Grilled cheese sandwiches are the ultimate easy-to-make comfort food, but that doesn't mean they can't be brought to perfection with a little extra effort. Grilling your sandwich slowly in butter or oil is the key to getting a crispy surface all over the bread, but for even better results, try this unexpected cooking fat.

Coconut oil is an excellent cooking medium that can withstand high temperatures, making it ideal for sauteing, frying, and giving foods a golden crunchy crust. It works beautifully for crispy grilled cheese, and if you're worried about a coconutty flavor, know that as the oil cooks off, any sort of extra flavor completely disappears.

Non-virgin coconut oil also has a much more neutral, not-so-coconutty taste, but the drawback of any coconut oil is that it lacks the rich flavor of butter. You can make up for it with other ingredients, such as more flavorful melting cheeses like a young cheddar or fontina, or even tangy and fresh apple slices or kimchi.