296744 Sun Apr 11 10:00:39 -0700 2004 32 27 General Chowhounding Topics 0 1635546 Grilled cheese sandwich season has arrived. Besides Cheddar and Fontina, which other cheese makes a good grilled cheese sandwich? I like to try farmhouse, raw-milk type cheeses... Are those too good to use on a grilled cheese sandwich? Sun Apr 11 10:00:39 -0700 2004 0 Mar a 1 1635547 I love using Appenzeller in grilled cheese sandwiches. I also use a good artisinal bread (anything from Metropolitan Bread or the multigrain from Le Bus, here in Philly). Sun Apr 11 10:26:46 -0700 2004 1635546 0 Bride of the Juggler 1 1635548 A grilled cheese san is such humble diner fare, and also what mom throws together for the kids at lunchtime, that giving it the gourmet treatment seems a bit much. That said, I'll play this game. Our local generic cooking cheese here in the Bay Area is "Monterey jack". This is likely what one will find in the fridge when the grilled cheese urge strikes. Since it can be pretty bland, if I have Roasted peppers, I'll slip a few strips in with the cheese. Likewise if I have any handy chiles. A local favorite lunch spot has what they call a "grilled M.A.C. sandwich" which is very good, albeit awfully rich. It consists of grilled cheese, avocado, and mushrooms. Sun Apr 11 11:00:25 -0700 2004 1635546 0 Sharuf 2 1635555 That sounds great--I'll have to try that one some time. Does the M.A.C. use Monterey Jack? Sun Apr 11 12:37:35 -0700 2004 1635548 0 Colleen 3 1635638 I don't remember if it's jack or swiss. Mon Apr 12 12:19:49 -0700 2004 1635555 0 Sharuf 4 1635651 One other question, that occurred to me later. I assume the mushrooms are sauteed. Is the avocado mashed and spread on the bread, or is it put on in slices (I think either would be good)? Mon Apr 12 13:13:49 -0700 2004 1635638 0 Colleen 5 1635773 The avocado is in slices in the middle of the sandwich. And, yes, the mushrooms are sauteed. Tue Apr 13 06:16:59 -0700 2004 1635651 0 Sharuf 1 1635551 I think grilled-cheese sandwiches are a great showcase for cheese and no cheese is really "too good" for them, as long as you pair them up with the right bread, garnishes, etc. But, IMO, the reason why some cheeses seem to be recommended over and over for the sandwiches is that they have the right melting quality. They can melt to a dependable consistency and they are not quick to beak into oil and curds. Some of these dependable cheeses are boring and highly processed, though. Personally, I wouldn't use a super-expensive cheese for grilled cheese unless it was basically in the family of good melting cheeses; it's not going to taste as good cooked. Otherwise I would try anything once! If the cheese seems a little more fragile, maybe try cooking it less. You could mix a more fragile cheese with a sturdier one, too. Sun Apr 11 11:26:09 -0700 2004 1635546 0 bibi rose 1 1635552 i like using gruyere. if you want to get fancy, add some sauteed wild mushrooms and a drizzle of truffle oil. you can cut them up in little squares and serve them as finger food...yum! Sun Apr 11 11:53:25 -0700 2004 1635546 0 rebs 1 1635558 Munster is good. Mixing the cheese types is good. Carmalized onions added to the sandwhich is good, and so are finely chopped green olives and / or finely choped sun dried tomatoes. Sun Apr 11 14:38:28 -0700 2004 1635546 0 wolf 1 1635563 love the grilled cheese and have had success with many of the easy-melt cheeses mentioned (fontina does great). But is there really a SEASON for grilled cheese? If anything, I'd assume it was in the winter, with a cup of tomato soup! ;) Sun Apr 11 15:11:57 -0700 2004 1635546 0 science chick 2 1635796 In my personal calendar, winter is for stews and hardy heavy stuff. Rainy chilly spring days are for grilled cheese and soup. ;-) Tue Apr 13 10:13:03 -0700 2004 1635563 0 Mar a 3 1635835 Now that I think about it, summer is pretty awesome, too, because you can add a slice of a