Ooh, how I loved that sharp cheddar! Num!!
One time we were going to Costco and I was telling my husband this, how much I loved sharp cheddar and how we should get it for a special occasion sometime. The Hubster gave me an odd look and said, "Why do you have to wait for a special occasion? If you like sharp cheddar, buy sharp cheddar."
Duh! Why had this never occurred to me before? I was simply stuck in the habit of buying medium cheddar because it is what I had always done.
That day I bought a giant block of sharp cheddar (extra sharp white cheddar, to be exact) and never looked back.
It is delicious and I get real joy every time I put it on my food. It just adds much more flavor.
Fast forward to tonight. In a huge lack of imagination and preparation, The Hubster and I decided to have grilled cheese sandwiches for dinner. I opened the fridge to grab what I needed and saw a bottle of real bacon bits (another new staple in our house).
Mmmmmm...bacon bits. I bet that would be really yummy on a grilled cheese. All of the sudden I started thinking of what I could do to make a grilled cheese more interesting. I grabbed a few things in sight and went to work making special grilled cheese sandwiches just for the grown-ups.
Voila!
I was in love with this new variation of grilled cheese. It was so flavorful! I am already thinking of making another one tomorrow.
I figured I would just share what I did here. Because food does not always have to be the same as it has been before. Variety is the spice of life, right?
Sara's Grown-Up Grilled Cheese
INGREDIENTS:
Sandwich bread, 2 slices
Extra sharp white cheddar
Sandwich bread, 2 slices
Extra sharp white cheddar
Mozzarella (mine was shredded)
Parmesan (mine was shredded)
Real Bacon Bits
Real Bacon Bits
Tomatoes
Green Chiles
Green Chiles
Miracle Whip
Butter
Spread a light layer of Miracle Whip on each slice of bread. Sprinkle Parmesan and Mozzarella on one slice and put the white cheddar on the other. Sprinkle on a few bacon bits and green chiles. (Yes, I live in New Mexico now and everything has green chile on it. Why should grilled cheese be any different?) Slice the tomatoes and layer them on. Squish sandwich together.
Melt about 1/2 TBSP of butter in your frying pan. Fry on medium-low heat on each side until golden brown.
Want to make sure your cheese is melted? Here's the trick my dad taught me. Once you put the sandwich on, splash a couple of drops of water in the pan and instantly cover it. This will create steam and lock it in to melt that cheese perfectly.
But the great thing? You don't even have to follow this recipe exactly. What do you like? What do you have on hand? What sounds good to you? Avocado? Sour dough bread? Feta cheese?
Melt about 1/2 TBSP of butter in your frying pan. Fry on medium-low heat on each side until golden brown.
Want to make sure your cheese is melted? Here's the trick my dad taught me. Once you put the sandwich on, splash a couple of drops of water in the pan and instantly cover it. This will create steam and lock it in to melt that cheese perfectly.
But the great thing? You don't even have to follow this recipe exactly. What do you like? What do you have on hand? What sounds good to you? Avocado? Sour dough bread? Feta cheese?
Mix it up and try something new!
