A robust grilled cheese for adults
Grilled cheese has a kids’ menu reputation, but just a few tweaks make it a sophisticated dinner option.
To create a sandwich with more robust flavour and personality without going overboard on toppings and additions, we focused on the cheese.
Our recipe began by mixing flavourful aged cheddar with a small amount of Brie and some wine in a food processor. Those two ingredients helped the cheddar melt evenly without becoming greasy.
A little bit of shallot increased the sandwiches’ complexity without detracting from the cheese, and a smear of mustard butter on the bread added a sharp bite.
Look for a cheddar aged for about one year (avoid cheddar aged for longer; it won’t melt well). To bring the cheddar to room temperature quickly, microwave the pieces until warm, about 30 seconds.
GROWN-UP GRILLED CHEESE
Serves: 4
7 oz (198 g) aged cheddar cheese, cut into 24 equal pieces, room temperature
2 oz (56 g) Brie cheese, rind removed
2 tbsp (30 mL) dry white wine or dry vermouth
4 tsp (20 mL) minced shallot 3 tbsp (45 mL) unsalted butter, softened
1 tsp (5 mL) Dijon mustard 8 slices hearty white sandwich bread
1. Adjust oven rack to middle position and heat oven to 200 F (95 C).
2. Process cheddar, Brie and wine in food processor until smooth paste forms, 20 to 30 seconds.
3. Add shallot and pulse to combine, 3 to 5 pulses; transfer to bowl. In separate bowl, combine butter and mustard.
4. Brush butter-mustard mixture evenly over 1 side of each slice of bread. Flip 4 slices over and spread cheese mixture evenly over second side. Top with remaining 4 slices bread, buttered side up, and press down gently.
5. Heat 12-inch (30-cm) nonstick skillet over medium heat for 2 minutes. Place 2 sandwiches in skillet, reduce heat to mediumlow, and cook until both sides are crisp and golden brown,
6 to 9 minutes per side.
6. Transfer sandwiches to wire rack set in rimmed baking sheet and keep warm in oven. Wipe out skillet with paper towels and cook remaining 2 sandwiches.
VARIATIONS:
Grown-up grilled cheese with Comté cheese and cornichon: Substitute Comté for cheddar, minced cornichon for shallots, and rye sandwich bread for white sandwich bread.
Grown-up grilled cheese with Gruyère and chives: Substitute Gruyère for cheddar, chives for shallots, and rye sandwich bread for white sandwich bread. Grown-up grilled cheese with Asiago and dates: Substitute Asiago for cheddar, finely chopped pitted dates for shallot, and oatmeal sandwich bread for white sandwich bread.