Grilled Cheese Please!

50 Scrumptiously Cheesy Recipes

Laura Werlin

• Publisher: Andrews McMeel Publishing, LLC
• Year: 2011
• Print ISBN:
  9781449401658
• eBook ISBN:
  9781449406721
• Topic: Art
• Subtopic: Culinary Arts

An award–winning cheese expert shares fifty gourmet variations on the classic comfort food with "the kind of recipes any cheese fanatic might dream about" (Kate Heddings, Food & Wine)
In  Grilled Cheese, Please!, James Beard Award-winner Laura Werlin elevates the classic grilled cheese sandwich to a culinary center-of-the-plate meal through innovative and delicious recipes. Discover ooey gooey possibilities, such as Say Ole (Two Cheeses, Guacamole, Bacon, and a Corn Chip Crust); Brie, Mozzarella, and Sauteed Pears with Blue Cheese Butter; and Cheddar, Chorizo, Apples, and Pickled Onions on Ciabatta.
The recipes are arranged by topics such as Grilled Cheese on the Go, Ethnic-Inspired, Meat and Cheese, and Veggie and Cheese, among others.  Grilled Cheese, Please! features full-color photography, along with sections highlighting the best cooking techniques, melting cheeses, and other "best" grilled cheese insights, as well as a list of restaurants, stands, and food trucks taking grilled cheese to new heights across the country.

Chapter 1

just cheese

Spinach, Egg, and Manchego

Due Due (Double Cheese Sandwich)

Burrata with Roasted Peppers and Arugula

Double Cheddar and Tomato Jam

Spicy, Crunchy, Sweet Goat Cheese Melt

Provençal-Style Grilled Cheese

Hog Island Grilled Cheese

Spinach, Egg,
and Manchego

One night I looked in my fridge, saw that I had some spinach, eggs, and of course cheese, and I knew I had to try to create a grilled cheese sandwich with these ingredients. What I didn’t know was what a sublime sandwich it would be nor what a great brunch option it is. The only tricky part is getting the egg in the hole, but with a little practice you’ll be able to get a hole in one in no time.

• 3 tablespoons plus 1 teaspoon butter, divided, at room temperature
• ½ medium onion, finely chopped
• 8 ounces baby spinach
• Salt and freshly ground black pepper
• 8 sandwich-size slices sourdough bread (or use pain au levain, Italian, or wheat)
• 8 ounces manchego cheese, coarsely grated (or use young pecorino, Gouda, or Gruyère)
• 4 large eggs

In a large nonstick skillet, heat 1 tablespoon plus 1 teaspoon butter over medium heat. Add the onion and cook just until soft but not brown, about 5 minutes. Add the spinach, cover, and cook, tossing with tongs occasionally, until wilted but still fairly bright green, 2 to 3 minutes. Add salt and pepper to taste. Transfer to a plate. Wipe out the skillet with a paper towel but do not wash it. Have a small bowl or cup ready.

To assemble: Using the remaining butter, butter one side of each slice of bread and place on your work surface, buttered side down. Using a 1½-inch-diameter biscuit cutter (or grapefruit spoon or knife), cut a 1½-inch hole in the center of each bread slice. Press the cheese evenly onto 4 bread slices around the hole (it may seem like a lot of cheese, but it’s actually just the right amount), followed by the spinach mixture. Top with the remaining bread slices, buttered side up.

For stovetop method: Heat a large nonstick skillet over a medium-low heat for 2 minutes. Put the sandwiches into the skillet (in batches if necessary), cover, and cook for 2 to 3 minutes, until the undersides turn golden brown. Turn the sandwiches and, working quickly, separate 1 egg over the small bowl or cup, allowing the egg white to drip into the cup. Pour the yolk into the hole in the bread and then pour the egg white over it. (If the hole has closed up because the cheese has oozed out, just use a spoon to open it back up again before putting the egg in it.) Sprinkle with salt and pepper to taste.

Cover and cook for 2 to 3 minutes, until the undersides are golden brown and the yolks have begun to set (the egg whites won’t have cooked through yet). Carefully turn the sandwiches again (some of the egg white may run off since it is still partially uncooked). Cover and cook for 1 to 3 minutes, depending on how you like your eggs. Cut in half diagonally and serve immediately

NOTE: This sandwich cannot be made in a sandwich maker.

