Melt: 100 Amazing Adventures in Grilled Cheese (9 page)

Read Melt: 100 Amazing Adventures in Grilled Cheese Online

Authors: Shane Sanford Kearns

BOOK: Melt: 100 Amazing Adventures in Grilled Cheese
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The Potato Pancake

Serves 1

1
⁄
2
sweet apple, such as Golden Delicious, sliced

1 tablespoon brown sugar

1
⁄
2
teaspoon white sugar

2 large deli/store-bought potato pancakes

1
⁄
4
cup blue cheese

1
⁄
4
cup crumbled Fontal cheese

Potato pancakes are simply shredded potatoes fried into crispy, flat patties of total deliciousness. To make sure that this grilled cheese is as fresh as possible, purchase fresh potato pancakes from a nearby deli/grocery store; they will be larger and denser than the potato pancakes from the freezer section of your local grocery store. If you do purchase frozen ones, create multiple mini-sandwiches using the same steps.

  1. Preheat oven to 350°F.
  2. In a baking pan, combine sliced apple with brown and white sugar. Bake for 5–8 minutes or until apples are soft and a syrup-like liquid begins to appear. Keep oven on; set apples aside.
  3. Construct sandwich on a new baking sheet. On bottom half of 1 potato pancake, sprinkle blue cheese, followed by cooked apple mixture, crumbled Fontal cheese, and the other potato pancake.
  4. Bake for 5 minutes and serve warm.

 

The Spicy Dubliner

The Spicy Dubliner

Serves 1

1
⁄
4
cup Hellmann’s mayonnaise

1
⁄
2
tablespoon spicy brown mustard

4 tablespoons sauerkraut, divided

2–4 tablespoons melted sweet butter, for grilling

2 slices Tuscany bread

1
⁄
3
cup shredded Dubliner with Irish Stout cheese

1
⁄
3
cup shredded jalapeño Cheddar cheese

Kerrygold’s Dubliner with Irish Stout is worth the hunt. Typically available at your local gourmet grocery stores, this sweet and malty cheese adds another layer to this multi-textured grilled cheese. The combined flavors of this grilled cheese meld together to create an explosion in your mouth.

  1. In a mixing bowl, combine mayonnaise, spicy brown mustard, and 3 tablespoons sauerkraut.
  2. Brush the melted butter on the outside of the 2 slices of bread. In an unheated sauté pan, place 1 slice of bread butter side down. Place Dubliner cheese on bread, followed by mayonnaise spread, 1 tablespoon sauerkraut, and jalapeño Cheddar. Place other slice of bread on top, butter side up. Turn burner to medium heat.
  3. Let sandwich cook for 3–5 minutes per side or until bread is golden brown.
  4. Cut on the diagonal and serve warm.

 

Mini-Eggplant Sliders

Mini-Eggplant Sliders

Serves 1

1
⁄
2
cup panko bread crumbs

1 jumbo egg

2 slices,
1
⁄
2
" thick, eggplant, peeled

1 tablespoon olive oil

1
⁄
3
cup ricotta cheese or Parmesan cheese

1
⁄
4
cup tomato sauce + extra
1
⁄
4
cup for dipping, if desired

1 teaspoon chopped red onion

1 tablespoon dried basil

Not every grilled cheese sandwich needs bread to be complete and, in this case, bread would only serve to detract from these sliders. Here, all you need are two slices of eggplant and your grilled cheese is off to a delicious start!

  1. Preheat oven to 350°F.
  2. Mix panko bread crumbs and dried basil in a bowl and place cracked egg in a separate bowl. Individually place slices of eggplant in egg and then in bread crumbs, making sure to cover entire slices.
  3. Prepare grill pan by warming olive oil to medium heat. Cook coated eggplant slices for 3–5 minutes per side or until coating is crunchy.
  4. In a baking pan, place 1 eggplant slice followed by the ricotta or Parmesan cheese, tomato sauce, and chopped red onion. Top with other eggplant slice.
  5. Bake for 5 minutes, enough to warm the ricotta or melt the Parmesan, depending on which cheese you have selected.
  6. Serve hot with fork and knife.

