I get asked a lot of really important questions. What is the meaning of life? How can I improve my health? What do we need to do to in order to have world peace? Why did I have to choose between Hilary Clinton and Donald Trump? These are all very important questions but the most important one I get asked is, “How can I make a better grilled cheese sandwich?” To answer this question I have developed four techniques you can use to improve your grilled cheese sandwiches.

Melt It

When some people make a grilled cheese, they just plop the butter on there and hope everything works out. Coco Chanel once said, “A woman should apply perfume in those areas where she would like to be kissed.” The same applies to grilled cheese. You need to have butter on the bread anywhere you want things to be hot and toasty. This is difficult to do with solid butter so be sure to microwave your butter until it is a liquid (30 seconds or so). You can then use a brush to apply the butter wherever you please.

Control The Flame

You aren’t searing a steak. Turn down the heat to a medium-low setting. This allows the entire sandwich to heat while slowly toasting your bread. If the heat is too high, you will burn your toast and the cheese won’t be melted. This is something many amateurs mess up on and if you really want to impress people with your grilled cheese, you’ll turn down the heat.

Grilled Cheese Can Be Sophisticated

Have you ever ordered nachos? Yes, the basic order of nachos is just chips and cheese but sometimes more ingredients are added for enhanced flavor. You can go the healthy route and add leafy greens or avocado. I recommend mustard greens, really healthy and really good on a grilled cheese. You could go the opposite direction and live a little by adding bacon or jalapeños if you like some heat.

Diversify Your Cheeses

There are so many different varieties of cheese and they all compliment each other in different ways. Having a one cheese grilled cheese is like only eating one type of skittle. Play around with different cheeses and find out what you like best. I would recommend, however, combining different color cheeses so there is some contrast. Yes taste is important but making grilled cheese is also an art.

Life is too short not to try new things. Go crazy. If you discover a recipe that blew your mind, email it to me (rsullivan0220@gmail.com). I love grilled cheese.