Preheat a skillet over low to medium-low heat. Butter both sides of the bread. When pan is hot, put both slices of bread in the pan to grill. Once starting to get golden, flip over and put a piece of cheese or two on the grilled side of each slice of bread. Cover pan and cook for about a minute. Uncover pan. For gourmet sandwich, add other fillings on top of one of the bread slices now, then flip the other slice of bread on top, pressing down to sandwich the cheese on the inside. Flip sandwich back and forth until both sides are nicely grilled and cheese is melted. If golden but not completely melted (this happens sometimes with many thick toppings) finish sandwich in a preheated 350° oven for 2 to 3 minutes (set on a wire rack over parchment-lined sheet pan). Cut in half and serve.

Note

There are many different cheeses that would be good to use. Do not use pre-grated cheese because it does not melt well. For a great tasting sandwich, good cheeses to try are sharp cheddar, Swiss, Emmental, Gruyere, aged provolone, and Comté. If you want a very smooth melting texture, try American, fontina, mozzarella, Gouda or smoked Gouda, and Monterey Jack. You can try other fillings as well, like brown cremini or porcini mushrooms, sliced pickles, pickled jalapeno slices (well drained), tuna salad, roast turkey or ham, avocado, even peanut butter—just pick a complementary flavored cheese and get grilling.

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