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The California Table

California Cuisine with a Coastal Vibe

October 14, 2010 By Lisa Dearen 6 Comments

I Can Cook, But I Can’t Grill Cheese

As kids, my sister and I would come home from school and “make” nachos, which basically consisted of throwing plain Doritos onto a plate before smothering them with cheddar cheese.

As the microwave in our avocado green kitchen whirled away, those old-school Doritos (what ever happened to them, anyway?) would get soft in places as the cheese surrounded every nook of that salty goodness. Add a Coke and who needs dinner?

With my sister aboard a container ship outside Taipei

I still love melted cheese but wouldn’t you know it…for the life of me I cannot make a grilled cheese sandwich. I can assemble it just fine but you see what happened. That burnt toast and the cheese which is, oddly, not melted? That about sums up every grilled cheese sandwich I’ve ever made.

Maybe I need to return to those girlhood nachos. Wait. Can you burn something in the microwave…?

Filed Under: Et cetera

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Comments

  1. Cindy Richwine says

    October 14, 2010 at 11:06 AM

    The trick is, cook on medium to low heat and use a lid from a saucepan to cover the sandwich. This keeps the heat in so your cheese will melt. Of course, you still have to check it before the toast burns!!

    Reply
    • The Gonzo Gourmet says

      October 14, 2010 at 3:05 PM

      Love the ideas coming at me – thanks! I am so going to try this out, too.

      Reply
  2. Kimkl says

    October 14, 2010 at 2:45 PM

    Alternately, you can try broiling the sandwich in your toaster oven (or real oven, if you want to get fancy). I butter the outside of the bread when I do this so you still get that kinda greasy (although not as greasy) feel as cooking it in a frying pan. Of course, I use arrowroot cheese instead of real cheese, but I’m guessing real cheese will melt even faster. It takes a while to cook this way, but you have to watch it because it can go to golden brown to burnt pretty quickly once it gets good and hot in there.

    Reply
    • The Gonzo Gourmet says

      October 14, 2010 at 3:04 PM

      This is probably the time to confess that I also burn toast, which is why I finally bought a toaster oven (I can’t use a real toaster to save my life). The reason is exactly the solution you point out! I do not watch my toast (or grilled cheese sandwich, for that matter), hence the constant burning of all things bread related. I am going to have to try the arrowroot cheese for sure!

      Reply
  3. Lincoln Mom says

    November 9, 2010 at 5:49 PM

    It Runs In The Family

    Since it was rainy and cold all day here, I decided to make toasted cheese sandwiches for dinner. I used rye bread for mine, and whole wheat for Dennis. I buttered the bread, melted butter in the pan, cut up cheese, etc. Into the frying pan they went, with me watching them carefully. I turned them, watched them, etc. Finally the cheese was melted, and the bread looked just right – until I turned the sandwiches over. Mine was fine, golden brown, with melted, gooey cheese. Delicious. I thought, why can’t Lisa do this? Then I turned Dennis’ sandwich over. You guessed it. Burned as could be. I showed Dennis, and he was dumbfounded by our family talent. He suggested that I take a picture of it and send it to you, but I said, “Why bother? She already has a picture that looks just like this” He ate it anyway.

    Reply
    • The Gonzo Gourmet says

      November 9, 2010 at 6:12 PM

      Mom I don’t know why we can’t do this! Cindy says she can, so maybe she’ll show us how at Christmas. Love you!

      Reply

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