Adult take on grilled cheese

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Think grilled cheese, and you probably have a picture of a pool of golden-orange cheese spilling from two browned slices of bread. For many of us, it's the iconic sandwich of childhood, or so Tory Miller recalls.

"When I was younger, one of my great aunts made whole-grain toast with cheese spread. It was sharp, flavorful and melty," says Mr. Miller, executive chef and co-owner of L'Etoile Restaurant and Cafe Soleil in Madison, Wis.

Mr. Miller is updating the simple fare he recalls.

No longer satisfied with the simple combination of cheese and bread, chefs such as Mr. Miller are creating luscious dishes of cheese, tomatoes, caramelized onions and ham, piled onto artisan breads.

What does it take to turn a simple sandwich into a gastronomic masterpiece?

The cheese is the first consideration, say the experts, who are looking for a combination of flavor and melting qualities.

Mobay, an artisan combination of goat cheese and sheep's cheese with a thin line of edible ash, is a good option, according to Sid Cook, master cheese maker at Carr Valley Cheese Co. in LaValle, Wis.

He's also a fan of Gouda, fontina and Benedictine, which is made from a blend of goat, sheep and cow milk, but his current favorite is a product called bread cheese, which cooks can turn into an inside-out grilled cheese sandwich, with bread on the inside, packed with two slices of cheese.

"The cheese is grillable but keeps its form," Mr. Cook says.

As essential as the cheese is, the bread also is important, according to Mr. Miller.