinations of cheese, too, and adding mild white American cheese to any creation will help add that unctuous mouthfeel without affecting the overall flavor or color too much.

Few grilled cheese enthusiasts will knock the tried-and-true way of preparing this sandwich with butter on a frying pan, but there are other ways that break the mold and may yield better results. Perhaps one of the more common ones involves using full-fat mayonnaise on the bread instead of butter, which doesn't need to be softened in order to be spreadable and doesn't burn as easily as the dairy fat. Another trick is to sprinkle salt right onto the pan before cooking your sandwich — you'll add an even dose of flavor all over your bread.

If you're using a type of cheese that doesn't melt so easily after nuking it in the microwave for a few seconds, and you don't want to wait what seems like an eternity to toast your sandwich over a low flame, there is one trick you can follow that may seem a little counterintuitive: steaming. Contrary to what it may sound like, you'll still get a crispy crust — you just need to fry your creation over medium heat until it's lightly golden brown on both sides. Then, move your sammie over to one side of the pan, splash about a tablespoon of water on the opposite side, cover the pan, wait until the liquid evaporates, and voilà! This also works fabulously with a splash of white wine or a little whiskey.

Perhaps the best technique for making a toasty, fully melted grilled cheese sandwich without squishing softer types of bread is to bake it in the oven. Simply butter your bread, add your cheese and fillings, place on a cookie sheet, and bake it at 350 degrees until it's nice and golden brown. This method works particularly well for effortlessly making a large batch when you need to provide some culinary comfort to a group of loved ones, or just yourself (we won't judge).