REAL tomato! Tue Apr 13 15:19:42 -0700 2004 1635796 0 Science Chick 1 1635566 My current favorite grilled cheese combo is sharp cheddar and a spread layer of montrachet-type goat cheese, with a nice strong mustard. Mmmmm! Sun Apr 11 15:24:51 -0700 2004 1635546 0 Celeste 1 1635568 I'm going to be extremely trite and put in my vote for cheddar and monterey jack on white. Sometimes I dress this up by adding a little salsa and sour cream on top. More fancy, I love putting a firm mozzarella slice on sourdough, then toasting it for a couple of minutes, adding a little shredding parmesan on top and toasting it a bit more. At the end, spread on a thin layer of warm or cool marinara sauce. I like this one open-faced for some reason. Sun Apr 11 15:59:30 -0700 2004 1635546 0 Emme 2 1635615 I like using mild cheddar and jack, too. But try using a 7 grain type bread and layer on some ortega chili prior to frying. Instead of chili, a slice of ripe tomato w/ some salt, added after the cooking, is also good. Mon Apr 12 09:18:42 -0700 2004 1635568 0 mistermike 1 1635571 Provolone. Sun Apr 11 16:08:56 -0700 2004 1635546 0 maxine 1 1635572 Depends on what's in the fridge. A couple of days ago I did a an aged provolone, emmenthaler and mozzerella on a hearty jewish rye with tomatoes and cherry peppers. I like cooking grilled cheeses on a low heat for like twenty minutes, turning every few minutes, so the cheeses melt together and the bread gets a nice golden brown crunch. Sun Apr 11 16:26:00 -0700 2004 1635546 0 2chez mike 1 1635575 Tomme de Savoie on pain au levain, grilled open-faced under the broiler. Sun Apr 11 17:04:51 -0700 2004 1635546 0 GG Mora 2 1635884 Just found this grilled cheese thread, GG, after posting some questions about one of your earlier grilled cheese posts. Hope you run across my post (date: April 13) several "inches" above this thread. Thanks for your help!! ric Tue Apr 13 23:26:34 -0700 2004 1635575 0 ric in inverness 1 1635578 My current favorite breakfast is a toasted English muffin, add very, very sharp cheddar, or a combo of good Italian melting cheeses (parm, mozz, provolone) and broil open faced. Top with a good grating of pepper. Sun Apr 11 19:16:36 -0700 2004 1635546 0 berkley 1 1635581 Will no one admit to eating American cheese on grilled cheese sandwiches?? It is one of those things, like overcooked broccoli, that, being upwardly mobile and all, I am not supposed to like, but I do. I don't ever have it in the house, but if I did I might just cook me up a little grilled cheese on poofy white bread...Ah, those white trash roots, just can't eradicate them. Queso quesadilla would make a great grilled cheese. It has a little more character than Monterey jack, IMO. Sun Apr 11 19:58:51 -0700 2004 1635546 0 snackish 2 1635582 Since all my good taste is in my mouth, and I haven't had any class since college, I second the vote for good ol' American cheese, with Velveeta slices also on my list. And only the finest white bread will do - okay, any white bread will do, even the 2 loaves for $.99 special. And with a bowl of Campbell's tomato soup... mmmmm! Sun Apr 11 20:05:32 -0700 2004 1635581 0 SuzyInChains 3 1635584 Add a little milk, real of course, or cream to the soup. Then for dessert, the store-bought shortcakes that are sold by the strawberries in the produce section. Put it in a bowl, pour milk over it, add minimal sliced strawberries (fewer for me since I'm allergic), and some canned aerosol whipped cream, and you've got dinner and dessert fit for a king or queen. Settle in with Ferris Bueller or Must See TV and it's an evening. Sun Apr 11 20:21:08 -0700 2004 1635582 0 Emme 2 1635602 Grilled cheese is in fact one of the better uses for American cheese. The processing of this cheese makes it a superior melter in terms of texture and mouthfeel. NOthing to be ashamed of whatsoever. Sun Apr 11 23:37:41 -0700 2004 1635581 0 Karl S. 2 1635627 I'm