Grilled cheese—yes please! When a copy of this book, Grilled Cheese, Please! by Laura Werlin arrived at my desk last week, I knew that I had to post a recipe or two here. I mean, who in their right mind can resist grilled cheese? I know that I can't say no to the gooey goodness. And when you start adding ingredients in addition to cheese, well, it just gets better and better.

So, about the book: it's filled with 50 recipes for all sorts of grilled cheese, from regional favorites that feature local ingredients like pimento cheese to a chapter called "Anything Goes" with recipes for Chips and Guacamole Grilled Cheese (I swear to you, that's really in there) to a Deep Fried Pickle version. Below are two recipes that sounded the most delicious to me, and I fully intend to break out the cheese and have myself one of these killer sandwiches this weekend.

But before you go off to dream about biting into one of these, here's how to win a copy of the book and a grab bag of treats from our RM office world:

Submit a comment here or on our Facebook page between right now and noon on Friday February 11 telling us about your absolute favorite sandwich (either the best one you've ever eaten or one that you like to make).

Anyone who tweets the contest gets their entry counted twice.

Go forth, enter, and enjoy some grilled cheese!

Recipes from Grilled Cheese, Please!: 

The Wisconsinite
Wisconsin isn’t called the Dairy State for nothing. It is the largest cheese-producing state in the nation, the place where Colby cheese was invented, and it boasts 46 different blue cheeses alone. In addition to cheese, Wisconsin produces cranberries, which is the number-one fruit crop there. Furthermore, the state is also home to the Mustard Museum, in Middleton. I decided to take these disparate elements and put them together between two slices of dark bread (another often used food item in Wisconsin). I love the sweet, tangy, and earthy combination of flavors that results.

Makes 4 sandwiches

¼ cup cranberry sauce
4 teaspoons Dijon mustard (or use a Wisconsin mustard if you can)
2 tablespoons butter, at room temperature
8 sandwich-size slices dark rye or marble bread
8 ounces Colby cheese (or use Colby-Jack or cheddar)
2 ounces blue cheese (such as Hook’s Cheese Company Hook’s Blue or Seymour Dairy Products Ader Käse), coarsely crumbled (or use any creamy yet slightly crumbly blue cheese)

In a small bowl, mix the cranberry sauce and mustard together.
To assemble:
Spread the butter on one side of each slice of bread. Place 4 slices of bread, buttered side down, on your work surface. Spread the cranberry mixture on the bread. Distribute the colby, and crumble the blue cheese over the colby. Top with the remaining bread slices, buttered 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 2 to 3 minutes, until the undersides have darkened and become crisp. Turn the sandwiches, pressing each one firmly with a spatula to flatten slightly. Cover and cook for 2 to 3 minutes, until the undersides are crisp. Remove the cover, turn the sandwiches once more, and press firmly with the spatula once again. Cook for 1 minute, or until the cheese has melted completely. (You might have to peek inside to make sure.) Remove from the pan and let cool for 5 minutes. Cut in half and serve.
For sandwich maker method:
Preheat the sandwich maker. Follow directions for assembly above. Cook according to manufacturer’s instructions.

French Mountain Glory
This sandwich gives a nod to the ingredients that compose a French mountain dish called tartiflette. The two stars of the dish are an exquisite cave-aged French mountain cheese called Comté and a rather strong cheese called Reblochon. Don’t worry if you don’t like strong cheeses, though. Brie or Camembert make fine substitutions. Bacon and onions round out the traditional dish, and usually potatoes do too. But here, the potatoes are part of the bread.

Makes 4 sandwiches

4 slices bacon
½ medium onion (about 4 ounces), thinly sliced
Salt
8 ounces Comté cheese, coarsely grated (or use Gruyère, raclette, or Swiss)
8 cornichons, coarsely chopped (or use 2 medium dill pickles)
2 tablespoons butter, at room temperature
8 sandwich-size slices potato bread (or use country white or French)
6 ounces Reblochon cheese, sliced (or use Pont l’Évêque, Camembert, or Brie)

Line a plate with paper towels. Cook the bacon in a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat until crisp. Transfer the bacon to the paper towels to drain. When cool, break each slice in half. Set aside.
Discard all but about 1 tablespoon bacon fat from the skillet. Add the onion and cook over medium heat until soft and beginning to brown around the edges, 8 to 10 minutes. Salt lightly.
In a small bowl, toss the Comté and cornichons together.
To assemble:
Spread butter on one side of each slice of bread. Place 4 slices of bread, buttered side down, on your work surface. Distribute the onion on the bread, followed by the Comté-cornichon mixture and the Reblochon. Place the bacon slices on the cheese and top with the remaining bread slices, buttered 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 golden brown. Turn the sandwiches, pressing each one firmly with a spatula to compress the filling. Cover and cook for 3 to 4 minutes, until the undersides are well browned. Turn the sandwiches once more, press firmly with the spatula again, cook for 1 minute, and remove from the pan. Let cool for 5 minutes. Cut in half and serve.
For sandwich maker method:
Preheat the sandwich maker. Follow directions for assembly above. Cook according to manufacturer’s instructions.

Images from Grilled Cheese, Please! 50 Scrumptiously Cheesy Recipes by Laura Werlin/Andrews McMeel Publishing with photography by Maren Caruso.


 

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