Instructional Speech

Ladies and Gentlemen, The great Chester Cheetah once said, “It’s not easy being cheesy.” However, when you’re out of all your common snack foods, and you need a simple and quick meal, that’s delicious and nutritious, there’s only one solution. The easy cheesy Grilled Cheese Sandwich. The popularity of the grilled cheese sandwich is a culinary phenomenon, taking over the world by storm. But little is known about the history of the grilled cheese, the art of making the grilled cheese, and why this sandwich is so famous that even Egyptian rulers were buried with it. Hopefully, we can introduce you to this stove top wonder and by the end make you all experts in the field of grilled cheese. So with introductions out of the way, what spawned this amazing edible creation?

The history of the Grilled cheese or the cooked bread and cheese starts off as an ancient food, according to food historians, popular across the world in many cultures; evidence indicates that in the U.S., the modern version of the grilled cheese sandwich originated in the 1920s when inexpensive sliced bread and American cheese became easily available. The cheese dream became popular during the Great Depression. It was originally made as an open faced sandwich, but the top slice of bread became common by the 1960s. U.S. government cookbooks describe Navy cooks broiling "American cheese filling sandwiches" during World War II. Many versions of the grilled cheese sandwich can now be found on restaurant menus across the United States. But why limit yourself to going to restaurants for this meal. Grilled cheese sandwiches are actually quite simple to make, let’s review the steps.
The first step is to obtain a frying pan of the correct size for the number of sandwiches you can handle at one time. I would suggest attempting to make one grilled cheese first, and once you have that mastered, you can then advance to making two grilled cheese sandwiches at the same time.
After you have selected your pan, put the pan on the stove over medium heat until hot. During heating, begin slicing the cheese and getting the bread. When it comes to selecting a cheese, it’s all personal preference; we would recommend using American, Swiss, Provolone, Cheddar, or even Gouda. For the bread, again up you your own personal preference, white, wheat, Italian, rye, or French bread would be a wise choice.
Now, before any ingredients are added to the cooking surface, It's a good idea to put a couple of tablespoons of water in the pan while it is warming up, when the water boils the pan is warm enough to put your first sandwich on. Just make sure you pour the remaining water out before you put a sandwich in.
Butter the pan, or the outside of each slice of bread, whichever you prefer, and put the recently buttered side of the sandwich on the pan with the cheese on top. You can also add some olive oil to the pan, if you want. Then add the top slice of bread right away. Lower the heat and cover the pan to help the cheese melt.
Check to see if the bottom slice of bread is brown after no more than a minute and a half, although more time may be needed for desired results. When the bottom slice of bread is brown enough, flip the sandwich. Make sure you dispose of the left over butter grounds out of the pan, so the next flip will be fresh. Burnt butter doesn’t taste good.
Please be aware that once the sandwich has been flipped the second side should brown faster so be prepared to check it immediately. When it is cooked to your satisfaction, turn off the stove, put your sandwich on a plate, and enjoy your finished creation. But be careful no one tries to steal your grilled cheese, since this sandwich is so popular.
But why is the grilled cheese so popular? Some believe that this wonderful food is cost effective; others think that this sandwich is made with nothing but healthy goodness, others believe that it’s the most accommodating and flexible meal.
For example, no other sandwich pairs well with soups such as tomato, or any type of processed meat like ham, condiments like spicy brown mustard, or any numerous unique spices that can be added for additional taste sensations. No other sandwich can offer this blank canvas.

The grilled cheese is the ultimate universal sandwich. It is enjoyed by adults and children alike, and bridges generation gaps. This meal has been enjoyed throughout time and is extremely simple to make. So the next time you’re sitting at home, confused on what to eat, just grab a pan, butter, bread, cheese, and whatever else your little heart desires, fire up the stove, and create your own personal masterpiece. Enjoy.