with you 100%. Sharp Cheddar tends to become grainy under heat, as it does when used to make macaroni and cheese. Of course you could use an artisanal American cheese slice on some artisanal Wonder bread for a change. The reaction to American cheese is somewhat like the reaction in an earlier thread about macaroni and cheese, when it was revealed that some of the best used Velveeta. One of the best things that has happened to me was when my doctor said that I could have no raw foods or undercooked vegetables. Mon Apr 12 10:44:58 -0700 2004 1635581 0 Sandy 3 1635678 I'm with you on the vegetables. At my Easter feast, I made the long-cooked romano beans recipe from the Zuni Cafe cookbook. Coating the beans with some mild olive oil (not extra virgin), salt and a couple of little grinds of red pepper flakes, I cooked them over low heat in one of my covered Le Creuset pots for 2.5 hours. Tasted fabulous, with a deep flavor and almost silken texture. Of course, they are the color of very pickled olives by that point. Looks odd only if you are a crunchy & bright green bean fundamentalist who has never had the slow-cooked wonders that await green beans in Italy. I felt I had travelled. Mon Apr 12 15:10:18 -0700 2004 1635627 0 Karl S. 1 1635593 In some ways I'm a traditionalist. Just a super sharp cheddar on toasted buttered white, open faced, and then broiled just til the cheese is melted and a wee hint of brown. But even better to put super shaved thin slices, piled about 1/2" deep of ripe tomatos (or Vidalia onion) under the cheese. The thin slices cook more during the brief visit under the broiler than thicker slices. A nice variation is to add or substitute radish or alfalfa sprouts or watercress under the cheese. When I lived in georgia I tried sliced spiced pickled peaches under the sharp cheese and it was very good, especially with a hint of garlic. Just as good using a blue cheese. Also coffee poached pears instead of the peaches. Adding a bit of preserves, especially ginger, under or over the cheese is nice, especially if you salt the preserves. Sometimes for a more complex grilled cheese I like to use a good Russian or Lithuanian dark soft dense firm brown bread for it's malty depth. the trick with that is to toast one side open face, cover with ingredients and cheese, and then rebroil. The underside isnt heated and the top gets a double broil and the toasted side soaks up the juices while the underside stays fresh and firm. Cabot's Habanero or Jalapeno Cheddar instead of extra sharp cheddar is a nice spicy change. Or Canadian Black Diamond extra old special supersharp aged cheddar so tangy it's starting to fight a war with a 2 year old Parmesan over who has the most assertiveness. Of course if I have a nice crusty artisinal loaf I like to slice that and toast and then melt a blue cheese (mild or sharp) on top. Or toast some thick slices of an Italian loaf and then brush with olive oil and rub on cut garlic, a bit of fine chopped fresh oregano and basil, and some fresh mozzarella... with or without tomatos. A splash of tomato sauce on the bread first and the grilled cheese becomes a pizza. In my college dorm I ate so much grilled cheese (or cheese sandwiches) of various types that folks would open my 3' dorm fridge and bug out at the selection... my own personal french / italian deli fully stocked with every cured meat, chheese, and pate I ever set eyes on. And my toaster oven was in danger of constant confiscation. I once was making bread and put over a pound chunk of extra sharp cheddar inside the dough as I formed the loaf. The cheese ended up in thick hot stringy ropy veins throut the cooked loaf and was the best cheese bread ever. On another note, when I was the assistant on that dairy farm last year my job was to play with the new brick oven and make breads. Quick and easy lunches revolved around several things. Wood fired bread oven, dairy farm