Grilled cheese sandwich on the grill for National Cheese Day
Mary Bilyeu | Contributor
On National Cheese Day, it would be very easy to celebrate with a beautiful cheese plate and some complementary fruits or olives. But why not have a bit more fun? Why not do something slightly more whimsical?
And so, I thought of everyone's favorite way to enjoy cheese — a grilled cheese sandwich. But why cook it in a frying pan on the stove if I could actually grill it on my new-to-me grill?
Thus, I offer a grilled grilled cheese sandwich!
The slight bit of charring offers a smoky taste to perfectly accent the toastiness and creaminess of this treat. A nice summery accompaniment would be a twist on the standard and classic tomato soup — a bright, vibrant gazpacho. Variations on the theme, my friends!
I apologize for the vagueness of the recipe, as in "sprinkles" of pepper and "schmears" of mustard and butter. But all I did was stick a knife into the jar and into the dish, respectively, and so I don't have exact measurements. It seemed awfully fussy to haul out measuring cups and spoons just to say "spread some mustard on the bread."
For a change of pace, instead of grilling chicken or burgers, try something a little different!
Grilled Grilled Cheese Sandwich
8 slices rye bread
schmears of brown mustard
6 ounces Swiss cheese, grated
sprinkles of freshly ground black pepper
schmears of butter
Lay the slices of rye onto a countertop. Schmear the top side of each with brown mustard.
Divide the grated Swiss cheese among 4 slices of bread, then sprinkle with a bit of pepper; top with the remaining slices of bread, mustard-side down. Spread butter on both sides of each sandwich.
Preheat grill to medium-low. Place the sandwiches away from direct heat and grill for 3 minutes or so until toasted but not charred. Flip the sandwiches over and cook 2-3 minutes until toasted but not charred. Remove sandwiches from heat and cut into halves.
Makes 4 sandwiches.
Mary Bilyeu writes about her adventures in the kitchen - making dinner, celebrating holidays, entering cooking contests ... whatever strikes her fancy. She is also on a mission to find great deals for her Frugal Floozie Friday posts, seeking fabulous food at restaurants on the limited budget of only $5 per person. Feel free to email her with questions or comments or suggestions: yentamary@gmail.com.
You should visit Mary's blog — Food Floozie — on which she enthuses and effuses over all things food-related. And be sure to look for her monthly articles about holiday foods and traditions in the Washtenaw Jewish News.
The phrase "You Should Only Be Happy" (written in Hebrew on the stone pictured in this post) comes from Deuteronomy 16:15 and is a wish for all her readers - when you come to visit here, may you always be happy.