Recipe: Grilled Cheese - Basic and Beyond

Basic Grilled Cheese

You can make a fantastic sandwich with just great bread, fresh butter, and your favorite cheese:

1. Butter bread slices on 1 side. Turn them over. Lay 2 cheese slices on 1 bread slice. Top with the other bread slice, buttered side up.

2. Heat a medium frying pan over medium heat. Flick a drop of water into the pan; if it sizzles and evaporates, the pan is hot enough.

3. Put sandwich, buttered side down, in pan. Let it cook 3 to 4 minutes, or until golden and crunchy underneath. Turn and let cook another 3 to 4 minutes, or until golden and crunchy.

Choose a cheese that melts well, such as cheddar, jack, Colby, Gruyere, Swiss, fontina, provolone, or brie.

But why stop there?

Grilled Pastrami, Swiss, and Sweet Onion Marmalade on Rye - HERE

Crab and Avocado Grilled Cheese on Sourdough - HERE

Grilled Cheese with Artichoke, Tomato and Black Olive - HERE

Grilled Fresh Mozzarella and Apricot on Sourdough - HERE

Tarragon Veggie Grilled Cheese on Sourdough - HERE

Okay, now I'm hungry! Off to make a grilled cheese sandwich--of any kind!

All recipes and images via Sunset.

Recipe: Chicken and Roast Beef Muffulettas

I LOVE sandwiches! All kinds of sandwiches. Various breads, condiments and fillings--I honestly don't have one that's a favorite (okay, BLT is rather high on my list). Classic muffulettas include layers of ham, salami, and provolone cheese but this recipe claims that the olive salad is a hallmark of the real thing. It also recommends wrapping the sandwiches tightly with plastic wrap and refrigerating to help the flavors to meld.

Yield: 12 servings

Ingredients

Olive Salad:
1/2 cup kalamata olives, pitted
1/4 cup chopped fresh basil
2 tablespoons capers, drained
2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
2 teaspoons olive oil
1 (14-ounce) can artichoke hearts, drained and coarsely chopped
1 (7-ounce) bottle roasted red bell peppers, drained and chopped
1 garlic clove, minced

Muffuletta:
12 (1 1/2-ounce) French bread rolls
6 (1-ounce) slices Swiss cheese
12 (1-ounce) slices roasted breast of chicken
12 (1-ounce) slices deli roast beef
6 cups gourmet salad greens

Preparation
To prepare olive salad, combine first 8 ingredients in bowl of a food processor. Process 30 seconds or until finely chopped; chill.

To prepare muffuletta, cut rolls in half horizontally. Cut each cheese slice in half crosswise. Spread about 2 1/2 tablespoons olive mixture onto top half of each roll. Layer 1/2 cup greens, 1/2 cheese slice, 1 roast beef slice, and 1 chicken slice on each roll bottom; cover with top of roll. Wrap each sandwich tightly in plastic wrap. Chill up to 8 hours.

Cooking Light, March 2003 via here.

Recipe: Spicy Chickpea Sandwiches

Food cart vendors are popular in our city, Portland, Oregon. Recently, I discovered there's a cart located in the Sellwood neighborhood, called Garden State, that serves these sandwiches. Going to have to pay them a visit soon and then try making these at home!



You Will Need

Chickpea patties
1 1/2 cups chickpea (garbanzo) flour*
1 1/2 teaspoons kosher salt
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1/4 teaspoon ground cumin
1/4 teaspoon cayenne
1/4 cup chopped flat-leaf parsley

Spicy lemon mayo
1 cup mayonnaise
2 teaspoons minced garlic
1/8 teaspoon cayenne
Finely shredded zest and juice of 1/2 lemon

Carrot slaw
1 tablespoon rice vinegar
1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
2 cups shredded carrots (2/3 lb.)
1 cup shredded radishes

Cooking and assembly
6 ciabatta or pane francese rolls (3 oz. each)
2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil, divided
About 1/4 tsp. kosher salt
4 ounces salad mix (5 cups lightly packed)

Preparation

1. Make chickpea patties: In a 3- to 4-qt. pan, mix chickpea flour and dry seasonings. Gradually whisk in 2 1/2 cups water until smooth. Cook over medium heat, whisking often, until mixture begins to thicken, 3 to 5 minutes. Switch to a spoon and stir until mixture pulls away from pan bottom and mounds in center of pan, 4 to 6 minutes. Stir in parsley. Using an oiled spoon or fingers, evenly spread mixture in an oiled 9- by 13-in. pan. Let cool.

2. Make mayo: Mix all ingredients together in a small bowl. Chill, covered.

3. Make slaw: Whisk together vinegar, oil, salt, and pepper in a medium bowl, then gently stir in carrots and radishes.

4. Now for the sandwiches! Preheat broiler and set a rack 4 in. from heat. Split rolls, leaving one side attached, and open up. Place rolls cut side up in a large rimmed baking pan; lightly brush tops with 1 tbsp. olive oil. Broil until golden, about 1 minute. Tip onto counter and drape with foil.

5. Oil the baking pan. Brush chickpea mixture with 1 tbsp. olive oil; sprinkle with salt. Cut into 12 rectangles and set slightly apart in oiled pan. Broil until golden, 4 to 6 minutes. Turn patties over and broil until golden on second side, about 2 minutes.

6. To assemble, generously spread mayo on cut sides of rolls. Place some salad greens on one side of each roll and top with some carrot slaw, then 2 chickpea patties.

*Find in the baking aisle of well-stocked grocery stores and at health food stores.