 

Big Game Nachos and Cheese
Serves 1

1
⁄
4
pound sharp Cheddar cheese

1
⁄
8
pound Dubliner cheese

1
1
⁄
2
jalapeño peppers, to taste, small diced

1 uncooked pizza shell

7–9 whole yellow corn round tortilla chips

Why buy unnatural, processed nacho cheese when it is so easy to create your own? Depending on your appreciation of spiciness, feel free to increase the amount of jalapeño peppers in this sandwich—or kick this recipe up a notch by using even hotter peppers, such as a Serrano, cayenne, or habanero. Just keep a glass of milk handy to soothe that fiery mouth!

  1. Preheat oven to 375°F.
  2. Cut the Cheddar and Dubliner cheese into large chunks and place into a bowl. Microwave cheese on high for 45 seconds to 1 minute, or until cheese is completely melted. Mix in jalapeño pieces, including the seeds. Set in refrigerator to coagulate, at least 15 minutes.
  3. Using an oval mold of approximately 6.5" in diameter (length) or simply free form, cut two oval shapes into the pizza shell, creating a top and bottom for your sandwich.
  4. Take homemade nacho cheese out of refrigerator and cut into chunks. Place chunks on 1 piece of pizza shell followed by whole tortilla chips and second oval pizza shell. Bake for 5–7 minutes or until cheese is fully melted.
  5. Cut in half and serve warm.
Part 2
Surprisingly Sweet Stacks

When most people think of grilled cheese sandwiches, they think savory, not sweet. But the recipes found in this section turn that idea totally on its head! Unexpected and maybe even a bit quirky, sweet grilled cheese sandwiches are taking the culinary world by storm—and they’re taking names like Boston Cream Pie, Stuffed French Toast, and The Candy Cane as they go. In
Chapter 3
you’ll find sandwiches made with upscale ingredients like currant jam, pomegranate, brie, and kiwi that are so sophisticated you’ll find yourself holding your pinkie finger up while you eat. And in
Chapter 4
you’ll find sweet grilled cheeses that combine rhubarb, salted caramel, bacon, and other ingredients so crazy you’ll be licking your fingers—and the plate!—when they disappear. So get ready to sweeten the pot with these grilled cheese delights!

Chapter 3
Epicurean Adventures

When the original grilled cheese sandwich was invented hundreds of years ago, no one could have expected the evolution from its humble roots to the sweet sandwiches that you’ll find here. The pages that follow offer everything from grilled cheeses with sweet potatoes and marshmallows to delicacies that highlight the inherent sweetness in berries and squash. This chapter features sandwiches that showcase the high-quality ingredients that speak to the gourmet level of today’s sweetest grilled cheeses. Try them at the end of an already fantastic meal or be daring and try a sweet grilled cheese as the main course. Whatever you decide, you won’t be disappointed.

 

The Nutella
Serves 2

1
⁄
4
cup goat cheese, softened

1
⁄
4
cup Nutella

4 pizzelles

Slivered almonds, to taste, if desired

1 tablespoon raspberry preserves

Powdered sugar, for decoration

Nutella, a well-known hazelnut spread, can be enjoyed simply with a spoon, but it’s even more delectable when it’s mixed with goat cheese and slathered onto a grilled cheese sandwich! You don’t even need to cook this sweet sandwich. Simply add pizzelles and raspberry preserves to the mix and dessert is served!

  1. On a plate, lay out the four pizzelles, bottom side up.
  2. In a bowl, mix softened goat cheese with Nutella. Softly distribute the mixture between two pizzelles, the bottom halves of the sandwich. If desired, sprinkle almonds on top of Nutella.
  3. Gently spread the raspberry preserves between the two other pizzelles, the tops of the sandwich. Then place them on top of the Nutella pizzelles, preserve side down, closing the two individual sandwiches.
  4. Sprinkle pizzelles with powdered sugar for decoration and flavor, and serve at room temperature.

 

Harvest Fest

Harvest Fest

Serves 1

1 small-to-medium sweet potato, unpeeled

1
⁄
2
tablespoon sweet butter, melted

2 teaspoons cinnamon sugar

2 tablespoons melted sweet butter, for grilling

2 slices honey whole wheat bread

3 large marshmallows, halved

3–4 slices sweet/soft apple (e.g., McIntosh)

1
⁄
4
cup Havarti

1
⁄
4
cup Gruyère

The flavors in this sweet recipe—sweet potato, cinnamon, and apple—harken to fall when the leaves have just changed colors and Thanksgiving is right around the corner. However, this combination will help cool you down even if it is the middle of summer and 85°F outside.

