Question: What's the best after-school snack, dorm meal, or "I'm too tired to cook" recipe?
Answer: Grilled cheese.
A grilled cheese sandwich dipped into steamy tomato soup is nothing short of perfection, but I'm not thinking of two slices of puffy white bread with a sheet of plastic process cheese inside. Think of brie, pepper Jack, Cambazola or sharp white cheddar cuddling up to prosciutto, salami, or smoked turkey.
Cradle them between marble rye, brioche, soda bread or a rustic multigrain, and try interesting condiments like aioli, curry mayonnaise or tapenade. The easiest way to cook a grilled cheese is in a hot skillet. I like to use my countertop grill so the finished product is more like a panino, but if your grilled cheese of choice contains lots of oozing ingredients the skillet is a better option.
You can place another empty skillet on top of the sandwich while it's cooking to approximate the weight of a panini press without squishing out the goodies inside.
Press down lightly but firmly with your hand on the assembled sandwiches before placing them in the pan (and before buttering the bread) to help them together.
Taco Grilled Cheese
2 slices of bread (a cheese bread would be a great choice)
1 Tbsp soft butter
½ cup grated sharp cheddar or Monterey Jack cheese, or a combination
½ cup taco-seasoned ground beef
2 Tbsp salsa
1 roma tomato, diced
1 Tbsp sour cream
¼ avocado, cut into thin slices
Heat a skillet over medium heat. Butter one side of each slice of bread. Place it in the skillet and then layer toppings as follows: half the cheese, the ground beef, salsa, tomato, sour cream, avocado, then the other half of the cheese. Top with the other slice of bread, buttered side up.
Grill until golden brown on both sides and the cheese has melted, about two to four minutes per side. Serve with additional salsa and/or sour cream for dipping. Makes one sandwich.
Grilled Cheese with Gouda, Roasted Mushrooms Onions
4 oz mushrooms, sliced Half a medium onion, thinly sliced
1 Tbsp olive oil Salt and freshly ground pepper
2 Tbsp butter
2 slices of bread (a hearty multigrain or a sourdough French would work well)
½ cup shredded Gouda cheese (you could substitute Edam or Fontina)
Preheat oven to 400° F. Place the mushrooms and onion on a baking sheet. Drizzle the olive oil over top and toss to coat vegetables. Sprinkle with salt and pepper to taste. Bake for about 20 minutes or until roasted to your liking.
Melt the butter in a skillet over medium heat. While the butter is melting assemble the sandwich: on one slice of bread layer half the cheese, the roasted vegetables, then the remaining cheese. Top with the other slice of bread. Place the sandwich into the melted butter for just a second, then flip it over.
Cook that side for about two minutes or until browned to your preference, then flip it over and cook the other side until browned and cheese is melted. Makes one sandwich.
Grilled Ham, Onion Tomato
One thin slice from a large red onion
1 Tbsp white vinegar
1 Tbsp mayonnaise mixed with
1 tsp Dijon mustard
2 slices rye or marble rye bread
1 slice provolone cheese
2 thin slices of ripe tomato
2 thin slices Black Forest ham
¼ cup shredded sharp cheddar
2 Tbsp soft butter
Separate the onion slice into rings and place in a small bowl.
Pour the vinegar over top and let sit at room temperature for about 10 minutes (the vinegar mellows the onion flavour).
Drain and blot onion dry with a paper towel before assembling sandwich. To assemble the sandwich, spread the mayonnaise-mustard mixture on one side of each slice of bread.
On one bread slice, layer the provolone, tomato, ham, marinated onion slices and shredded cheddar. Top with the other slice of bread. Spread butter on the top of the sandwich. Place it in a hot skillet (over medium heat) buttered side down. Butter the piece of bread that's now on top.
Grill until golden brown on the bottom, then flip over and grill the other side until brown and cheeses have melted (place an empty skillet on top of this sandwich while the second side is cooking to weigh it down and help the cheese melt). Makes one sandwich.
Grilled Cheese Italiano
2 slices crusty Italian bread
½ cup shredded Fontina cheese
2 large fresh basil leaves
6-8 thin slices Italian salami (slices should be about
1 ½ -inches in diameter; if salami is larger use just enough slices to cover bread)
¼ cup sliced roasted red peppers
½ cup warm marinara sauce for dipping (optional)
In a non-stick skillet over medium-high heat, cook the salami until crisp, about 30 seconds on each side. Drain salami on paper towels. On one slice of bread, layer the ingredients as follows: half the cheese, basil, the crisped salami, sliced red pepper, and then the other half of the cheese.
Top with the second slice of bread. Butter the top of that slice and place butter-side down in a skillet heated over medium heat; grill until golden brown. Butter the slice of bread that's on top, then flip sandwich over and grill the second side until golden and cheese has melted. Serve with marinara sauce alongside for dipping, if desired. This recipe makes one sandwich.
Angela Shellard has done informal catering for various functions. Contact: ashellard@hotmail. ca.
