Chelsey’s Sweet Grilled Cheese. Photo: Chris Emeott
Lisa McCann of the Midwest Dairy Association remembers a Grilled Cheese Month demonstration that the organization held at a local Minnesota high school in 2019. “One gal made a sweet grilled cheese,” McCann recalls. “That’s what I love about grilled cheese—you have no boundaries. You can experiment, use things in your fridge and try something new.”
Chelsey’s Sweet Grilled Cheese
- butter, softened
- 2 slices of brioche bread or other sweet bread
- Brie cheese, rind removed, cut into several thin slices
- 1 Tbsp. strawberry jam
- sweetened whipped cream
- chocolate sauce
Butter the outside of each slice of bread. Preheat the skillet on medium-low heat. Place buttered sides down in a skillet and top one slice with cheese. Add 1 Tbsp. of jam on top of the cheese. Top the jam with several more slices of cheese and top with the other slice of bread. Cook until golden brown on each side. When done, cut into quarters or halves, and serve with whipped cream and drizzle with chocolate sauce.
French Onion Grilled Cheese
- 1 Tbsp. butter
- 1 tsp. olive oil
- 1 large yellow onion or sweet onion, cut into ¼-inch thick wedges
- ½ cup beef broth or stock
- ½ tsp. thyme, chopped fresh
- salt
- black pepper
- 1 ½ Tbsp. butter, room temperature
- 4 slices white bread, farmhouse
- 8 slices Swiss cheese
Heat 1 Tbsp. butter and the olive oil in a large cast iron skillet over medium heat. When foam subsides, add onion; sauté until onion is translucent, about 5 minutes. Reduce heat to medium-low; continue cooking until onion is golden brown, stirring occasionally, about 20 minutes longer. Increase heat to high. Add broth to the skillet; cook until liquid has evaporated, about 3 minutes. Remove from heat. Stir in thyme; season with salt and pepper. Spread one side of each bread slice with 1 ½ Tbsp. butter, dividing evenly. Place 2 bread slices, in a large cast iron skillet, buttered side down. Top each with 2 cheese slices. Top with caramelized onions, dividing evenly. Top each with 1 cheese slice. Cover with remaining bread, buttered side up. Turn on heat to medium-low. Cook each sandwich until golden brown, 2 to 3 minutes per side. Place 1 cheese slice on top of each sandwich. Place sandwiches under the broiler just until the cheese melts.
Jaidiv’s Italian Grilled Cheese
- mayonnaise for spreading and for dipping
- 2 slices hearty bread
- 4 thin slices of Provolone cheese
- pesto
- 2–3 slices roma tomato
- roasted red peppers, finely chopped
Spread mayonnaise onto one side of each slice of bread. Heat a pan on medium-low heat while you prepare the rest of the ingredients. Put the bread in a pan with the mayo side down. Apply 2–3 slices of cheese on each side of the bread. Apply a spoonful of pesto onto one side of the bread on top of the cheese. Take thin slices of tomatoes and apply them on the top of the pesto side of the sandwich. Take the side of bread with only cheese and flip it onto the top of the loaded side. Keep it on the heat until both sides of the grilled cheese are golden brown. Flip the sandwich over onto the other side, and cook until golden brown. Take the sandwich off the heat, cut it in half and serve it with roasted red peppers and mayonnaise mixed together.
