How to: The Sandwich of the Year

Recently, chefs all over the United States have been turning back to the classics and dressing up comfort foods – duck confit macaroni and cheese, shrimp and grits with circulator-poached eggs and radish kimchi, braised short ribs on everything.

And now, chefs take on the ultimate home cooked comfort food classic:   The grilled cheese.

GQ sought out some of the country’s top chefs to weigh in on what a grown man’s grilled cheese can be.

You shoved it into your face as a little kid and used it to soak up cheap beer in college, but now it’s time to elevate your grilled cheese sandwich to grown-man territory. “Think of it as a blank canvas,” says Thomas Keller… In other words, experiment. Once you upgrade from Kraft Singles and Wonder Bread, you’ll realize there’s nothing Keller can do to a grilled cheese that you can’t. Just remember a few tricks: Use a low, even source of heat…and let the finished product rest for a minute, like you would a fresh-off-the-grill porterhouse. It’s not 3 a.m. after a frat party, and patience, like a quality Gouda, is a sign of maturity.

They’ve got three tasty upgrades – the French Evolution, the Southern Comfort, and the Crispy Caprese – and plenty of how-to advice at GQ.com: The Sandwich of the Year

For more sandwich tips, check out ManMade’s Five Commandments of Making Great Sandwiches and the ManMade Food and Recipes board on Pinterest.