Grilled Cheese, Two Ways

Today, my friends, I bring you two ooey-gooey variations on grilled cheese. Behind Door #1 we have a Peach Grilled Cheese with Mozzarella and Brie. Initially I was planning to do a caprese grilled cheese, but the peach festival had me still in the mood for peaches, and peaches and basil go well together, so I swapped out the tomatoes for peaches. And then I threw some brie into the mix, because when is brie not a good idea? And the second time I made it, I added a drizzle of lavender balsamic vinegar.

But after making the Peach Grilled Cheese twice, I was out of peaches, so I went searching the internets for ideas to use up the rest of the brie, mozzarella, and sourdough bread. Which brings us to the sandwich behind Door #2—Avocado and Tomato Grilled Cheese with Mozzarella and Brie. I actually liked this one better! The original recipe called for sundried tomatoes, which would have been lovely on this sandwich . . . but the sundried tomatoes in my fridge tasted a little past their prime, and I had a perfectly good fresh tomato on my counter, so that’s what I went with.

Both of these grilled cheese combinations were cheese-drippin’-down-your-chin good! The avocado one especially was very rich, and the peach one offered a lovely sweet vs. creamy contrast, though I wish I’d used more peaches because their flavor almost got lost. Red onion would probably be a great addition to either or both of these sandwiches. And if prosciutto was more my thing, I think it’d be a perfect addition as well. 

Grilled Cheese, Two Ways

Yield: However many sandwiches you make

Avocado variation adapted from Serious Eats

Ingredients

Sourdough bread (or other bread of choice)

Olive oil spray

Fresh mozzarella

Brie

Fresh basil

Peach Variation

Fresh peach

Balsamic vinegar or lavender balsamic vinegar (optional)

Avocado Variation

Avocado 

Fresh tomato or sundried tomatoes

Salt and pepper

Directions

Lightly spray one side of each slice of bread (what will be the outside of the sandwich) with olive oil. On the inside of the sandwich, arrange slices of brie on one slice of bread and slices of mozzarella on the other side.

Slice your peaches or your avocado and tomato, and layer them on top of the mozzarella. If desired, grill the peaches to get a bit of caramelization (I did this but don’t think it was necessary). If using fresh tomatoes, seed them so your sandwich doesn’t get too watery. Add a drizzle of balsamic or a sprinkling of salt and pepper. 

Sprinkle thinly sliced basil over the top. Now, if you press the brie into the bread a bit, it’ll stay put while you flip that slice of bread over to place on top of the sandwich. 

Preheat a skillet over medium-low heat. Carefully slide the sandwich into the skillet, and cook for a few minutes on each side, until the bread is nicely toasted and the cheeses are gooey. I usually cover it for half the cooking time to help the sandwich get warm throughout. Move the sandwich to a cutting board and carefully slice in half before serving.

Notes

• It would have felt weird to put measurements in a grilled cheese recipe, but just to give you an idea of some of the quantities: For each sandwich, I used less than half of a medium peach, just under half a regular (not hass) avocado, and about a third of a roma tomato. My bread slices were bigger than a slice of standard sandwich bread. 
• For the cheeses, I bought a pretty small wedge of brie and a fist-sized ball of mozzarella (sorry I threw away the wrappers and transferred them to zip bags before thinking to write down how many ounces I bought of each cheese!). I've made three sandwiches and have enough brie for one more, and would have enough mozzarella for probably two more sandwiches if I hadn't nibbled so much of it. 

Grilled Cheese with Balsamic Roasted Broccoli

Well, I posted the tomatillo salsa recipe that day after Cinco de Mayo, and I'm posting a grilled cheese recipe after National Grilled Cheese Sandwich Month (April) is over. This, my friends, is one of the reasons I'm not a professional food blogger. However, I maintain that fancy pants grilled cheese sandwiches are good at any time of the year.

