Make grilled cheese for you the best

How dank is your game?

As Thanksgiving approaches, I find myself yearning for all things comfort. Cozy sweaters and Nora Ephron movies while researching the perfect stuffing have both become my ASMR. I’ve watched Alison Roman’s recent special, twice. I guess it’s pretty obvious that turkey day is my favorite holiday because it’s simply the only one that’s all about food.

My boyfriend Ross coined me a cook nerd after watching me geek out over meeting renowned pizza chef, Chris Bianco, at his charming newish pizzeria in DTLA. It was a Tuesday and despite our best efforts, we couldn’t get in for lunch. So, we ate next door at the not-nearly as special oyster bar and spied on him.

I had forced Ross to watch the Chef’s Table pizza episode with Chris Bianco for the second time the night before, he was excited to try this man’s crust. Peering over our beers, we spotted the Yoda of Pizza, silver and jolly, right there in the flesh. I felt my heart doing doughy flip flops, underneath my meshed black top.

“Just go say hi, you’ll regret it if you don’t.” Ross sweetly knudged as though I were a shy first grader on her first day of school. Despite my fear, I said hi and it made my year. Ross likes to joke that if Brad Pitt walked into a room, I wouldn’t be fazed, but if it were Anthony Bourdain, I would lose my shit. Not just because he’s dead. I do wish that I could show the chef god’s that my grilled cheese game is something fierce. It’s taken a long time to perfect but I’m confident that my version is the best. Ross would agree (and he makes a mean GC) he might also say that I have stolen a few tricks of the trade from him but I would just say that I borrowed them forever.

We both enjoy a casual cook off whenever we decide to make this down home cozy meal. He grills his sandwich, I grill mine on a cast iron and we share them alongside piping hot bowls of tomato basil soup, of course. It’s annoyingly cute, but not as cloying as reels of wiener dogs wearing mini-rain jackets.

She’s hot, she’s gooey, she’s everything you need on a plate. What else brings more comfort other than soup and something to dip? Tis’ the season of spiked eggnog and the sofa, and I’m here for it. Just give me some Nora on the side please. Nope, I will not be taking a break from bread or dairy until the new year if I can help it.

So what makes my grilled cheese game so good? One word. Mayo.

If you know you know. I prefer Best Foods Mayo or Hellmans, but any good mayo will do. First step, you’re going to spread that mayo “wall to wall” with a knife, across the entire outside of your sandwich, on both slices of bread. That is how you’re going to get that crispy, decadent toastiness, that diner Grilled Cheese perfection that we all know and love. I usually make mine with three slices of cheese. Lately it’s been smoked provolone from TJ’s, but I do love a sharp cheddar. Then I add… bread and butter pickles. Now I love all kinds of things pickled, this is not the best pickle ever, just the best on this sandwich. My favorite brand is the absurdly affordable and highly underrated, Mt. Olive Bread and Butter Chips. If you don’t like a sweet pickle, I still encourage you to try your sandwich with this combo. If not, be lame and leave the pickles out and or try some classic dill chips. Just don’t be shy about it and use like 4-6. For me, it’s all about that sweet, tangy, savory profile combo that keeps me coming back to her again and again.

Also, I strongly recommend grilling in a cast iron pan. Not only does everything just taste better this way, but I found out recently that our bodies can actually absorb the iron that is coming off the pan into the bread. Plus, cooking in a cast iron is just cooler. But please, research how to clean a cast iron and season it properly. It’s the mark of a good chef.

In regards to finishing touches and finessing your game, I melt mine in the oven after grilling, just to make it extra melty and delicious. Then, it’s all about that vibrant bowl of the creamiest tomato soup accompaniment (I use trader joe’s box purée and doctor it a bit, always with some basil). Like Ina says, if you don’t have to make everything from scratch- don’t.

So many things disappoint us in this life, but a grilled cheese rarely does. That’s because it’s sacred. So break out the pickles and the mayo and get some holiday vibes going this month, a strong whiskey drink or two and Anthony Bourdain’s ghost raving that you make grilled cheese the best.