Three elevated grilled cheese recipes that are ooey, gooey delicious
While people can debate the better bread, the preferred butter, or even the right amount of cheese, the reality is that just cheese and bread can be a little juvenile for some people tastes. These elevated grilled cheese recipes are sweet, savory, and totally ooey, gooey delicious.
Although some people think that bread makes the grilled cheese, the reality is that the sandwich would be nothing without the cheese. From that long, picture perfect pull to the right ratio of cheese to other ingredients, a grilled cheese without the cheese is just buttered bread.
Since cheese is the star of the sandwich, many people are moving away from that bright yellow, cellophane wrapped option for a flavor that is more robust, nuanced, or just different. Many of those cheese options allow more creative flavor combinations. When cheese can combine with a spicy, sweet, or even tangy note, there is more eating satisfaction.
Recently, Castello shared three elevated grilled cheese recipes that showcase flavor complexities. While the cheeses on their own are delicious, it is the combination of ingredients that bring a new experience to eating the classic comfort food.
Which elevated grilled cheese recipe is the most tempting?
Dessert Grilled Cheese
Although some people prefer to end their meal on a cheese course, some cheeses pair well with sweet notes. Even though the Crave Brothers Chocolate Mascarpone might be delicious just eaten by the spoonful, this dessert grilled cheese combines cheese and chocolate in a different way,
The combination of Castello Aged Havarti and Nutella highlights a nutty, richness in both flavors. With that tangy, sweet note from the raspberry jam, it lifts the rich qualities too keep the overall taste from venturing too far to the heavy side.
Dessert Grilled Cheese
Ingredients:
thick 2 slices artisan bread
1 tbsp butter, room temperature
1½ oz Castello Aged Havarti
2 tbsp Nutella
1 tbsp raspberry jam
Directions:
Heat a griddle or large pan on medium high heat until hot, then lower to just above simmering and let sit for 3 minutes.
Meanwhile, butter the outsides of your bread, spreading evenly to the edges. Place butter-side down and top one slice with Castello® Aged Havarti cheese and the other with Nutella.
Place both slices butter-side down in pan and cover with a lid. This will help your cheese to melt without burning your bread.
Keep an eye on the toasted-ness of the bread and the melted-ness of the cheese. It should take 3-5 minutes to grill, depending on the strength of your flame.
Just before taking the grilled cheese off the heat, spread the Nutella side with a spoonful of raspberry jam. Remove both slices from heat and sandwich together. Cut and serve immediately!
Kimchi Grilled Cheese
Combining kimchi and cheese is not a typical pairing, but the flavor combination is one that people will want to explore more. That pungent note from the kimchi adds a tanginess to the sandwich. Just remember to drain it well. No one wants a soggy sandwich.
Ingredients:
3 tbsp unsalted butter, room temperature, divided
4 ½"-thick slices white sandwich bread, divided
4 tsp sriracha, divided
1½ cups coarsely grated Castello Aged Havarti
cup drained coarsely chopped kimchi, divided
Directions:
Place 2 bread slices on a work surface. Evenly spread ½ Tbsp. butter over each slice. Turn 1 slice over and spread 2 tsp. Sriracha over, then top with ½ cup Castello Aged Havarti Cheese and half the kimchi. Close sandwich with buttered sides facing out.
Heat ½ Tbsp. butter in a medium nonstick skillet over medium-low until foaming. Cook sandwich, gently pressing occasionally with a heatproof spatula, until underside is golden brown and crisp, about 3 minutes. Turn sandwich over and cook until golden brown on second side and cheese inside is fully melted, about 3 minutes. Transfer sandwich to a plate. Repeat process with remaining ingredients to make 1 more sandwich.
Blueberry Bacon Havarti Grilled Cheese
Fruit and cheese are a classic combination on a cheese plate. Building on that idea, this elevated grilled cheese recipe blends those two foods into a single bite. Plus, the extra bacon is always a good element in a grilled cheese sandwich.
Ingredients:
8 oz Castello creamy Havarti
8 slices sourdough bread
½ cup salted butter
½ tsp fresh thyme
pepper to taste
Directions:
Season the bacon with pepper on both sides and fry or bake until crisp.
Assemble each sandwich by spreading 1 TBSP blueberry jam on each slice of bread and sprinkle with fresh thyme. Use 3 slices of bacon per sandwich and a few slices of cheese.
Use a griddle to cook all four sandwiches at once. Melt half of the butter onto the griddle and place each sandwich on to begin toasting on medium-low heat.
Once golden brown on one side, remove the sandwiches from the heat and melt the rest of the butter on the griddle. Flip the sandwiches to the other side and finish toasting.
Serve immediately.
Know of a great grilled cheese sandwich recipe? Share your idea with #Foodsided.