One Life Changing Grilled Cheese Sandwich, Coming Right Up!
When I worked at the QuadSide Café last semester, I thought it was time for me to up the ante of my grilled cheese sandwich. Oh sure, they were tasty but why not make them thrilling? Or, life changing. There’s a little bagel/sandwich shop at home that makes to-die-for sandwiches and they are the inspiration for my sandwich that I am sharing with you today. I also thought, while ruminating over which recipe you might want to have in your box, that why in the heck should dates only be at dinnertime? Why not have a lunchtime date? This is perfect for such a thing.
Ingredients:
Potato Bread (trust me – this comes out golden brown and crispy)
Butter (don’t even think about using margarine)
Sharp cheddar
Monterey Jack
Garden Vegetable or Chive and Herb cream cheese
One ripe, beautiful tomato
Tomato soup
Directions:
This is going to get messy, but in the end, it is worth it and a lot of fun. But be forewarned.
I’d recommend setting out both the butter and the cream cheese to soften because it makes them infinitely easier to spread on your bread. Preheat a stovetop pan (make sure you have a lid that will fit on it) over low heat – no more than three notches above low.
After they’re a nice softness, spread butter on one slice of bread, and, on the other side, cream cheese. Warning: you will have to hold the bread in your hand, meaning you’ll get butter on your hand. But that is actually not such a bad thing. Set down slices of sharp cheddar, then slices of tomato, and finish it off with slices of monterey jack.
Take the next slice of bread and spread the cream cheese on, lay it down on the rest of your sandwich, and also spread butter on it. Everything should have started to melt by now and you are on your way to a great sandwich. Put a lid on your pan and stay near the stove – check your sandwich every once in a while or else it will burn and that is an unfortunate thing. The reason you have it on such low heat is because otherwise you will get burnt bread and rubbery cheese. Ew.
After one side is golden brown, flip your sandwich and put the lid back on. This side won’t take as long because the butter and cheese will already be melted. After a minute or two, your sandwich is finished. Slice it (the cheese will be melted everywhere, ooey, gooey goodness that I like to refer to as ‘heaven in your mouth’). Pair it with a bowl of tomato soup and your date should melt for you.
Mary Carman is a senior in the American studies.