Today, April 12th is National Grilled Cheese Sandwich Day!  

Who doesn’t like a nice-n-hot,  ooey-gooey, crunchy, buttery, mayo-ey,  stringy grilled cheese sandwich?

Traditionally only requiring only three ingredients, bread, cheese, and butter, grilled cheese has become one of the most popular comfort foods in the world. 

The Ancient Romans were the first known civilization to make a cooked bread and cheese sandwich. Since then, many cultures have invented their own take on this ancient dish. For example,  in France, they make a croque monsieur, which is a hot ham and cheese sandwich. The name comes from the French words croque ("crunch") and monsieur ("mister"). In Switzerland, they cook the bread and cheese separately before combining them.

The classic American grilled cheese sandwich emerged in the 1920s when inexpensive cheese and affordable sliced bread became available. It has grown to now being a staple in cafés, diners, and school cafeterias countrywide.

If you’ve read any of my previous posts regarding food, you know I won’t stop here.
 

Please continue with these couple of tips:

1. It's better if your able to shred your cheese rather then using slices. Why? Because shredded cheese will melt better. Buy a chunk of cheese from your local supermarket or favorite cheese shop. Using a hand grater, simply grate a good amount of cheese directly onto BOTH slices of bread.                 
    
2. Spread an ample amount of softened butter or mayo to get your bread perfectly toasty. If you like, season either with flavors to your liking. For example, depending on the main ingredients, I like to add a teaspoon of chipotle to my mayo or thinly sliced scallions to my butter.

Once you’ve thought about that, change it up. There is no right or wrong when it comes to creating a marvelous tasting grilled cheese sandwich. Here are a few that I’ve made…

• Pizza Grilled Cheese which contains pizza sauce, mozzarella, pepperoni or sausage, Parmesan and fresh basil.
• Antipasto Grilled Cheese, with ham, mozzarella, black olives, artichoke hearts, pepperoni, pepperonicini,  oregano and garlic powder.
• Grilled Cheese Hot Dogs, (one of my favorites), hot dog buns, hot dogs, cheddar cheese and sauerkraut. 
• Zucchini Grilled Cheese, (meatless), has grated zucchini, egg, Asiago and Parmesan cheese, thinly sliced onion, salt & pepper, and corn starch.
• Waffle Iron Grilled Cheese, American and Monterey Jack cheeses, mayo, red pepper, and a waffle maker.

See, the ingredient combinations are endless. Each had a different bread. It all is dependent on your tastes. 

So, to celebrate National Grilled Cheese Sandwich Day, create a grilled cheese sandwich cooked your favorite way.

Take it one step further and serve it with a side of tomato soup. You can easily make your own fresh soup, or keep it simple and open up a can! 

Don’t forget the elbows…