It’s national Grilled Cheese Sandwich Day

Grilled cheese sandwiches, often accompanied by piping hot tomato soup, make a satisfying meal.

And this is the perfect week to indulge, since Sunday, April 12, is National Grilled Cheese Sandwich Day.

Grilled cheese is one of the top comfort foods. Everyone has their favorite grilled cheese recipe, whether the sandwich is made with American, cheddar or another type of cheese on white, wheat or whole grain bread.

According to food historians, cooked bread and cheese is an ancient food enjoyed across the world in many cultures.  The modern version of the grilled cheese sandwich originated in the 1920s when inexpensive sliced bread and American cheese became readily available. 

Originally, grilled cheese sandwiches were served open-faced. U.S. government cookbooks describe Navy cooks broiling “American cheese filling sandwiches” during World War II.

Maybe it’s time to try a variation on your favorite basic recipe. Adding a meat or spread to the sandwich will increase the flavor. Trying different breads will also change the basic sandwich.

There are even variations that create a breakfast sandwich, sweet dessert or snack sandwich.

Author Laura Werlin, who has penned two grilled cheese cookbooks, offers variations on the basic grilled cheese recipe, as well as “go-with” side dishes such as deep-fried pickles.

Werlin offered these tips for making a grilled cheese:

n Grate cheese instead of using sliced cheese on the sandwich. Grated cheese melts faster and more evenly. Choose a cheese that melts easily, such as cheddar, fontina or Gouda.

n Use salted butter for the sandwich, buttering the bread instead of the pan. Thin sliced bread and soft butter work best.

n Don’t rush the sandwich. Grill it over medium heat, watching carefully to ensure the cheese melts and the bread crisps.

n Cover the frying pan to lock in the heat and help the cheese melt evenly and quickly.

n Use a spatula to press down firmly on the sandwich while cooking. Flip the sandwich twice, pressing down each time, to ensure crisp bread.

Following are grilled cheese recipes from www.thepioneerwoman.com.

 

 

Baked Potato Grilled Cheese

2 to 3 strips bacon

4 to 5 slices russet potato

2 tablespoons sour cream

1/2 cup shredded cheddar cheese

1 tablespoon green onion or chives

2 slices crusty bread

2 tablespoons butter

1 dash garlic powder

Salt 

Pepper 

In a pan on medium-high heat, add enough canola oil to lightly cover bottom of the pan. Fry bacon over medium heat until desired crispiness. Remove from pan.

In the pan with bacon grease, fry potatoes until golden brown and crispy, adding canola oil if necessary. Salt and pepper to taste, then sprinkle with a dash of garlic powder.

Butter the outside of both slices of bread. Spread one tablespoon sour cream on each slice of bread, then place 1/4 cup shredded cheddar cheese on bottom slice of bread. Top with cooked potato slices, bacon, more sour cream, if desired, crumbled bacon, chives, remaining shredded cheddar cheese and top slice of bread.

Grill in nonstick pan over medium-low heat until bread is golden brown and cheese is melted

 

 

 

Creamy Tomato Soup With Grilled Cheese Croutons

1 tablespoon olive oil

1 onion, diced

3 garlic cloves, minced

1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes

1 bay leaf

2 28-ounce cans whole tomatoes

1/2 cup heavy cream

1 tablespoon brown sugar

3/4 cup low-sodium vegetable broth

1 tablespoon chopped fresh parsley leaves, for garnish

For croutons:

1 tablespoon olive oil

4 slices white or wheat bread

2 tablespoons unsalted butter, softened

4 ounces shredded sharp cheddar cheese

Heat olive oil in a grill pan over medium-high heat. Spread 1/2 tablespoon butter over one side of each bread slice. Turn slices over, top two slices with cheddar , then place remaining bread on top, buttered sides up. Place sandwich in pan and grill two to three minutes per side, until bread is golden and cheese is melted. Let cool one minute, then cut into one-inch cubes.

Heat olive oil in a large stockpot or Dutch oven over medium heat. Add onion, garlic, red pepper flakes and bay leaf and cook three to five minutes, stirring frequently, until onion is translucent.

