Picture two slabs of processed cheese and a
truckload of mayonnaise enveloped between crispy slices of day-old white bread
cut in the shape of paper boats. This is what made the worst tasting grilled cheese sammy I have
ever tried in my entire life. I still loved every bit of it.
There's just something about the simplistic heartiness of a grilled cheese
sandwich that makes it the irresistible treat I constantly crave for, but if we're being completely honest here, I have to admit that it's just not the
kind of food I would order on a meal out. Grilled cheese sandwiches are generally
very easy to make. The classic version usually consists of
the last pieces of white bread, cheese, and butter nobody at home wants or uses. Instead of making perfectly good ingredients rot in your hands, a great way to be a responsible human being (because what kind of a human being lets cheese rot, right?) is to make use of what you've got.
To me, bread, butter and cheese are the few ingredients almost everyone can't
go wrong with. It's hard to burn bread unless you're careless; cheese is good melted,
frozen, or at room temperature; and butter... Well butter is butter. That's why grilled
cheese is yummy any way you make it.So in tribute to this never-failing sandwich, I'd like to share with you a few of my very own Grilled Cheese with A Twist recipes:
The Big Four Sandwich
This sandwich is perfect in it's own, rough-around-the-edges-but-incredibly-chewy-in-the-middle kind of way. The thick, French white bread buttered like nobody's business encloses a deadly concoction of four cheeses that melt in a symphony of pure deliciousness. This is my version of a classic grilled cheese.
The big four (mozzarella, cheddar, cream cheese, and parmesan) always come together in just the right way so melting them between crispy, golden bread is a simple way to make an easy yet delicious lunch. Fortunately the ingredients to this recipe always seem to be lying around my kitchen, but if you're missing a couple of cheeses the sandwich tastes good as a solo, duo or triple as well. Note: Before I begin cooking, I make sure that the cheese and butter is at room temperature for easy usage.
Ingredients
- Thick French White Bread
- Butter
- Mozzarella
- Cheddar
- Cream Cheese (Softened)
- Parmesan (Grated)
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| My Ingredients |
Prep
If you're using loaves of bread, cut each slice 2/3 of an inch thick.
Butter both sides generously
Cut the cheddar into thin slices
Cut the mozzarella into thin slices
Grate the parmesan.
On the inner side of one slice bread, add 1 layer of cheddar, add 1 thin layer of mozzarella, then add about 4 dollops of cream cheese on top.
On the other slice of bread (inner side), sprinkle as much parmesan as you'd like.
Seal the sandwich together.
Cook
Place the bread on top of an un-greased fry pan or grill.
Cook the sandwich by turning it over in an alternating pattern on medium heat.
It'll take you about 7-10 minutes. You'll know if it's done if both sides of the bread are golden-brown and have a crispy texture. The cheese should be melted, gluing the slices of bread together.
Remove from the skillet and into a plate.
Serve while hot, it's better that way!
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| The Big Four Sandwich Honey-Lemon Glazed Tuna Melt |
This recipe is for the adventurous, or so my boyfriend says. It features a tangy honey-lemon glaze that is sweet and strong in all the right ways. The cheddar cheese acts as a binding ingredient in this recipe. It brings everything together as it manages to gracefully complement the sweet tuna combo. A few minutes on the frying pan and the ingredients melt together into one fresh-tasting sandwich.
This sandwich is a healthier alternative to a heavily-cheesed sammy because of its nutritious ingredients. What I love pairing tuna with the most is a strong citric acid such as lemon or calamansi juice. It's one way to make any tuna, even canned, taste surprisingly fresh again. Note: It is important to use a mild cheddar so it does not over power the rest of the ingredients.
This sandwich is a healthier alternative to a heavily-cheesed sammy because of its nutritious ingredients. What I love pairing tuna with the most is a strong citric acid such as lemon or calamansi juice. It's one way to make any tuna, even canned, taste surprisingly fresh again. Note: It is important to use a mild cheddar so it does not over power the rest of the ingredients.
Ingredients:
- Rye Bread (or any wheat/multi-grain bread)
- Butter
- Honey (1/4 cup)
- Fresh Lemon Juice (2-3 tbsps)
- Tuna
- Black Olives
- Capers
- Mild Cheddar
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| My Ingredients |
Prep
Tuna Mixture:
Drain the water from the tuna can and make
sure no sauce is left.