  1. Microwave sweet potato on high for 4–5 minutes, or until fork-tender. Let cool. Peel off skin and discard. Slice potato into
    1
    ⁄
    4
    " rounds. Drizzle
    1
    ⁄
    2
    tablespoon of sweet butter and sprinkle cinnamon sugar onto potato slices.
  2. Brush the remaining melted butter on the outside of the 2 slices of bread. In an unheated sauté pan, place 1 slice of bread butter side down, followed by the sliced sweet potato, marshmallows, apple slices, Havarti, and Gruyère. Place other slice of bread on top, butter side up. Turn burner to medium heat.
  3. Let sandwich cook for 5–7 minutes per side or until bread is golden brown.
  4. Cut on the diagonal and serve warm.

Tips from the Stovetop

Cinnamon sugar is a combination of ground cinnamon and granulated sugar. This mixture is available at your grocery store in the spice aisle.

 

Honey Roasted PB & J
Serves 1

2–4 tablespoons melted sweet butter, for grilling

2 slices sourdough bread

2 teaspoons honey roasted peanut butter (or enough to cover bread)

1
1
⁄
2
–2 slices Monterey jack

1
⁄
3
banana, sliced

1
⁄
8
cup roasted, salted cashews, hand-cracked

1
1
⁄
2
teaspoons currant jam

Since bread was first sliced, school kids have been heading off with peanut butter and jelly sandwiches packed away in their lunch bags. You may be grown up now, but with the addition of honey roasted peanut butter and currant jam, this gourmet grilled cheese sandwich has grown up, too.

  1. Brush the melted butter on the outside of the 2 slices of sourdough bread. In an unheated sauté pan, place 1 slice of bread butter side down. Spread honey roasted peanut butter on bread, followed by 1 slice of Monterey jack cheese, banana slices, and cashews. Spread currant jam on other slice of bread, non-butter side, and place on top, butter side up. Turn burner to medium heat.
  2. Let sandwich cook for 3–5 minutes per side or until bread is golden brown.
  3. Cut on the diagonal and serve warm.

Tips from the Stovetop

Substitute your favorite flavors or kinds of nuts and jams for what’s in the recipe to add another unique twist to the traditional peanut butter and jelly sandwich. Be creative!

 

Squash with Apple Butter
Serves 1

1 spaghetti squash

2 tablespoons melted sweet butter, divided

1 tablespoon brown sugar

1
⁄
8
cup apple butter

1
⁄
4
cup cranberry goat cheese, softened

1 croissant, cut horizontally

This squash and apple butter grilled cheese just screams autumn—and the combination of fall flavors makes for a sweet and tangy treat. Bake and mix both halves of the squash and use the additional portion to create a yummy vegetable side dish.

  1. Preheat the oven to 350°F. Cut the squash in half, lengthwise. Scoop out the seeds of 1 half and save other half for another use. Bake the half cut side down on a baking sheet for 40 minutes or until tender. Remove from oven and let sit for 5 minutes. Reduce oven temperature to 325°F.
  2. With a fork, rake out the squash membrane. Mix the squash with 1 tablespoon sweet butter and brown sugar. Then add the apple butter and mix.
  3. Spread the cranberry goat cheese on the bottom half of the croissant, followed by the squash/apple butter mixture. Close sandwich with top half of croissant.
  4. On a clean baking sheet bake the sandwich for 3 minutes. Cut in thirds and serve warm.

Tips from the Stovetop

Cranberry goat cheese is a seasonal cheese that is more readily available during the winter months. Search your local gourmet cheese shop or try to make it on your own. Simply take a 4-ounce package of fresh goat cheese and add in 1 tablespoon of fresh cranberries. Increase the amount of cranberries for a more tart flavor.