Stir in tomatoes and mash, using a potato masher, until broken down into smaller pieces. Stir in heavy cream and brown sugar. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat and simmer eight to 10 minutes, until slightly thickened. Remove bay leaf.

Puree with an immersion blender. Stir in vegetable broth and cook two minutes, until heated through, season with salt and pepper to taste.

Serve immediately with croutons, garnished with parsley.

 

 

Jalapeno Popper Grilled Cheese

6 jalapenos, cut in half lengthwise

2 tablespoons olive oil

Salt 

Pepper

1/2 cup mascarpone cheese

8 slices bread

1 cup cheddar cheese, shredded

2 tablespoons butter, salted

Toss jalapeños with one tablespoon olive oil and salt and pepper, then lay, skin-side up, on a parchment-lined baking sheet. Bake in a 435-degree oven 10 to 15 minutes, until skin is blistered. Place in a plastic bag for five minutes, then pull off the skin, remove the majority of seeds and ribs and slice. Set aside.

Spread mascarpone on four slices of bread and divide cheddar among the other four slices. Divide sliced jalapenos among the four sandwiches. Close and butter both sides of the bread.

Heat half of the remaining oil on a flat griddle over medium heat. Grill one side of the sandwiches until golden. Remove, heat pan with the remaining oil and repeat with the second side of the sandwich until golden and the insides are all melty and gooey.

 

 

 

Brie Grilled Cheese with Fig Jam and Apples

4 slices sourdough bread

6 ounces brie cheese sliced

4 tablespoon fig jam

1 apple sliced

4 tablespoon butter

Take two slices of bread and place sliced brie on both. Top with some sliced apples and fig jam. 

Place remaining bread over the top of both sandwiches. Melt two tablespoons butter in a pan over medium-low heat. Place sandwiches in the pan, cover and cook until golden on the bottom side.

Add remaining butter and flip the sandwich, then cook, covered, until golden and the cheese has melted.

 

 

 

Apple Bacon and Cheddar Grilled Cheese

1 tablespoon Dijon mustard

1 tablespoon mayonnaise 

2 teaspoons Everything But The Bagel seasoning 

1 teaspoon honey

3 leaves fresh sage, chopped

6 to 8 slices bacon

1 Fuji apple, sliced thinly

1/2 cup sharp cheddar cheese, shredded

1/2 cup mozzarella cheese, shredded

3 to 4 sprigs fresh thyme

4 tablespoons salted butter

2 slices sourdough bread

Place bacon on a baking sheet and bake in a 375-degree oven for 15 to 20 minutes, until golden brown and crisp.

In a small bowl, mix together mustard, mayonnaise, seasoning, honey and freshly chopped sage leaves. Add a pinch of salt and stir together.

Spread one tablespoon of the mixture onto bread. Sprinkle cheddar and mozzarella cheese on top, then place three to four slices bacon and five to six slices apple on top of cheese. Sprinkle one to two thyme leaves on top. Sandwich bread and place in an oven-safe skillet. Add one tablespoon butter on top of the bread and one tablespoon butter in the pan. Bake in a 400-degree oven eight to 10 minutes, until cheese is melted.

Remove pan from the oven and place on stove over medium-high heat. Add additional butter and cook on both sides for two to three minutes.

 

 

Buffalo Chicken Grilled Cheese

1 cooked chicken breast, shredded

1 cup red hot buffalo wing sauce

8 slices jalapeño bread

4 ounces Monterey Jack cheese, sliced

4 ounces blue cheese or Gorgonzola cheese crumbles

4 tablespoons butter

In a medium bowl, stir shredded chicken breast and hot sauce together. Spread 1/2 tablespoon butter on one side of each slice of the bread, then stack buttered sides together. Layer one ounce of Monterey Jack on each bread stack, then dollop hot sauce-slathered chicken breast on top and add one ounce blue cheese crumbles. Place bread, buttered side down, in a fry pan over medium heat. Cover and cook for three to four minutes, until golden.

Reduce heat to medium-low, flip sandwich to the other side and cook two to three minutes, until bread is toasty golden and cheese has melted. 