Makes 4 sandwiches

Due Due (Double Cheese Sandwich)

Pronounced DO-ay, due is the Italian word for “two.” Chef Ryan Hardy of the restaurant Montagna at The Little Nell in Aspen, Colorado, created and named this sublime sandwich after the two cheeses he calls for in the recipe, as well as for the unusual Italian cheese Robiola Due Latte, which is made with both cow’s and sheep’s milk. While it’s fairly widely available, if you can’t find robiola, just use Brie. No matter what, you’ll love the combination of flavors, especially when you add the sweet-spicy Mostarda di Mediterranea (page 144). Note that although Ryan’s recipe calls for truffles or truffle paste, it’s entirely optional.

4 ciabatta rolls, or 1 ciabatta loaf cut into 4 (3-inch-wide) pieces

2 tablespoons butter, at room temperature

2 tablespoons plus 2 teaspoons Dijon mustard

3 to 4 grams fresh white truffles, shaved, or 1 teaspoon white truffle paste (optional)

8 ounces Robiola Due Latte or Tre Latte cheese, sliced ¼ inch thick (or use Brie)

4 ounces fontina cheese, coarsely grated

Mostarda di Mediterranea, for dipping (page 144)

To assemble: Slice the rolls or bread in half horizontally. Place the bread crust side up and spread with the butter. Turn the bottom (flat) halves of the bread, buttered side down, on your work surface. Spread each piece with 2 teaspoons mustard and the truffles or truffle paste. Lay the Robiola slices on the bread and top with the fontina. Top with the remaining bread pieces, buttered-crust side up.

For stovetop method: Heat a large nonstick skillet over medium-low heat for 2 minutes. Put the sandwiches into the pan, cover, and cook for 6 to 7 minutes, until the undersides are golden brown. Turn the sandwiches, pressing each one very firmly with a spatula to compress the bread and filling. Cover and cook for 5 to 6 minutes, until the other sides are well browned. Remove the cover, turn the sandwiches once more, and press firmly with the spatula once again. Cook for 1 to 2 minutes, until the grated cheese has melted completely. (You may need to peek inside one of the sandwiches to make sure.) Remove from the pan and let cool for 5 minutes. Cut in half and serve with the mostarda alongside as a sandwich dip.

For sandwich maker method: Preheat the sandwich maker. Follow directions for assembly above. Cook according to manufacturer’s instructions.

Makes 4 sandwiches

Burrata with Roasted Peppers and Arugula

Burrata doesn’t translate to “rich and creamy” in English, but it just as well might. This seductive cheese, originally from southern Italy, is essentially a ball-shaped pouch made of a thin “skin” of mozzarella stretched around a mixture of cream and strips of mozzarella. You can find it in specialty foods stores and cheese shops around the country. If you can’t find it, use fresh mozzarella instead.

3 tablespoons olive oil

8 sandwich-size slices Italian bread (or use sourdough or French)

1 (8-ounce) piece burrata, quartered (or use water-packed mozzarella, sliced ¼ inch thick )

4 ounces roasted red peppers from a jar, drained (or make your own)

1¼ cups packed arugula, stems removed

Salt

To assemble: Brush oil on one side of each of the bread slices. Place 4 slices of bread, oil side down, on your work surface. Put the cheese on the bread and spread lightly to distribute evenly. Lay the peppers on top of the cheese. Pile the arugula onto the peppers. Use your hands to compress lightly if necessary. Drizzle with 1 tablespoon olive oil, and sprinkle with a little salt to taste. Top with the remaining bread slices, oil side up.

For stovetop method: Heat a large nonstick skillet over medium heat for 2 minutes. Put the sandwiches into the pan, cover, and cook for 3 to 4 minutes, until the undersides are well browned. Turn the sandwiches, pressing each one lightly with a spatula to flatten slightly (you don’t want the burrata to come spurting out). Cover and cook for 2 to 3 minutes, until the second side is golden brown. Turn the sandwiches once more, press firmly with the spatula, cook for 1 minute, and remove from the pan. Let cool for 5 minutes. Cut in...

Table of contents

• Cover
• Half Title Page
• Title Page
• Copyright
• Contents
• Acknowledgments
• Introduction
• Chapter 1 Just Cheese
• Chapter 2 Meat and Cheese
• Chapter 3 Anything Goes
• Chapter 4 Veggies and Cheese
• Chapter 5 Global Grilled Cheese
• Chapter 6 Grilled Cheese on the Go
• Chapter 7 Regional American Grilled Cheese
• Chapter 8 Old Favorites and Modern Sides
• Appendix: Where Grilled Cheese Plays the Starring Role
• Metric Conversions and Equivalents
• Author Bio