One of the most unusual parts of working in the food industry is acknowledging obscure food holidays. April, for instance, is "National Grilled Cheese Month." There are certainly other important dates in April (Easter, my anniversary and my birthday, to name a few), but we will be putting time aside to celebrate melted cheese on toast. On each of the next five Mondays, we will be posting a "Cheesemonger's Grilled Cheese," to show you how those of us in the biz construct this culinary gem.
For our first installment, I offer the following recipe which is simple but bold and delicious. You will need the following items:
1) Start by smearing the bacon spread on both slices of bread. The more the merrier.
2) Grate the Cheddar on a coarse setting. It is wise to buy at least a half-pound as you will probably want to nibble on some while the sandwich is grilling.
3) Mix the pepper rings into the shredded cheese. If you do not mix them together, there is a good chance that the peppers will squeeze out the sides of the sandwich as it is being pressed.
4) Spread the cheese and pepper mixture onto one of the slices and top with the other.
5) Drizzle a little olive oil onto each slice of bread and transfer to your Panini press (or your pan, which is certainly a viable option).
6) Grill until toasty brown spots form. Slice in half and enjoy with a good craft beer.
Voila!
Stay tuned for more Grilled Cheese Goodness next Monday!
