The Grilled Cheese Sandwich: A Small and Perfect Thing in a Chaotic World
The American Grilled Cheese Sandwich Essay (2024)
I explore the grilled cheese sandwich as a source of reliable joy and a small, perfect thing in a world full of doubt. Whether made with simple ingredients or gourmet additions, this humble creation offers warmth and satisfaction. By embracing its simplicity, we find a moment of stillness and a connection to the act of creation that grants us a sliver of divinity.
In this world so full of slaughter and fire, where doubt and monstrosity abound, this much is clear to me: the grilled cheese is a small and perfect thing.
- ecshafer
The most important lesson about Grilled Cheese that I have learned is that you can buy a mix of expensive cheese, get a nice fresh loaf of sourdough bread, high quality grass fed butter. You can really make an exquisite, amazing, grilled cheese that would cost $25 at a mediocre restaurant with a side of fries. However, a 4 year old will prefer one made out of kraft singles on white.
- js2
> This is not a column where I will carp and complain—about air-fryer grilled cheeses, or fancy gourmet grilled cheeses, or Kraft-single grilled cheeses, or the proper application of butter, or the appropriate pan, or the degree and nature of the condiments. To me, each grilled cheese is enough, and more than enough. In this world so full of slaughter and fire, where doubt and monstrosity abound, this much is clear to me: the grilled cheese is a small and perfect thing.
Amen.
I love me a grilled cheese sandwich and I'm not picky about it, but if you want to take the time to put in the extra effort, the following recipe is the best grilled cheese you'll ever make:
https://cooking.nytimes.com/recipes/1020107-french-onion-gri...
If you have some fresh tomatoes on hand, this is almost as tasty and a lot easier (and not technically grilled cheese, since no grilling is involved, nor a sandwich unless you want to call it open faced):
https://cooking.nytimes.com/recipes/1024469-tomato-cheddar-t...
- Aboutplants
Instead of butter I prefer to use Mayonnaise as the fat spread on the bread to cook in the pan. It does a fantastic job.
- wahern
This always comes to mind whenever [grilled] cheese sandwiches do:
> I was reminded of a conversation I had with an American military intelligence officer who was having a supper of Jack Daniel's and Coca-Cola at a Kigali bar.
> "I hear you're interested in genocide," the American said. "Do you know what genocide is?"
> I asked him to tell me.
> "A cheese sandwich," he said. "Write it down. Genocide is a cheese sandwich."
> I asked him how he figured that.
> "What does anyone care about a cheese sandwich?" he said. "Genocide, genocide, genocide. Cheese sandwich, cheese sandwich, cheese sandwich. Who gives a shit? Crimes against humanity. Where's humanity? Who's humanity? You? Me? Did you see a crime committed against you? Hey, just a million Rwandans. Did you ever hear about the Genocide Convention?"
> I said I had.
> "That convention," the American at the bar said, "makes a nice wrapping for a cheese sandwich."
From "We Wish to Inform You that Tomorrow We Will Be Killed with Our Families: Stories from Rwanda" by Philip Gourevitch.
- satvikpendem
Reminds me of the exact opposite opinion (a meltdown one might even say, as mentioned in the top comment) someone on r/grilledcheese:
> You people make me sick.
> A grilled cheese consists of only these following items. Cheese. Bread with spread (usually butter). This entire subreddit consist of "melts". Almost every "grilled cheese" sandwich i see on here has other items added to it. The fact that this subreddit is called "grilledcheese" is nothing short of utter blasphemy.
> Let me start out by saying I have nothing against melts, I just hate their association with sandwiches that are not grilled cheeses. Adding cheese to your tuna sandwich? It's called a Tuna melt. Totally different. Want to add bacon and some pretentious bread crumbs with spinach? I don't know what the hell you'd call that but it's not a grilled cheese.
> I would be more than willing to wager I've eaten more grilled cheeses in my 21 years than any of you had in your entire lives. I have one almost everyday and sometimes more than just one sandwich. Want to personalize your grilled cheese? Use a mix of different cheeses or use sourdough or french bread. But if you want to add some pulled pork and take a picture of it, make your own subreddit entitled "melts" because that is not a fucking grilled cheese.
> I'm not a religious man nor am I anything close to a culinary expert. But as a bland white mid-western male I am honestly the most passionate person when it comes to grilled cheese and mac & cheese. All o […]