Some people put macaroni and cheese at the top of their “comfort food” list, but for me, nothing beats a grilled cheese sandwich. The melting, oozing cheese between slices of crisp, buttery bread is utterly seductive and totally satisfying. Best of all, making a really great grilled cheese sandwich takes almost no effort yet can be as gratifying as a dish that takes all day to cook. While researching a book on American cheesemakers, I grabbed every opportunity to hone my technique, and along the way, I invented several variations to keep things interesting.

The big three: great-tasting cheese, thinly sliced bread, and butter.The most important ingredient in this sandwich is obviously the cheese. Pick a good-quality cheese, and if you want that oozy, creamy cheese center, be sure it’s a good melter. Figure one to two ounces of cheese per sandwich. Instead of cutting slices, I like to coarsely grate the cheese using the largest holes on a box grater—grated cheese melts faster and more evenly. (Cheeses like Brie and fresh goat cheese can’t be grated, of course, so just remove any rind, which won’t melt, and slice or spread-the cheese.)

我现在要说的是，我首先判断任何烤奶酪三明治，最重要的是面包脆脆，这通常与面包切成薄片直接相关。我发现1/4英寸的切片可带来良好的效果。切成薄片，耐嚼的纹理面包与融化的奶酪竞争，这是该节目的明星。定期切成薄片的白面包可以完成这项工作，但我更喜欢有更多风味和物质的东西，例如意大利乡村面包，酸面团，鸡蛋面包或黑麦。

What’s the best choice for the cooking fat? Grilled cheese demands butter, which supplies flavor, richness, and that classic toasty golden color to the bread. It works best to spread softened butter right on the bread rather than to melt it in the pan. This way, you’ll use exactly the amount of butter the bread needs, and the sandwich won’t get greasy. If the butter is cold, it won’t spread easily and will rip into your bread, so pop a stick in the microwave for five seconds to soften it.

Keys to a great grilled cheese sandwich

• Use a nonstick skillet or griddle. This prevents sticking, even when some of the cheese oozes out of the sides. In a skillet, you’ll need to cook the sandwiches in batches.
•加热锅井并方便地盖上盖子。热锅有助于酥脆的黄油面包。我将盖子放在足够长的时间内，让奶酪开始融化。然后，我翻转三明治，让它完成烹饪的露面，使其酥脆而不是蒸汽。
• Press the sandwiches firmly with a spatula after flipping. The bread needs maximum contact with the pan for the most crispness. Just before they’re done, I flip them once more and press again—a minor step, but it ensures that crisp crunch.