Cut black olives in fourths.
Mix the tuna, black olives and capers together in a bowl.
Sandwich:
If you're using loaves, cut your bread into
2/3 inch slices
Butter the outer sides generously
Cut thin slices of cheddar
Honey-Lemon Glaze:
Extract the juice from fresh lemons.
In a sauce pan, heat the honey for 4 minutes
in medium-high heat, keep stirring it so it does not stick to your sauce pan.
Add in the lemon juice. Keep stirring.
Let it come to a boil for 5-8 minutes until mixture is thick.
Remove from sauce pan immediately before the mixture cools
While it’s hot, spread the honey-lemon glaze on the inner sides of the bread.
While it’s hot, spread the honey-lemon glaze on the inner sides of the bread.
Build
Layer slices of cheddar on each inner side of the
bread
On one side, add a layer of the tuna mixture
on top of the cheddar.
Seal with the other slice of bread
Cook
Place the bread on top of an un-greased fry
pan or grill.
Cook the sandwich by turning it over in an
alternating pattern on medium heat.
It'll take you about 7-10 minutes. You'll know if
it's done if both sides of the bread are golden-brown and have a crispy texture.
The cheese should be melted, gluing the slices of bread together.
Remove from the skillet and into a plate.
Best served hot.
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| Honey-Lemon Glazed Tuna Melt |
Candied Bacon & Cheese Please
If I tried to describe candied bacon, I don't think I would be able to do it justice. Let's just say that this food is the most amazing thing to hit the planet and it's too great that I'm probably going to commemorate an entire blog post to only that in the near future, but for now I digress to what an incredible taste-bud pleaser this cheese and candied bacon combo is.
The sweet taste of candied bacon combines amazingly well with the cheddar when melted, and the bread is a buttery wall that breaks down to a soft, chewy crisp, but the real star of this sandwich is the morbier cheese. It's the key ingredient that gives this sammy a kick in every bite. Note: If you're not a fan of sharp-tasting cheeses, I suggest use Gruyere which is a sweeter alternative.
Ingredients:
- Thick French White Bread
- Butter
- Cheddar Cheese
- Morbier Cheese (or Gruyere Cheese)
- Bacon (Preferably not too thin, and not too thick)
- Cinnamon
- Brown Sugar
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| My Ingredients |
Prep
Candied Bacon
Preheat the oven to 190 c.
Empty the entire packet of defrosted bacon and cut the bacon slices in half.
Lay all the pieces on a roasting pan covered in aluminium.
Sprinkle cinnamon and brown sugar on top of the raw bacon slices.
Put in oven for about 5-7 mins.
Flip bacon slices and sprinkle cinnamon and brown sugar again.
Return to oven for another 5-7 mins.
Let it cool.
If you're using loaves of bread, cut each slice 2/3 of an inch thick.
Butter both sides generously
Cut thin slices of cheddar and morbier cheese.
Ready your candied bacon.
Build
Apply a layer of cheddar cheese on both slices of bread.
Add another thin layer of morbier cheese cheese on top of the cheddar on only one slice.
Add one layer of candied bacon (about 2-3 pieces) on both slices.
Seal the sandwich.
Cook
Place the bread on top of an un-greased fry pan or grill.
Cook the sandwich by turning it over in an alternating pattern on medium heat.
It'll take you about 7-10 minutes. You'll know if it's done if both sides of the bread are golden-brown and have a crispy texture. The cheese should be melted, gluing the slices of bread together.
Remove from the skillet and into a plate.
Best to eat while hot!
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| Candied Bacon & Cheese Please |
I think God was on my side the day I went to the grocery and discovered their newest product. Cascade Ice was never available in my go-to grocery until this summer! This is my favorite beverage to date, and I'm just about addicted to it now because the summer heat has been crazy and there's nothing as refreshing as sipping on a Cascade. It's a tad bit pricey, going at P100+ a bottle, but for me it's totally worth it! It's sugar free, gluten free, calorie free, caffeine free, and amazing. Give it a try and tell me what you think!
PS
I also want to give my sincerest gratitude to everyone who read my first post. You make everything feel worth it everyday and I am so glad I decided to finally do this. I honestly didn't expect this much positive feedback. Thank you my dearest friends, you encourage me to be better.