"I want cheddar, but I'll settle for anything yellow."
"How can you eat that on your sandwich? Provolone is the best sandwich cheese."
"I prefer swiss."
"Get some Muenster, too!"
"And I want pepper jack."

This conversation, or one very much like it, plays over and over at family gatherings, barbecues and even during some weekend lunches. Cheese on sandwiches is a contentious issue and no one seems to be able to agree on what best complements their turkey, cold cuts or even tops a hamburger, for that matter. Can you narrow it down to just one type of cheese so you don't spend a fortune for a half-dozen cheeses at the market?

The yellow cheeses, American or otherwise, tend to go into kids sandwiches, where the color is just as important as the flavor. Judging from the selection of cheese that is offered at deli counters, many prefer mild cheeses, like muenster and provolone, which don't distract from the main components of the sandwich. The problem with those cheeses is that sometimes you can't taste the cheese at all. It's harder to match a stronger cheese with sandwich fillings and it can have the opposite effect, overwhelming everything else.

The three cheese groups don't often want to compromise, and after having dealt with a lot of cranky relatives, it seems prudent to spend the extra money at the store and get a cheese everyone likes. Unless you don't mind listening to complaints as you happily munch a sandwich topped with your favorite cheese.

Labor Day is less than a week away and is the last big grilling day of the summer season. It is a weekend of picnics and barbecues, which means that hot dogs and hamburgers will be popping up on everyone's menus. These hamburgers already made an appearance on my grill, but I'm sure that I'll be cooking up a few more over the weekend. I used sharp cheddar and provolone (except for the lone cheese-less burger topped with bbq sauce in the back), adding the cheese during the last few seconds of cooking, keeping the burgers on the grill just long enough to melt it onto the patty.

Cheese is just the start of a good burger, though. Some of my favorite toppings are basics, like lettuce, tomato, onions and avocado, though bacon, pickles, ketchup, mustard, mayonnaise and barbecue sauce are always out alongside the grill for anyone who wants them. You can't go wrong with those options, but what else do you put on your burgers to make them the best they can be?