If your kitchen is not equipped with a hob, or if you simply don't feel comfortable using it, but you still have an uncontrollable craving for a crispy toast or a crispy sandwich with stringy cheese, do not despair, there is a solution. Unfortunately, simply putting the bread and cheese in the microwave will result in a mushy, moist mass, but having an electric oven or microwave crisp plate available will make you a perfectly grilled cheese toast in just a few minutes.
Ingrediants
- 2 slices of bread
- Cheese
- Butter or mayonnaise
Steps
Part 1 of 3: Prepare the Ingredients
Step 1. Choose the bread for your toast
The classic choice for making American-style cheese toast is white loaf bread, but if you care about your health, you can opt for a healthier choice using wholemeal or flaxseed bread. In any case, there is no "wrong" choice, you can use any type of bread you prefer, such as rye or made with sourdough.
Make sure that, internally, the chosen bread does not have large air bubbles, otherwise the cheese would melt outwards
Step 2. If possible, use dry bread or bread that is a few days old
The reason for this choice is given by the fact that fresh bread retains too much moisture inside, risking becoming soft (unlike a traditional oven in fact, the microwave oven does not allow the moisture contained in the bread to evaporate, a key aspect. so that it reaches the right crunchiness). When using the microwave oven it is advisable to always opt for dry bread.
If you have chosen to use stale bread, make sure it is free from mold
Step 3. If possible, use sliced loaf of bread
Since each slice will always have the same thickness, it will roast uniformly in every point. If you'd rather buy a whole loaf, ask the salesperson to cut it into slices. Most supermarket bakeries and bakery departments are equipped with the tools needed to do this.
If you decide to slice the bread by hand, use a serrated knife and try to cut slices about 2 cm thick; slices of this thickness can be heated in a classic toaster and are thin enough for the heat to penetrate inside if you use a microwave
Step 4. Choose a cheese that melts easily
The choice is vast, but if you want to get a classic American-style toast you have to use cheddar, but you can also use fontina, scamorza or provola.
- Avoid fresh, hard, crumbly, and aged cheeses, including goat's, feta, and aged Parmesan. Such cheese varieties do not blend well and are therefore not suitable for becoming the main ingredient in your sandwich.
- Hard aged cheeses, such as Parmesan, melt very well when grated and paired with a different cheese that melts easily.
- If you can't resist the lure of these hard-to-melt cheeses, you can add a small amount to add some flavor to the preparation (like you do with tomato or onion). In this case, however, make sure that the cheese protagonist of the sandwich is of a variety that melts easily, such as fontina or brie.
Step 5. Choose how to flavor the bread
In this case, the classic choice should fall on butter, but you could also use margarine or mayonnaise. This will make the bread tastier and crunchy on the outside.
Step 6. Consider adding additional ingredients
If you are a little tired of the usual classic cheese toast, gherkins, tomatoes, hot peppers, avocados or even French fries can add an extra touch of flavor and creativity to your snack.
- Add some protein. Enrich your toast with a few slices of cooked ham, turkey or your favorite cold cut. But remember to strip the ingredients of any residual moisture before adding them to your creation.
- Note that very moist ingredients, such as tomatoes, can make the bread too soft.
- Accompany and enjoy your toast with your favorite sauce, such as mustard, ketchup, barbecue sauce or a hot sauce.
Part 2 of 3: Using a Toaster
Step 1. Toast both slices of bread until golden brown
To do this, use a classic toaster. If you're not sure how to set it up, start by using a medium temperature and / or roasting time. In this way, if at the end of cooking the bread is still too soft, you can toast it for a while at a lower temperature making it perfectly crunchy.
The drier and crispier the toast is, the more delicious the result will be. Note that you can always restore the humidity level later when you microwave it with the cheese and butter. Remember that too much moisture will make it soft and unappetizing
Step 2. Butter one side of each slice of bread
You can grease both sides if you wish, but doing so runs the risk of adding too much moisture and resulting in a "boiled" and soggy toast.
Step 3. Add the cheese and any other additional ingredients
The buttered side will be the outer side of the toast, so the cheese and other ingredients will need to be placed on the toasted side of the bread. Normally a portion of cheese suitable for this preparation consists of about 45 grams (represented by a single slice or two slices).
- Make sure the cheese is evenly spread over the surface of the bread so that it can blend evenly. If the cheese slices are too big for the bread, you can cut them into smaller pieces so they fit better.
