Mark Bittman's recipe for a gooey, melty, kid-friendly grilled cheese sandwich

Smushing a cheese sandwich in the pan leaves you with a crisp outside and gooey inside, says Mark Bittman in his cookbook “How to Cook Everything Kids.” You will need a couple cans from the pantry or a small heavy pot for this one.

GRILLED CHEESE SANDWICH

Makes: 1 sandwich

Time: 5 minutes

Ingredients

1 tablespoon butter or olive oil

2 slices any bread (about 1/2 inch thick)

1/3 cup grated (or 1 or 2 slices) melting cheese (like cheddar, Jack or Swiss; about 1 ounce)

Directions

Put an 8-inch skillet over medium heat and add the butter or oil. Make a sandwich with the bread and cheese. Try to keep the cheese in an even layer not too close to the crusts of the bread.

When the butter melts or the oil is hot, put the sandwich in the skillet. Set a small plate on top of the bread and weigh it down with the cans or heavy pot. Adjust the heat so the butter or oil sizzles without burning.

Cook until the bottom of the bread smells like toast and is lightly browned and crisp, 2 to 3 minutes. Take all the stuff off the sandwich, slip a spatula underneath, lift it off the pan and turn it over.

Swoosh the sandwich around in the pan to sop up all the butter or oil. If you want the sandwich even flatter, pile the plate and cans back on. The other side will also take 2 to 3 minutes to brown. Use the spatula to transfer the sandwich to a plate. Wait a minute for the cheese to cool and set, then dig in.

Eat with

Pickles, raw vegetable sticks, salad, a creamy tomato soup or chips

Variations

— Grilled Chocolate Sandwich: Like dessert. Instead of the cheese, use 1 small chocolate bar between the bread. Your choice what kind, but I like mine pretty dark.

— Inside-Out Grilled Cheese Sandwich: That's right. Crisp cheese on the outside, bread on the inside. You'll need a nonstick skillet for this. Use one piece of bread and twice as much cheese. Don't put butter or oil in the pan or use the plates and weights. Scatter half the cheese in the bottom of the pan, top with the bread slice, and scatter the rest of the cheese on top. Put the pan over medium heat and cook cook without touching anything until the cheese bubbles and melts and turns brown, 3 to 5 minutes. It should be crisp enough to slip a spatula underneath and turn it over. Cook the second side the same way. When the sandwich is ready, tip the pan so the extra fat pours away from the bread before lifting it out with the spatula.

— Cheese Toast: This time the sandwich is open. You can use any of the cheeses listed in the recipe or try grated Parmesan. Turn on the broiler to the highest setting (or use a toaster oven) and put the rack about 4 inches from the heat source. Keep the bread dry at first and put both slices on a baking sheet (or the pan for the toaster oven) and move the pan under the heat. Watch it until the top is toasted as dark as you like. Remove the pan, using tongs to turn the bread, then put a pat of butter on each uncooked side or drizzle with half the oil. Top the slices with the cheese and put the pan back under the heat until the cheese is melted and bubbly or brown as you want it.

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Reprinted with permission from ““How to Cook Everything Kids” by Mark Bittman (copyright) 2024. Published by Harvest, a division of HarperCollins. Photos (copyright) Ghazalle Badiozamani.