Grilled Cheese in a Flash

Do you ever get that urge for a quick, hot sandwich , but you just don't have the time or inclination to drag out the skillet and warm up the stove top?

Here's a shortcut for the ten minute lunch break at home. This method leaves no skillet or griddle to clean, and no warm-up time for the stove top. Ready . . . set . . . . go!

Start two slices of bread in the toaster, setting them to cook to a golden, crispy brown.

While the toast is in development, slice several pieces of cheese, enough to cover one slice of bread evenly. Don't let your slices get more than one eighth of an inch thick.

When the toast is ready, quickly butter one side of each piece and lay the cheese inside, keeping the buttered side of the toast on the outside.

Place the sandwich on a plate and microwave for ten seconds on high, stop and rotate (or turn over), and cook another ten seconds on high. Lower wattage microwaves may need a few more seconds of time.

Remove the sandwich, grab a napkin, and eat. The cheese should be melted and warm, but not hot enough to burn your tongue or lips. You will have to pay attention to your microwave and toaster settings the first time doing this, and adjust them according to your preferences.

The only drawback to this method is that the toast will lose some of it's exterior crispness when the cheese is melting.

For a variation, add a thin slice of deli lunchmeat (ham or turkey) to the cheese before melting. Also try using peanut butter instead of cheese, or a mixture of peanut butter and honey (or jelly).

It's a speedy shortcut on an old standard, but when you're in a hurry, it works.
Bon Appetit