What you'll find below is not exactly a recipe. Rather, it's a list of ingredients and some directions on a good method. But when I made this sandwich (twice!) I didn't measure a thing. If you have leftover roasted broccoli, use it as a side dish for another meal--it's great on its own! The original recipe called for onion and red bell pepper to be roasted with the broccoli, and that sounds good, but the sandwiches didn't taste at all like they were missing anything by not having roasted onion and pepper.

Grilled Cheese with Balsamic Roasted Broccoli
Adapted from Cookie and Kate
Yield: 1 serving 

Ingredients
Fresh broccoli florets
Olive oil
Balsamic vinegar
Salt and pepper
2 slices sourdough bread
Dijon mustard
1-3 kinds of cheese, shredded (I used cheddar, gouda, and parmesan)

Directions
Preheat oven to 450. Line a baking sheet with foil. Cut broccoli florets into small bite-sized pieces; toss with olive oil and balsamic vinegar. Sprinkle with salt and pepper, and toss again. Spread broccoli out on the baking sheet. Roast for about 20 minutes, stirring halfway through, until broccoli is darkened and roasty.

Get two slices of sourdough bread, and stack them like a sandwich. Spray/brush olive oil on the outsides of the bread sandwich. Then place the slices of bread oil-side-down. Spread a thin layer of Dijon mustard on one slice of bread. Grate one or two kinds of cheese, and sprinkle evenly on both slices of bread. I did cheddar on one slice and gouda on the other.

Heat a skillet over medium to medium-low heat. Using a spatula, carefully transfer each slice of bread into the skillet. Cover and cook on medium-low until cheese is melted. Check the bottoms of the bread; if they're not yet toasted, raise heat to medium and continue cooking (uncovered) until bread is toasted. Remove both slices of bread to a cutting board.

Layer some broccoli on top of one of the sandwich halves. Be generous with the broccoli. If desired, sprinkle a little more cheese in with the broccoli to help it stick together. I used parmesan. Place the other sandwich half on top and smoosh it slightly. Using a serrated knife, carefully cut the sandwich in half. Transfer to a plate to serve.

Apple, Leek, and Gruyere Grilled Cheese

Apple, Leek, and Gruyere Grilled Cheese
Adapted from Eats Well With Others
Yield: 4-6 servings

Ingredients
1 loaf fancy bread of choice (I used a rustic french bread)
2 large leeks, white and light green parts only
2 oz. gruyere, shredded
1 granny smith apple, cored and sliced
Pinch nutmeg
Salt and pepper to taste
Butter, softened, for pan and for spreading on bread
Swirl of olive oil

Directions
Prepare the leeks: Chop off the dark green tops; discard or reserve for another use. Remove the very end of the bulb. Cut the white/light green stalk in half lengthwise, then slice thinly. Fill a large bowl with water and place the sliced leeks into it. Swirl them around with your fingers to help loosen any dirt on them. Remove the leeks to a colander, then dump out the dirt-infused water and rinse out the bowl. Repeat until you're not getting any dirt in the bottom of the bowl. Let the leeks drain in a colander while you grate the cheese and slice the apple.*

Heat a pat of butter and a swirl of olive oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium heat. Add the leeks, nutmeg, salt, and pepper. Cook for about 5 minutes, until leeks are softened. Add the apples and cook for a few minutes more, until apples are also soft. Remove from heat.

Meanwhile, set bread slices in pairs, and butter the outsides of what will be each sandwich. When apple and leek mixture is ready, build each sandwich: Lay apple slices on the un-buttered side of a slice of bread. Top with some leeks, then sprinkle on some gruyere, then top with the other piece of bread (buttered side out).**

Transfer any leftover apple-leek mixture into a bowl or storage container; wipe out the skillet. Return skillet to medium-low heat. Once it's hot, carefully add sandwiches to the pan. Cook for about 3 minutes on each side, turning carefully, until each side is crusty and golden. Remove each sandwich to a cutting board and, using a good bread knife, slice each sandwich in half.

Notes
Joanne (the original recipe writer) called for 4 large leeks for 4 servings. I used 2 large leeks and got 5-6 servings. Perhaps my leeks were bigger than hers, or her bread slices were bigger than mine? Her pictures don't look like she filled her sandwiches fuller than I did.

