Nothing beats a grilled cheese sandwich, with cheese melted so perfectly that it stretches into long strands when you pull apart the two sides of the cut sandwich.
- 2 slices (½-inch-thick) Pamela's Amazing Bread
- 1½ tablespoons butter, softened
- 2 to 3 deli cheese slices (sharp cheddar and Havarti are a great combination)
- 2 or 3 slices bacon, cooked very crisp
- 3 or 4 slices ripe tomato
- 6 to 8 fresh basil leaves
- 2½ ounces provolone or fontina cheese, sliced very thin or grated
Yield:
For a traditional grilled cheese
For a gourmet sandwich
Preheat a skillet over low to medium-low heat. Butter both sides of the bread. When pan is hot, put both slices of bread in the pan to grill. Once starting to get golden, flip over and put a piece of cheese or two on the grilled side of each slice of bread. Cover pan and cook for about a minute. Uncover pan. For gourmet sandwich, add other fillings on top of one of the bread slices now, then flip the other slice of bread on top, pressing down to sandwich the cheese on the inside. Flip sandwich back and forth until both sides are nicely grilled and cheese is melted. If golden but not completely melted (this happens sometimes with many thick toppings) finish sandwich in a preheated 350° oven for 2 to 3 minutes (set on a wire rack over parchment-lined sheet pan). Cut in half and serve.
Note
There are many different cheeses that would be good to use. Do not use pre-grated cheese because it does not melt well. For a great tasting sandwich, good cheeses to try are sharp cheddar, Swiss, Emmental, Gruyere, aged provolone, and Comté. If you want a very smooth melting texture, try American, fontina, mozzarella, Gouda or smoked Gouda, and Monterey Jack. You can try other fillings as well, like brown cremini or porcini mushrooms, sliced pickles, pickled jalapeno slices (well drained), tuna salad, roast turkey or ham, avocado, even peanut butter—just pick a complementary flavored cheese and get grilling.
© Pamela's Products, Inc.