So, you probably already know how to make a grilled cheese sandwich. But do you achieve the taste which you remember only from your childhood? Do you manage to make it the best-grilled cheese of your life? I bet you think that it can get way better and you’re right. But you probably don’t know what you’re doing wrong in the first place.
Identifying a cooking mistake is the first step on the road to fix it, and today I will share with you the things you do wrong when making a grilled cheese sandwich.
Now, I assume you did everything according to a recipe – you had your clean oven and utensils, you picked nice ingredients and you followed the instructions step by step. And yet, you ended with a mediocre sandwich. You know what I hate about recipes, though? It’s that they are too vague and sometimes leave some gaps for you to fill. So, you’re a casual victim of one of those gaps, is what I think. Let’s see how a recipe can trick you.
You’ve got your clean oven, a skillet and some decent ingredients. And a recipe usually goes like this – “ you need 2 slices of bread, 100 g butter, 2 slices cheddar cheese… Put the cheese between the bread slices and cook from both sides until golden brown”
Well, thank you, recipe, thank you very much. But what do I do if the bread burns in the middle but isn’t ready on the sides? Oh, you didn’t mention that. And why didn’t the cheese melted, although I grilled the sandwich until a semi-black colour? You have no idea? Why I’m not surprised.
I’m telling you, you can’t trust a recipe.
Cooking on a wrong temperature
So, the trick with the best-grilled cheese sandwich is that the cheese should be melted, but the bread should not burn. Ergo, cooking on high temperature is bad for the sandwich – it will melt the cheese, yes, but it will burn the bread. Cooking it on a too low temperature isn’t a better idea either. Not only it will take longer to melt the cheese, but the bread slices will soak unnecessary oil and you’ll have a hell of a greasy result.
Using the wrong type of cheese
You already know how the best-grilled cheese sandwich should look like – gold and crispy on the outside and deliciously oozy on the inside. Some cheeses aren’t cut out for the purpose of grilling on the oven, you know? Hard types like Parmesan and dry ones like feta cheese just won’t melt. So pick a type that will. If you’re unsure, just ask in the store, but cheddar cheese, American, Swiss or fontina will do the job.
[youtube http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RllWJUvrxEY]
Cramming too much between the bread slices
It’s not smart to put tons of cheese, but I understand where you’re coming from. You just want it to be extra oozy and flavoured. And although that’s not the way to go, a recipe will never tell you that. That’s why you probably ended up stuffing too much cheese in it in the first place. Or some other ingredients. You don’t need much for this oven baked sandwich. Keep it simple and enjoy the results.
One more thing. Please, do grate the cheese. Thin slices will work, but grating it will help you be on the safe side.
Not coating the bread slices well
What I love the most about the grilled cheese sandwiches is that you can make a different version every single time. Change the ingredients or add something different and you got yourself a whole new thing. But you will make a mistake if you hold back on the butter in fear that the sandwich might get too greasy or you’ll make a mess of your oven. There are many ways of coating the bread – you can melt butter in the pan and spread mayonnaise on the slices, or you can make your own sauce and cover the slices with it. That doesn’t matter. Your goal is a delicious crisp and not dull and dry bread. So don’t be afraid to coat your grilled cheese sandwich well and don’t worry about the oven. You can clean it anytime.
Contributed byhttp://www.ovencleanteam.co.uk/
