There are few things more comforting in this world than the combination of bread and cheese. I wrote about French Onion Soup as my favorite comfort food almost a year ago. But today, instead of talking about delicious bread soaking in a brandy-beef broth with gooey cheese melted over it, I will be talking about an equally delicious and gooey food-- the grilled cheese.
It’s no secret that my family loves grilled cheese; my little brother used to eat one every day for breakfast. I jumped on the grilled cheese bandwagon and started eating them myself a few weeks ago and have been playing around with a few variations, mostly based on what leftovers were in my fridge. They are so easy to make, and with so many choices, I never feel like I am eating the same thing! So defeat your lunchtime boredom with these 20 fancified grilled cheese!
1. Wake the f*** up!: Swiss cheese, avocado, 1 or 2 fried eggs, siracha, english muffin
2. Mademoiselle: Brie, honey, pear, croissant
3. French Onion Soup: Caramelized onions, reduced brandy and beef stock, Gruyere cheese, ciabatta
4. Caprese: tomato, basil, mozzarella, focaccia
5. Broccoli-Cheddar soup: Broccoli, cheddar, ham (optional), focaccia
6. Fall harvest: Apple butter, rosemary, cheddar, ciabatta
7. You ate my sandwich? MY SANDWICH!?: Turkey, apples/cranberry sauce, gravy, brie, wheat bread
8. Grown-up: Balsamic glaze, brussel sprouts+minced garlic, havarti, brioche
9. Summer lovin': Peaches, mascarpone, honey, rosemary, croissant
10. Minimalist: Fried sage, Fontina, challah
11. Tree hugger: Grilled vegetables, goat cheese, basalmic, wheat bread/ciabatta
12. Texan: goat cheese, blackbeans, guacamole, cornbread/texas toast
13. A step up: Gruyere, prosciutto, arugula, and tomato, Focaccia
14. Jalepeno popper: jalepenos, sourdough, cream cheese, jack/cheddar cheese, biscuit
15. Lazy Sunday: brie, blueberries, french toast
16. Pregnant woman: Cheddar, bacon, pickles, sourdough, white bread
17. Steakhouse: Steak, gorganzola, arugala, basalmic reduction, brioche
18. Southern gentleman: fried chicken, cheddar, waffle
19. Be Mine: roasted strawberries, dark chocolate, mascarpone, french toast
20. Baltimore: crab, mac and cheese, hot dog bits, old bay, sourdough
If you are dizzied with delight after reading this list and just don’t know where to begin, I asked our resident grilled cheese expert to lend a helping hand and recommend his top 5 from this list (in no particular order)- Caprese, Fall Harvest, Lazy Sunday, Southern Gentleman, and Baltimore (not pictured).
If sometimes you want the comfort of grilled cheese without the heavy carbs that come with it, here are two options for the grilled and the cheese without the bread.
.*HEALTHY OPTIONS*
1.Grilled Zucchini rolls with herbed goat cheese and kalamata olives
2. Grilled portobello mushrooms, roasted red bell peppers, goat cheese
Enjoy the comforting gooeyness my hungry friends! But beware, it can get messy.