*At this point, Joanne said to blanch the leeks (boil for two minutes, then dunk in ice water). I did that, but didn't think it accomplished much other than getting another pan dirty and making the process more complicated, so I'm leaving that step out of my instructions.

**On this step, it's best to use your fingers so you have maximum control over your ingredients. Just let the apple-leek mixture cool enough for you to handle it. For more cheese throughout the sandwich, do apple, cheese, leek, cheese. I tried it both ways and liked them about equally.

Avocado, Mozzarella, and Jalapeño Chimichurri Grilled Cheese

Chimichurri recipes seem to be popping up all over the place. So much so, that I feel kinda like chimichurri is the new pesto. So, lest I be a failure of a food blogger, I'm officially on the chimichurri bandwagon . . . though the variation I made is apparently not even remotely traditional.

What is chimichurri? Well, it's an Argentinian sauce, traditionally made with parsley, garlic, oregano, olive oil, and red or white wine vinegar. It's traditionally used as a condiment with meat or fish, but can also be used on vegetables, eggs, or tacos.

And on grilled cheese sandwiches.

Like I said, this chimichurri is not exactly traditional, as it uses cilantro, jalapeno, lime juice, green onions, and a bit of honey. But it was tasty and delightfully easy to prepare. Just rough chop the ingredients and give 'em a whir in a small food processor. That's it.

I thought the flavor was great and went well with the avocado and mozzarella. I wimped out and used only one jalapeño instead of two, which I think was a good decision for me. The chimichurri by itself had a tiny kick (perhaps more like a gentle nudge) to it, but wasn't hot at all when combined with the rest of the sandwich.

Note to self: when photographing mozzarella, don't use a white plate.

One word of caution: this is not the sandwich to eat with someone if you're trying to look well-mannered and capable of eating a sandwich without getting food all over your face. Mozzarella is stringy, and it'll want to take the chimichurri and avocado pieces with it.

Or maybe you're a tidier eater than I am.

Avocado, Mozzarella, and Jalapeno Chimichurri Grilled Cheese
slightly adapted from Naturally Ella
Yield: 2 servings

Ingredients
Olive oil spray
1 ripe avocado, cut into 1/4-inch slices
2-4 oz. fresh mozzarella (I used 4 oz.)
4 slices whole wheat bread (I used sandwich rounds)

Chimichurri Ingredients
1 or 2 jalapeños, seeded and roughly chopped
4 green onions, roughly chopped
1/2 cup cilantro
1 clove garlic, roughly diced
2 Tbsp. olive oil
Juice from 1 lime
2 tsp. honey

Directions
Place all chimichurri ingredients in a small food processor and pulse until broken down and well combined, adding more olive oil or lime juice as needed.

Preheat skillet or grill pan over medium-low heat. Spray (or brush) outsides of bread with olive oil. Spread about 1 Tbsp. chimichurri on the insides of each slice of bread. Layer one slice with slices of avocado and mozzarella, and top with the second slice.

Cook on each side until bread is toasted and cheese is melted.

Notes

• For more (or actually existent) heat, leave the seeds in the jalapeños.
• This made about twice as much chimichurri as needed for the sandwiches. Here are two ideas for what to do with leftover chimichurri (the first of which uses this chimichurri).

The Best Way to Use Leftover Easter Ham (Apricot Ham and Brie Panini)

Two years ago I made this Double-Apricot Glazed Ham for Easter lunch and, with some shared foodie genius between a friend and me, turned the leftovers into some killer paninis.

This year when I decided to contribute ham to house church Easter lunch, I am not embellishing when I tell you my thought process went like this: "I could do that apricot ham from a couple years ago. . . Which means I can make the paninis!!!"

Even beyond the panini potential, I'd highly recommend the apricot ham recipe to you. The apricot-Dijon glaze is what really makes this dish, so even if you want to use a different ham-roasting method or leave off the chopped apricots, make the glaze (sauce). You'll be glad you did.

