The Grilled Cheese Hack You Can Even Use In A Hotel Room

Who doesn't love a grilled cheese sandwich? The crisp bread, the melting, soft, and salty cheese, and the wonderful rich taste of butter is irresistible. The best part is your grilled cheese sandwich can be crisp or soft, dark brown or barely toasted, and with cheese running all over or just melted a bit. You can use any kind of cheese, add extra ingredients, including sliced ham, chicken, and bacon, use some guacamole for a fabulous twist, and even slather mayonnaise on the outside of the sandwich for more flavor and great browning. Any which way you dress it up, it's delicious.

Grilled cheese sammies are delicious for breakfast (see this version at Wisconsin Cheese – they would know, right?), lunch, or as a snack at any time. But did you know that you don't need a kitchen, or even a griddle, or a stovetop to make a perfect grilled cheese sandwich? You just need two things: an appliance of sorts and some foil.

It's true — and this kitchen hack has been used by travelers and college students for decades. What's more, every hotel room has this mystery appliance, and this method is easy and practically foolproof.

It's an iron! Think about it; the even heat from an iron is really perfect for grilling sandwiches. And the iron is perfect for pressing down on the sandwich, which is key to fusing the cheese and bread together. Here's how to do it:

Make your sandwich. I have found that two and a half slices of pre-sliced processed cheese is the perfect amount, although you can certainly slice your own cheese or even use pre-shredded cheese in a pinch, though it won't melt as well, per Popular Science. Now it's time to grab your bread slices and assemble the sandwich, then spread softened butter or mayonnaise on the outside of the sandwich. After, you'll need to wrap it in foil, ensuring that you seal the package well as melted cheese on an iron is a cleaning nightmare.

Then it's time to iron your sandwich, per Grilled Cheese Social. First, set the iron to the hottest setting, turn the steam option off, put the foil packet on the ironing board, and iron away. Be sure to press down evenly on the sandwich, but not too hard or the cheese will escape. You'll want to iron for about five to seven minutes on each side (maybe up to ten, according to Instructables), turning the sandwich packet over once or twice.

If you travel a lot, or if you're a student living without a kitchen, this hack can put an end to late night or study break hunger pains without breaking the bank. Keep the ingredients for your favorite grilled cheese version on hand at all times along with foil, and, obviously, keep your iron clean. It's a good idea to eat the sandwich right away as there's nothing more disappointing than a grilled cheese with firm or hard cheese in the middle.

And if you're stymied trying to think about grilled cheese variations, here's some inspiration. Make a pizza grilled cheese, complete with delicious pepperoni, Italian seasoning, and pizza sauce. Add some cheese to the outside of the bread for fantastic toasted nutty flavor, as in frico-crusted grilled cheese. You can even combine cheeses, like this recipe for fontina grilled cheese that also uses Monterey Jack and cheddar. Or add some crisp apple and brie, as in this recipe for a cheddar and apple grilled cheese sandwich.

And if you feel like some room service, get a cup of hot creamy tomato soup to go along with your sandwich. Whether you keep it simple, or go all out, this sandwich is sure to be tasty.