Grilled cheese has been one of my favorite foods for quite a long time, but there are different ways to make and eat it. Eating in the dining halls in high school and college grilled cheese day was always one that I looked forward to, the slightly soggy grilled cheese with melted orange cheese that can be ripped up and dipped into tomato soup. Delicious.
Eating grilled cheese at home was an entirely different story. At home we used white extra sharp cheddar (it's always white, orange cheddar just doesn't taste right to me) and put it on the griddle until the cheese was running out from the bread and the bread was nice and toasted and crispy.
Now we come to todays grilled cheese, which may in fact be the the better of these three. This is my open faced grilled cheese, today with sliced tomato. I only make this version when I have a good fresh tomato, because that's what makes it. Occasionally I'll add bacon or avocado in addition to the tomato, but the tomato is a necessary part.
Here's what you need:
Bread (for however many sandwiches you need)
Cheese (I generally use white extra sharp cheddar, but have occasionally put slices of swiss on top, it really is your preference)
Tomato, sliced
Avocado, sliced (optional)
Bacon, cooked to almost done (optional)
Toast the bread lightly, it will toast more in the oven. Top the toast with a layer of cheese and then top that with tomato, avocado, and bacon, as you like. Put one more thin layer of cheese on top of that, place on a baking sheet and broil until the cheese is melted.
Just look at that warm gooey melted cheese, just slightly browned on the top. It's a great easy meal good for either lunch or dinner. This does come in second to homemade Macaroni and Cheese, but it's a close second, and I'll post that recipe later.