- Don't stuff the toast with too many additional ingredients. Otherwise the heat created by the microwave will not be able to penetrate deeply, evenly heating the whole sandwich and allowing the cheese to melt. An optimal height should be between 3 and 4 cm.
Step 4. Wrap the toast with paper towels and place it on the plate or on the microwave rack
The blotting paper is meant to absorb all excess moisture, keeping the bread crispier.
Do not wrap the bread in cling film, otherwise the excess moisture will be trapped inside instead of being absorbed and eliminated
Step 5. Heat the toast in the microwave for about 15-20 seconds or until the cheese has melted
The time required for the cheese to melt depends on the power of the oven. When the melted cheese starts coming out of the edges of the toast, it is ready to serve.
To check if the cheese is ready, you can also lift the top slice of bread. When the cheese is well melted, the slices of bread adhere perfectly and are very difficult to separate
Step 6. To remove the sandwich from the oven, use a dish towel or mitt, then let it rest for 2 to 3 minutes before serving
This will allow the bread to cool down and become even more crunchy, making it easier to eat.
Part 3 of 3: Use a Crisp Plate
Step 1. Butter one side of each slice of bread
Make sure the butter is soft so you can spread it on the bread without difficulty. Place the slices of bread on a clean surface with the buttered side facing down.
For this preparation you will need about 1 tablespoon of butter that you can soften, or even melt, by baking it in the microwave for about 5-10 seconds using a small bowl suitable for this purpose
Step 2. Place the cheese on the non-buttered side of a slice of bread
Most recipes require you to use 2 slices of cheese, which is about 45 grams in weight, but if you want to make a "super" cheese toast, no one will stop you from increasing that amount.
Make sure you distribute the cheese evenly over the entire surface of the slice of bread, this will help it melt in the oven
Step 3. Add all the ingredients you prefer to the cheese, then complete the toast with the second slice of bread, making sure to turn the buttered side outwards
Do not make a sandwich that is more than 3-4 cm thick, otherwise it may be difficult to heat it evenly.
Step 4. Place the "crisp" plate inside the microwave oven and follow the manufacturer's instructions to preheat it properly
This type of accessory has been specially designed for safe use in the microwave oven and to get very hot by replicating the effect of a plate or pan. The "crisp" dish will make the toast bread golden and crunchy, as if it had been prepared in a hot pan.
- To achieve this "plated" effect, the "crisp" plate must reach a temperature extremely high during the preheating phase. If you are a minor, use this tool only with adult supervision. In any case, never touch the "crisp" plate with your bare hands; to handle it always use a special oven glove.
- To place the "crisp" plate in the oven, always follow the manufacturer's instructions. In some cases you will have to simply place it on the microwave plate while in others you will have to use some special supports that will keep it raised and closer to the top of the oven (where the grill is normally present).
- As long as the "crisp" plate has not heated up properly, do not put any food on it.
Step 5. Place your toast on the crisp plate and microwave for 20-30 seconds
If the "crisp" plate has a lid, omit it for this preparation.
After the first 20-30 seconds, continue cooking at 5-second intervals if the bread is not golden brown. Remember that the side of the toast that needs to brown is the one in contact with the "crisp" plate, so you won't be sure where it is cooked until you turn it over to the other side
Step 6. Flip the toast to the other side using a kitchen spatula, then continue cooking in the oven for another 20-30 seconds
In this way you will be sure that both slices of bread are golden and crunchy and that the cheese inside is cooked to the right point. To increase the crunchiness of the bread, gently press both sides of the toast with the spatula.
Proceed very carefully and make sure that no part of your body directly comes into contact with the "crisp" plate. To turn the toast on the other side in a safe way, it is advisable to remove the "crisp" plate from the oven using a special glove and then carry out the maneuver with the bread and finally put it back in the oven
Step 7. To remove the crisp plate and toast from the oven, always use a suitable heat resistant glove
Before cutting and serving the toast, let it rest for 2 or 3 minutes so that it can cool down; doing so will allow the bread to become even more crunchy.
Warnings
- Since, when heated in the microwave, it reaches some very high temperatures, minors should only use the "crisp" plate in the presence of an adult.
- Remember to let the toast sit in the microwave for a few seconds to avoid burning yourself with the melted cheese.
- Do not heat your toast in the toaster as melting the cheese could cause a short circuit.
