Oozy-Goozy Grilled Cheese Sandwiches. The Best.

Chefs, Cookbooks, Cooking, Recipes By May 12, 2011

Grilled cheese sandwiches are comfort food that takes me back to lunchtime in my childhood home.

Treats that makes me smile. Especially grownup versions such as those created by cheese expert-cookbook author Laura Werlin. Her latest book, “Grilled Cheese, Please!” (Andrews McMeel, $16.99) offers contemporary approaches to the classic bread-and-cheese indulgence.

One of my favorites is the sandwich that uses guacamole. Not just any guacamole recipe, she calls for the quintessential guac formula from Sol Cocina in Newport Beach shared by the restaurant’s chef-partner Deborah Schneider.

It’s chunky, not soupy, with a just-right amount of fresh lime juice and chili, key elements to my way of thinking.

The guacamole is teamed with a trio of cheeses: Colby, Jack and soft goat cheese. A little crisp bacon comes to the party, too.

Chips and Guacamole Grilled Cheese

Yield: 4 sandwiches
Guacamole:
1 ripe Hass avocado
1 tablespoon fresh lime juice
1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
2 tablespoons finely diced white onion
2 tablespoons finely chopped fresh cilantro
Optional: 1/2 fresh Serrano chili, minced, see cook’s notes
1 tablespoon cored, seeded, and diced Roma tomato
8 slices bacon
8 large tortilla chips (about 2 ounces)
4 tablespoons butter, room temperature
8 slices sourdough bread
4 ounces Colby cheese, coarsely grated
4 ounces Monterey Jack cheese, coarsely grated
4 ounces goat cheese
Cook’s notes: This recipe makes about 1 cup guacamole, but only 1/2 cup is used for the sandwiches. Use caution when working with fresh chilies. Upon completion wash hands and work surface thoroughly; do NOT touch eyes or face.
1. Prepare guacamole: Split, pit and peel avocado. Mash in medium bowl with juice and salt, using potato masher or fork. Do not use blender or food processor, you want it slightly chunky. Stir in onion, cilantro, chili and tomato. Allow to sit 15 minutes for flavors to meld.

2. Line a plate with paper towels. In large nonstick skillet cook the bacon over medium heat until very crisp. Drain on paper towels. Remove bacon fat from pan and wipe the pan with a paper towel, but no not wash it. Set aside.

3. Prepare tortilla chip butter: Put chips in food processor; process until texture is very fine, similar to sand. Alternatively, place chips in sturdy plastic bag. Using a meat mallet or other heavy object, pound chips until they are the texture of sand. Put butter in a medium bowl and add the ground chips. Using a fork, work the chip “sand” and butter together until well mixed. The mixture will be somewhat stiff.

4. Assemble sandwiches: Spread butter on one side of each slice of bread. Place 4 slices butter-chip side down on your work surface. Spread 2 tablespoons of guacamole on each slice of bread. Top with Colby and Jack cheeses. Dot with small pieces of goat cheese. Finish by placing 2 bacon pieces on each sandwich. Top with remaining bread slices, buttered side up.

5. To cook: Heat a large nonstick skillet over medium heat for 2 minutes. Put sandwiches into pan, cover and cook for 3 to 4 minutes, until the undersides are golden brown. Watch carefully because the chips in the butter can burn easily. Turn sandwiches, pressing each one firmly with a spatula to compress the filling slightly. Cover and cook for 2 to 3 minutes, until undersides are well browned. Turn the sandwiches once more, press firmly with spatula again, cook for 1 minute and remove from pan. Let cool for 5 minutes. Cut in half and serve. OR, to cook using a sandwich machine, only use this method if you have a variable heat setting. Otherwise, it will cook too hot and burn the chips on the bread without melting the cheese. Cook according to manufacturer’s instructions.
Source: “Grilled Cheese, Please!” by Laura Werlin (Andrews McMeel, $16.99)

And as for advice gleaned from all of Werlin’s grilled cheese experimentation, she says that it is important to wait five minutes before diving in.

“That five minute wait may seem like an eternity, but the sandwich tastes better if it has time to settle down,” she says. The flavors mingle, and if it is too hot when you eat it, you won’t get the flavor nuances.”

So wait a little. Pour a little tipple if you like. And enjoy.

Cheese inside and out!

And tomato jam … mmmmmmm.

Double Cheddar and Tomato Jam Grilled Cheese Sandwiches

Yield: 4 sandwiches
Tomato Jam:
6 large ripe tomatoes (about 1 1/2 pounds) peeled, seeded and coarsely chopped, see cook’s notes
1 garlic clove, finely chopped
1/4 cup red wine vinegar
2 1/2 tablespoons sugar (if making this in the middle of the tomato season when tomatoes are at their sweetest, reduce sugar by 1 to 2 teaspoons)
Sandwiches:
12 ounces cheddar cheese, divided use
4 tablespoons butter, at room temperature
8 sandwich-size slices sourdough bread
6 tablespoons tomato jam
Cook’s notes: Werlin says that she often uses canned plum tomatoes. “I use canned whole peeled Roma tomatoes; I drain them well, let the seeds run out, then chop them. Keep the jam up to three weeks in the refrigerator.”
1. Prepare jam: Place all jam ingredients in medium saucepan over medium-low heat. The mixture should bubble ever so slightly but not boil. Cook for about 1 hour, or until jam has thickened and most of the liquid has evaporated. You will have about 3/4 cup of jam (more than you need for this recipe). Let cool. Store in refrigerator.

2. Prepare sandwiches: Using the very small holes of a box grater or other similar-size grating device, finely grate 6 ounces of cheddar. Place cheese in small bowl. Add the butter and using the back of a fork, mash mixture until cheese is well incorporated into butter. Using the large holes of a box grater or other similar-size grating device, grate remaining cheese.

3. Assemble sandwiches: Spread cheddar-butter mixture on one side of each bread slice. Place 4 slices of bread, buttered side down, on your work surface. Spread 1 1/2 tablespoons jam on each slice. Distribute cheese and top with remaining bread slices, buttered side up.

4. To cook: Heat a large nonstick skillet over medium heat for 2 minutes. Put sandwiches into pan, cover and cook for 3 to 4 minutes, or until golden brown. Turn sandwiches, pressing each one firmly with a spatula to flatten slightly. Cover and cook for 2 to 3 minutes until the undersides are well browned (watch carefully because the cheese on the outside of the bread can darken quickly). Turn the sandwiches once more, press firmly with the spatula again, cook for 1 minute and remove from pan. Let cool for 5 minutes. Cut in half and serve. OR, if using a sandwich machine, cook according to manufacturer’s instructions.

Source: “Grilled Cheese, Please!” by Laura Werlin (Andrews McMeel, $16.99)

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