When I go out of town I often return to find a big, square burn mark on my best stainless steel skillet. That's the telltale sign my husband attempted to prepare the one and only item in his repertoire of home-cooked meals: a grilled cheese sandwich.

The man does not know how to cook. His grilled cheese sandwiches are burned on the outside and cold and hard on the inside. Poor guy. When it comes to this basic all-American favorite, Harold does everything wrong. He starts with a blazing-hot skillet, he puts cold butter in the pan, he cuts uneven slices of cheese and he piles the thickest slices of cheese in the middle of the bread. This man really needs his wife.

There's an art to preparing the perfect grilled cheese sandwich: crispy, golden-brown on the outside with soft, evenly melted cheese on the inside.

EQUIPMENT: The best tool for this job is a well-seasoned cast-iron skillet because it heats evenly, so it makes the bread nice and crisp.

INGREDIENTS: For one sandwich, you'll need two slices of white bread, 1 to 2 ounces cheddar, Monterey Jack or American cheese and about 1 tablespoon butter.

TECHNIQUE: Preheat the skillet on medium heat for about five minutes. While it heats, grate the cheese and sprinkle evenly between the two slices of bread. Grating the cheese ensures it will melt evenly. Put the slices together and press gently. Melt the butter in the microwave, and generously brush it on the outside of one of the bread slices, making sure to cover the whole slice.

Gently place the sandwich in the heated skillet, buttered-side down. Turn the heat to low. This allows the bread to brown slowly and evenly. And the longer you wait to flip the sandwich, the better result you'll get. In the meantime, brush the top slice with melted butter. Once the bottom slice is crisp and golden-brown, gently turn the sandwich over, and repeat (5 to 8 minutes per side) until the cheese is evenly melted. Remove from the pan, cut as desired with a sharp serrated knife and serve.

GRILLED CHEESE SANDWICH VARIATIONS

—Grilled Cheese with Bacon. Fry three slices bacon until cooked, but not crisp. Pat the slices with a paper towel to remove excess oil. Place slices on top of the cheese, and grill as directed.

—Grilled Cheese with Ham. Put two thin slices of ham between the cheese, and then grill as directed.

—Onion and Cheese Sandwich. Follow the Grilled Cheese Sandwich recipe, but lightly coat the inside of one slice of bread with Dijon mustard and saute three to four slices of onion in butter. Put the sauteed onions on top of the cheese. Cover with the top slice of bread and grill.

—Tomato-Cheese Sandwich. Follow the recipe for Grilled Cheese Sandwich, but add two thin tomato slices to the sandwich before grilling.

—Grilled Mozzarella Sandwich. You'll need two slices European-style country bread, 1 ounce mozzarella cheese (sliced or grated), tomato slices (or several slices of roasted red pepper) and olive oil. Follow the recipe for a Grilled Cheese Sandwich, but sandwich the tomato slices (or pepper slices) between the cheese, and brush the bread with olive oil in place of the butter.

—Greek Grilled Cheese Sandwich. You'll need crusty bread (like sheepherder's bread), 1 ounce feta cheese, crumbled, sliced tomato, basil leaves or oregano leaves, ground black pepper and olive oil. Follow instructions for Mozzarella sandwich and add additional ingredients.

Mary invites questions, comments and tips at mary@everydaycheapskate.com, or c/o Everyday Cheapskate, 12340 Seal Beach Blvd., Suite B-416, Seal Beach, CA 90740. This column will answer questions of general interest, but letters cannot be answered individually. Mary Hunt is the founder of www.DebtProofLiving.com, a personal finance member website and the author of "Debt-Proof Living," released in 2014. To find out more about Mary and read her past columns, please visit the Creators Syndicate Web page at www.creators.com.