 

 

Green Goddess Grilled Cheese Sandwich

1/4 cup minced chives

2 tablespoons minced fresh tarragon

1 garlic clove, minced

1/3 cup minced baby spinach and 1 cup baby spinach

1/2 teaspoon anchovy paste, optional

7 tablespoons mayonnaise

4 tablespoons salted butter, softened

8 thick slices French or white bread

2 cups shredded low-moisture mozzarella cheese

1 avocado sliced

4 thick asparagus spears, shaved or thinly sliced

1/2 cup micro-greens, optional

In a small bowl, combine chives, tarragon, garlic, minced spinach, anchovy paste and three tablespoons mayonnaise until well incorporated.

  In a separate small bowl, combine butter with remaining mayonnaise. Spread one side of each slice of bread with about one tablespoon butter mixture. 

  Heat a large skillet over medium-low heat. Place a slice of bread, butter side down, in the pan and top with 1/4 cup mozzarella. Add one-quarter of the avocado slices, followed by a quarter of the spinach leaves, a quarter of the shaved asparagus and a quarter of the micro-greens. Top with 1/4 cup mozzarella. 

Spread two tablespoons green goddess mayonnaise onto the non-buttered side of one of the slices of bread. Place on top of the mozzarella, green goddess side down. Repeat. 

  Increase heat to medium, cover and cook 12 to 14 minutes, flipping halfway through, until cheese is melted and sandwich is golden on both sides.

 

 

Pesto Caprese Grilled Cheese

1/2 cup pesto

8 slices crusty sourdough bread

1 pound fresh mozzarella, sliced

1 to 2 medium tomatoes, sliced

1-1/4 cups jarred roasted peppers, torn

Kosher salt

Black pepper

4 tablespoons salted butter, room temperature 

Spread pesto on each piece of bread. On four pieces, layer mozzarella, tomatoes and roasted pepper pieces. Season with salt and pepper. Top with the remaining bread, pesto-side down.

Generously butter the outsides of the sandwiches. Grill in a panini press according to the manufacturer’s instructions, until cheese is melted and bread is browned and crispy. Remove from the press and let stand for 30 seconds or so before slicing.

 

 

Loaded Grilled Cheese

1/2 cup butter, room temperature

1/2 cup mayonnaise

For sandwich:

2 slices sourdough bread

1 tablespoon raspberry jam

Thick potato chips

2 bacon slices, cooked until crisp

1/3 cup shredded Gruyère cheese

Mix together butter and mayonnaise in a small bowl. 

Between the sourdough slices, layer a generous amount of raspberry jam, chips, then the bacon, and shredded Gruyère. If desired, add another layer of jam. Press sandwich lightly.

Slather one side of the sandwich with butter-mayo mixture, then place it in a skillet or griddle over medium heat. Slather the top with the butter-mayo while it grills. Flip after about three minutes, when brown and toasty. Cook until browned and cheese is melted.

 

 

BBQ Chicken Grilled Cheese Sandwich

For chicken:

2  tablespoons  olive oil

1  small red onion,  thinly sliced

3  cloves  garlic,  minced

2-1/2  cups  shredded roasted chicken

1/2  teaspoon paprika

1  teaspoon  Worcestershire sauce

1 cup barbecue sauce

12  slices Havarti cheese

For sandwich:

1/4  cup  butter

2  cloves  garlic, minced

2  teaspoons  parsley, minced

12 slices sourdough bread or sturdy white bread

Heat oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Cook onions two minutes, until soft. Add garlic and cook 30 seconds, until fragrant. Add shredded chicken, smoked paprika, Worcestershire sauce and barbecue sauce. Stir, then cook two to three minutes, until heated through.

Place butter, garlic and minced parsley in a medium bowl. Microwave until melted.

Lay 12 slices bread on work surface. Spread melted butter mixture over each piece. Turn each piece over place cheese slices and barbecue chicken on six of the bread slices. Place remaining cheese over the chicken, then top with remaining bread, buttered side exposed.

Set buttered sandwiches in a large non-stick skillet. Place over medium heat and cook three to five minutes, until bottoms are browned. Turn sandwiches over, reduce heat to medium-low and cook three to five minutes, until bottom is browned and the cheese is melted.