with some great cheese, farm with fresh produce, and smoked meats and game from leftover carcasses dumped on our lawn by hunters, and Amish smoked meats from trading cheese with them. Halfway between grilled cheese, muffaletas, calzones, and pizza we invented many super fine smoky hot sandwiches ooozing melted cheese. The leftover cheese that melted onto the floor of the oven we left for a few minutes until it toasted hard and dry and ate hot cheese chips. As long as I was cooking the food was pretty darn good. Of course the owner for all his cheesemaking and baking skills wasn't a very good cook. He had major problems with quality, consistency, and cleanliness. Does aged parmesan melt or toast when on bread? It just turns into toasted cheese chips when put on a oven tray. Hmmm... maybe I'll try that a bit later when the company is up from their naps and have left. All the family and kids ran around all day, ate lots of snacks and candy, ran around some more, ate roast lamb and assorted veggied, and then ran around some more til desert time, and then ran some more. Instead of hobbling around on my cane to keep up, I brought out my office chair with the wheels and used my cane to crook them around the leg or arm and have them take me for a drag. Now I need a nap so I can go make a snack of good ole grill cheese. What is the sharpest, most flavorful cheddar available in the USA? One of my favvs is from Beths Farm on RT ? 131 ? in Union Maine. Sun Apr 11 22:18:54 -0700 2004 1635546 0 The Rogue 1 1635601 My standard is Port Salut and generous dijon mustard on multigrain & seed bread, nice and brown on both sides. (Frequently a little too brown.) I once sought to improve upon this formula by adding avocado, shooms, bacon, etc., but I have come to believe that grilled cheese is best with four ingredients: bread, cheese, mustard, and butter for frying. A few spicy kosher pickles on the side, simple green salad, or maybe fruit. Sun Apr 11 23:23:29 -0700 2004 1635546 0 babette feasts 1 1635629 I am amazed that no one have mentioned Welch Rarebit. (And no cheese is too good - but it must be a good melting cheese). Grated really sharp cheddar, butter, mustard, beer and perhaps even a whisked egg. Good bread, grilled on one side only in my opinion, topped with the above mix and toasted. Salt and pepper to taste. This link might help the novice:- http://www.greatbritishkitchen.co.uk/recipes/starters/welshrarebit.htm Link: http://www.greatbritishkitchen.co.uk/recipes/starters/welshrarebit.htm Mon Apr 12 11:23:55 -0700 2004 1635546 0 Bob Moffatt 1 1635636 I like extra sharp Cabots, really good raw-milk British cheddar (no, it is not a waste), or cave aged gruyere. We use a panini press and but a cast iron pan on top of it. If you like grilled cheese, you might consider buying Nancy Silverton's Sandwich Book : The Best Sandwiches Ever--from Thursday Nights at Campanile. It is available on Amazon but I couldn't figure out how to route the link through chowhound. Mon Apr 12 12:17:55 -0700 2004 1635546 0 JudiAU 1 1635653 Fontina or Havarti melt really well, but I like a good cheddar too. I like to toast a slice of sturdy whole grain bread, then spread with good wholegrain mustard and top with the cheese and broil. If I have some ham or salami lying around, I'll put that on the sandwich too. When eaten open faced, I can justify doing two of these. For breakfast, I'll put an undercoating of apricot or ginger jam on the toast instead of mustard and top with cheddar and broil. Mon Apr 12 13:16:17 -0700 2004 1635546 0 Ellen 1 1635715 The ABSOLUTE best cheese to use in your grilled cheese is either: 1. Whatever sounds good to you, or 2. Whatever you have on hand. If you can slip some crispy bacon in there w the cheese, all the better. The singlemost important element to GC success is grilling it in about, oh, a stick of Plugra. Mon Apr 12 16:56:16 -0700 2004 1635546 0 Mr Grub