The title sounds like cat food, but it’s not where I’m going with this post.
Kyle’s parents sent him home from the holidays with a bunch of gourmet cheeses.
We froze them (because that’s a crazy amount of cheese to have in your fridge) and have been pulling them one by one.
#1 Grilled mozzarella with marinara sauce.
The key to getting that beautiful golden crispy crust is buttering the bread before it hits the pan.
The other trick to grilled cheese perfection is getting the ratio of cheese to bread just right – allowing the cheese to get super melty while not burning the bread. Obviously, a thinner layer of cheese will melt quicker, but you don’t want a dry, overly bready sammie either. Start with one slice of bread on the grill, open-faced with a few really thin slices of cheese. Several paper thin slices will melt quicker than the same thickness in one fat slab. Once the cheese starts softening, add the second slice of bread and flip it until the layers are melted together.
Voila!
#2 – Sizzlin’ Swiss
Same technique as sammie #1 with different ingredients. This version has Swiss cheese on home-made wheat bread. The best part about making your own bread is that you can slice it as big as you want.
Yeah fatty.
#3 Brie and apricot preserves.
The sweetness of fruity jam contrasts the soft, creamy brie to make a nice little marriage of flavors.
This was a quick one to throw together – no stove, no spatula. I smeared the brie on one piece of bread, then heated it (in the microwave) until it was semi-melted. The other slice of bread got a spread of jam and – bam – a sandwich was born!
#4 – Goat cheese with dried cranberries.
Sometimes you don’t need anything else, just warm sourdough and fancy chevre. Done and done.
#5 – Grilled Gouda with ketchup.
Gouda is an aged cheese. There are actually two kinds, though. The older gouda is creamier but more pungent. It has a strong flavor, as opposed to the younger gouda (which is softer and doesn’t have as much of an underlying bitterness). For this reason, it’s a perfect cheese to use in small portions.
The ketchup kinda brings the “fancy” factor down a notch, but Kyle likes ketchup so who cares.
Anyway.
I haven’t eaten cheese in a loooong time, and I don’t see dairy re-entering my diet any time soon, but if you have pairing suggestions for Kyle feel free to chime in here.
What’s your favorite cheese? Favorite cheese sandwich?
I don’t eat cheese either – it does a number on me! THe Husband, however, loves cheese. He likes provolone and sometimes pepperjack. He’s not a “stinky cheese” kind of guy. I loooove stinky cheese though!
Oh my gosh, that grilled cheese is picture perfect! Why oh why have I never thought to butter the bread BEFORE putting it in the skillet? Brilliance! And grilled cheese dipped in ketchup is the best!
Favorite cheese: goat cheese (especially with jam)
Favorite cheese sandwich: a multi-cheese grilled cheese with thick crusty bread! Mmmm! Now I’m hungry!
Mmmmmm! Cheese!
Well. I am in an organization at school in which we make gourmet grilled cheese sandwiches to raise money for The Hunger Project. So, I consider myself a bit of a grilled cheese expert! I’ve had a grilled cheese post in the works for a while now and am planning on posting it soon but I’ll leave you with two combos for Kyle. We call it the Finance $izzle and it contains cheddar, salsa, hot sauce, spinach and garlic. The other is the Cheesus Loves Me which is cheddar, pesto, spinach, mushrooms, and tomatoes!
I used to live next to a guy who worked at the dairy in Melbourne. He made gourmet cheese for a living. I don’t eat as much of it as I did back then, but man his Persian Feta was the best thing in the world.
Goat cheese and dates is an old standard. Plus the addition of pistachios and goat to a salad/sammie is wonderful
I was JUST thinking about fancy grilled cheese sandwiches this morning! I used to make them all the time, but haven’t in far too long. I love fig preserves with some kind of creamy cheese.
i have a lot of cheese in my freezer right now too! i recommend fondue for one, or adding it to soups!
Mmmm! Mozzarella grilled cheese with marinara is my favorite. And goat cheese with cranberries. I can’t get enough of either. Grilled cheese is always my go-to comfort food.
This post makes me miss cheese so much! It is definitely the thing I miss most being vegan. In my pre-vegan world I adored feta, gorgonzola, and hard extra-aged cheeses. Mmmmm…..
mmmm cheese..I am droolin..the cheese sammi with marinera = heaven.
I like most non stinky cheeses 😀
I butter the bread first too, that’s the only way to do it. 😉 I use my george foreman too for even quicker grilled sandwiches. I love using swiss, sauteed onions, mushrooms, spinach, & spicy mustard on grain bread. So good.
One of my favorite pre-vegan cheese combos was a brie quesadilla. Use 2 tortillas, because trust me: one folded in half is NOT enough!!
Put a teeny tiny bit of olive oil (or any near flavorless oil) in the bottom of your pan, heat over low heat, and coat one side of each tortilla in the warm oil. Put one tortilla aside, leaving the other in the pan. Evenly put slices of brie cheese around the tortilla, intermixed with slices of pears (or mango). Sprinkle with fresh chopped cilantro and a finely chopped fresh jalapeño (1/2 tsp). Warm through until the cheese is melty and the tortilla is a light golden.
Now… you have a decision to make at this point: put the 2nd tortilla on top & do a dangerously acrobatic flip in the pan OR remove this half of the quesadilla from the pan, and lightly toast the 2nd tortilla alone then place on top. (I usually take option 2)
On the side, mix 1/2 Cup sour cream with juice of a half of a lime & salt to taste.
This is all VERY EASILY MADE VEGAN by replacing the brie with Daiya Italian flavor cheese, and using non-dairy sour cream (I love Tofutti).
I would be the happiest girl in the world eating these every meal every day for the rest of my life!!!
A grilled cheese with a slice of cheddar and slice of aged white cheddar, red pepper jelly, and thinly sliced grilled apple and red onion. Rich but good. Only make like once a year!
what a fun post! I love lots of cheeses, but feta and goat are my favorite. not gonna lie, though, the Kraft singles ,Elton so great mad taste awesome between some good bread or a tortilla. so bad…so good.
I’m on a grilled cheese kick these days. My fave (recently posted the recipe) is Ezekiel cinnamon raisin bread + goat cheese + apple.
The grilled mozzarella + marinara sounds heavenly! 🙂 I really like putting hummus on my grilled cheese sandwiches!
My grilled cheese pairing ideas: pepper jelly, roasted red peppers, tempeh bacon, artichoke hearts, pesto. Probably not all together.
its been so long since ive had cheese, but i remember loving brie. i never liked the other ones much though. i was a low class cheddar girl, ha.
hot damn. you better link up your post in this comments section ones its published! love the finance sizzle name. haha.
the foreman is such a clutch tool. good call. ill have to bust mine out soon.
ohhhhh. myyyyy. gosh!!
i am utterly speechless.
daiya here i come!
I’m telling you: I could eat this every at every meal every day if I could get away with it!!!
A jalapeno popper grilled cheese: Cheddar on one slice of bread, cream cheese on the other, a flat sliced fresh jalapeno in the middle.
Pimento and Cheese is also good hot, as in a grilled cheese sandwich. Add sliced tomatoes.
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