Then slap some leftover ham slices between two pieces of bread, slather it with apricot glaze and Dijon mustard, toss in some brie, and grill it to crunchy, melty perfection. Mm-mmm!

After finding the ham recipe on All Recipes, I couldn't remember what (if any) alterations I'd made to the recipe two years ago, so I clicked through the reviews to see if any of them jogged my memory. Lo and behold! There was a review I had written, saying that I'd followed the recipe exactly! Thank you, two-years-ago self. Thank you.

Apricot Ham and Brie Panini

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Ingredients
Bread of choice - I use white French/baguette-type bread
Slices of apricot ham (recipe below)
Apricot-Dijon glaze (from recipe below)
Dijon mustard
Brie cheese

Directions
On one slice of bread, spread apricot-Dijon glaze (sauce), and spread Dijon mustard on the other slice of bread. (If you spread both slices with the glaze it will be way too sweet.) Warm the ham in the microwave for about 20 seconds, and preheat a panini press or George Foreman grill. Place ham on top of bread, arrange pieces of brie on top, and top with the other piece of bread. Squish a bit if necessary. Grill for a few minutes, until cheese is melted and bread is crispy (with satisfactory grill marks, of course). Make as many or as few sandwiches as you wish.

If you don't have a panini press or George Foreman, you can get a similar effect using two skillets. Heat one skillet over the stove and put the sandwich in it. Use the bottom of the second skillet to press down on the sandwich while it cooks; flip the panini halfway through. I think I've also seen Rachael Ray use a brick--wrapped in foil and heated in the oven--to press her paninis when making them in a skillet on the stove.


Double-Apricot Glazed Ham

Adapted slightly from All Recipes
Yield: 36 servings

Ingredients
1 cup dried apricots
1 cup low-sodium chicken stock (or up to 1-1/2 cups if using slow cooker method)
1/2 cup packed brown sugar
6-lb. fully-cooked whole boneless ham (I used a 9-lb. bone-in spiral-sliced ham)
1-2 Tbsp. butter
1/2 cup finely chopped shallots
24 oz. apricot preserves
1/4 cup Dijon mustard
2 tsp. grated orange peel

Directions
Place apricots and stock in a microwave-safe measuring cup. Microwave on high for 2 minutes. Let cool. Remove apricots, reserving stock, and cut into strips. Mix apricots, sugar, and 1/4 cup of the reserved stock.

To bake: Place ham in a roasting pan. Bake at 325 for 2 hours. Top with apricot mixture during last 30 minutes of baking, basting frequently with pan drippings.

Or to cook in a slow cooker: Place ham, cut side down, in a large slow cooker. Pour in about 1/4 to 1/2 cup chicken stock (this would make the total chicken stock measurement above 1-1/4 to 1-1/2 cups). Top with apricot mixture. Cover and cook on high for 1 hour, then turn down to low for 1 hour, basting periodically with drippings.

Heat butter in a medium pan or skillet over medium heat. Add shallots and cook until tender. Add preserves, mustard, orange rind, and remaining 3/4 cup reserved apricot-infused stock. Heat to a boil. Reduce heat to medium-low; cook for 10+ minutes, until slightly thickened, stirring frequently with a whisk.

If baking, allow ham to rest for about 10 minutes before slicing. Serve with apricot-Dijon sauce.

Provolone Pear Panini

I experimented the last week and came up with this Panini.

2 slices raisin bread
2 slices provolone cheese
2 very thin slices ham lunchmeat
About 1/2 to 1/3 of a pear
2-3 tsp. finely chopped pecans

Preheat a George Foreman grill. Halve, core, and slice a pear (about 1/4” thick). Once the grill is heated, grill three slices for 2-3 minutes until slightly soft, turning once. Meanwhile, spritz olive oil cooking spray on the bread (on the sides that will be the outside of the sandwich).

Layer one slice cheese, pecans, grilled pears, the other slice of cheese, and the ham between the two slices of bread. Grill for 3 minutes or until the bread is browned and the cheese is melty, flipping once if the grill looks like it’s squeezing the filling out of the sandwich. Cut in half and enjoy!