 

Marinated Berries

Marinated Berries

Serves 1

FOR MARINATED BERRIES

2 tablespoons sugar

1
⁄
2
teaspoon lemon zest

1
⁄
2
teaspoon lime zest

1
⁄
2
teaspoon vanilla extract

1
⁄
2
cup water

3 medium-sized strawberries

1
1
⁄
2
ounces raspberries

1
1
⁄
2
ounces blackberries

FOR SANDWICH

2–4 tablespoons melted sweet butter, for grilling

2 slices Italian bread

3
⁄
4
cup shredded yogurt cheese (Use another mild, creamy cheese such as provolone, if yogurt cheese is unavailable in your area.)

2 tablespoons toasted pine nuts (see Tips from the Stovetop)

Fresh and fork-and-knife worthy, this particular grilled cheese sandwich takes seasonal fruit to a whole new level of perfection. Who knew that something sweet could be so refreshing!

  1. In a sauté pan, combine sugar, lemon and lime zests, vanilla, and water, stirring periodically. Cook on medium heat until the liquid takes on a syrupy texture, approximately 10 minutes. Remove from heat and place in a small bowl.
  2. Add berries to marinade in bowl and stir gently, making sure all berries are fully covered. Let sit until ready to make grilled cheese and then drain marinade.
  3. Brush the melted butter on the outside of the 2 slices of bread.
  4. In a separate, unheated sauté pan, place 1 slice of bread butter side down. Place berries on top of bread. Follow with yogurt cheese and toasted pine nuts. Place other slice of bread on top, butter side up. Turn burner to medium heat.
  5. Let sandwich cook for 3–5 minutes per side or until bread is golden brown.
  6. Cut on the diagonal and serve warm.

Tips from the Stovetop

Pine nuts can be expensive, even in small amounts, so feel free to substitute your favorite type of nut. If you do decide to use pine nuts, simply place them in a hot oven for a few minutes until they turn a beautiful golden brown. The final product will be perfectly toasted pine nuts.

 

Coconut Peach
Serves 1

1
⁄
2
cup cottage cheese

5 canned peach slices, cut in thirds

1 teaspoon peach juice, found in can

3 teaspoons brown sugar, divided

1 croissant, sliced horizontally

1 teaspoon flaked coconut

The combination of cottage cheese and peaches is popping up everywhere from beachside bistros to summertime farm stands. This recipe offers an extra layer of sophistication to this fresh dish by adding brown sugar and placing it into a flaky croissant. If you’re not a fan of peaches, substitute with your favorite sweet fruits to guarantee that you’re getting what you love!

  1. Preheat oven to 350°F.
  2. In a bowl, combine cottage cheese, sliced peaches, peach juice, and 2 teaspoons brown sugar. Place on croissant. Sprinkle the remaining brown sugar on top, followed by the flaked coconut.
  3. Top with the other half of the croissant and bake for 5 minutes.
  4. Slice in thirds and serve warm.

 

Kicked-Up Mint
Serves 1

FOR MINT MIXTURE

1
⁄
8
cup fresh mint, chopped

1 teaspoon olive oil

1
⁄
2
tablespoon red onion, chopped

1
⁄
8
teaspoon dried cilantro

FOR SANDWICH

2–4 tablespoons melted sweet butter, for grilling

2 slices honey whole wheat bread

3 slices hot pepper cheese

1
1
⁄
2
slices heirloom tomato

2 slices red pepper

2 slices yellow pepper

From mojitos to mint chocolate chip ice cream, mint rules supreme! In this grilled cheese, fresh mint is turned into a chutney-like substance that adds great flavor and an upscale kick. Mint is an herb that easily and quickly grows in any garden; maybe this recipe will inspire you to grow your own.

  1. In a bowl, mix mint, olive oil, red onion, and dried cilantro with a fork. Set aside.
  2. Brush the melted butter on the outside of the 2 slices of bread. In a sauté pan, place 1 slice of bread butter side down. Place 1
    1
    ⁄
    2
    slices of hot pepper cheese on bread, followed by the vegetable slices. Turn burner to medium heat.
  3. Drizzle mint mixture on top, followed by the other 1
    1
    ⁄
    2
    slices of hot pepper cheese. Place other slice of bread on top, butter side up.
  4. Let sandwich cook for 3–5 minutes per side or until bread is golden brown.
  5. Cut on the diagonal and serve warm.

 

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