Grilled Cheese Doesn't Just Have To Be Bread and Cheese- Sunday Special (S.S)
It didn't even occur to me until about a year ago that a grilled cheese could be anything but two slices of white bread with a slice or two of cheddar cheese betwixt them.
The original is well received for a reason, but if you're up for it, you can do so much more.
April is National Grilled Cheese Month (...ignore the fact that it is almost June when this is being posted). If you google that, you'll find a number of pages that are dedicated to posting recipes that take the grilled cheese and creatively reimagine it with additional ingredients. Taking it to "a whole nother level." Upon learning this, I thought I could give one of these sandwiches a try.
After searching around the web for one that sounded good to me, I finally found my grilled cheese soulmate, the Spinach and Artichoke grilled cheese. Most people who have gone with me to BJ's Brewhouse know the Spinach and Artichoke dip is my favorite and will be ordered, sometimes as a main entree, so when I saw this recipe I knew I couldn't lose.
Here's a link to the recipe I used:
http://www.acouplecooks.com/2012/04/spinach-artichoke-grilled-cheese/
Spinach Artichoke Grilled Cheese
This recipe makes enough for two sandwiches.
What You Need
Spinach (You want maybe about a handful for each sandwich)
Canned artichoke hearts (3 hearts will do the trick, but you can add more or less, depending on your preference)
2 cloves garlic
1 tablespoon olive oil
2 tablespoons sour cream
1 cup shredded cheese (this sandwich goes best with the white cheeses, i.e. Monterey Jack, Provolone, etc.)
4 pieces bread
Kosher salt (...or just regular salt)
Butter or more olive oil
(I also added about a handful of mushrooms to mine)
What To Do
Chop up the garlic, artichokes, and spinach. Make sure to wash and de-stem the spinach before you chop it.
Heat about 1 tablespoon olive oil in a skillet. Add the garlic and saute for 30 seconds. Then add the spinach and a pinch of kosher salt, and saute for a few minutes until just limp. Add the artichokes and saute for another minute or so, until heated through. Drain off any liquid from the pan. Stir in 2 tablespoons sour cream and another pinch of kosher salt.
Spread butter (or olive oil) on one side of each of the 4 bread pieces. Heat a griddle pan to medium high heat. Place 2 pieces of bread on the griddle, buttered side down. On each piece, spread some shredded cheese, the spinach artichoke filling, some more cheese (1/2 cup cheese per sandwich), and the other piece of bread. When the bottom bread is browned, flip the sandwich and cook until the bread is toasted and the cheese is melted.
My final product!
There are a number of ways to get creative with a grilled cheese. What are the ones you've tried? Let me know in the comments below!
SICT- "Get Up" by Sleater Kinney
A couple weeks ago when I was completely enveloped in my "dance all day, dance all night" schedule, I was tired of the quick, on-the-go foods I was grabbing before my practices. So, one day I decided to make time to make myself get up and actually cook instead of eating out. Just because I was hungry didn't mean that I wanted to hop out of bed and ignore my sore body. So, I took the Greatest Hits Sleater Kinney cd I had just bought and kept this track of repeat as my motivation. I was soon dancing in my kitchen (and coincidentally getting sorer before my next practice).
To see other fantastic grilled cheese recipes, go here: http://www.buzzfeed.com/jessicamisener/31-grilled-cheeses-that-are-better-than-a-boyfriend#.prQr80zyL
CP.
