Two Free Tickets to “A Cheesy Soiree” For Foodie-file Readers
ATTENTION CHEESE LOVERS! Cheese of Canada is hosting a night of cheese at the Bata Shoe Museum on Wednesday, February 18th. It is a night of information and celebration of Canadian Raw Milk cheese. Cheese of Canada’s founder Gurth Pretty has kindly given me two free tickets valued at $80.00 to treat my Foodie-file readers!
The night will feature tastings of Canadian cheeses, libations and information and opinions about safety, heath benefits, and regulations about Canadian raw milk cheese. If you would like to attend this cheesy event, tickets are available online at www.CheeseofCanada.ca or by calling 416.346.4236. Part of the proceeds from the event will be given to the Ontario Cheese Society and Slow Food – Toronto convivium.
To win two tickets, leave a comment on this blog post detailing your yummiest version of a grilled cheese sandwich – don’t skimp on the details or the cheese! Feel free to send me a picture if you like (but you don’t have to ) at cpicheca@canadianliving.com. I will give away the tickets on February 13th for a cheesy Valentine’s treat!
The event takes place in Toronto, Ontario so you need to be able to attend in order to get the tickets. Sorry for those of you farther afeild, but as a consolation I will have three runner up prizes. My Cook Like a Chef Giveaway is not going over like gangbuster … so far no entries. So Iet me make it easier for you, I will award the three beautiful West cookbooks to the three runner up, grilled cheese sandwich makers.
OK, get grilling or commenting with your cheesy submissions.
There is nothing more comforting than a grill cheese sandwich! When I was a kid my mother would make me grill cheese with potato chips on the side. When she wasn’t looking I would stuff the chips inside the sandwich for an extra crunch! I’m all grown up now – but I still do it.
I had this often on pizza when I lived in England, and adapted it to sandwiches…
Red Leceister Cheese drizzled with Sweet Chili Sauce served open-faced on a thick slice of fresh french stick. It grills up beautifully and has a lovely sweet taste and wonderful colour.
With lolling tongue, I slather 2 slices of eggbread – both sides – with cultured butter. Then I pour some old bacon grease into the pan. Then I cut old cheddar thinly to line my butter breads. Then I sprinkle some feta in between the cheddars, and fold my sandwich in half. On low heat, I simmer my fatty-good sandwich until golden on both sides.
When done, I slide the greasy goodness onto a plate and cut in half to watch the cheeses ooze out. Then I do the unthinkable: I crack open the Ketchup and drizzle a lovely serpentine between the halves of my sandwich. I sniff the glory on my plate, plop myself in front of the TV, and mow down on the saturated fat miracle of delight, dipping ever-so-delicately into the ketchup, only so often. One can’t be too greedy.
I had a sandwich as a takeout a few weeks ago – grilled cheese and tomato. Medium cheddar, tomato slices – plum aren’t as messy. I have elaborated on it by smearing some pesto on the bread, buttering the outside of the slices of bread (wholewheat) first before grilling. Yummy!
I like to butter both sides of my bread with butter, usually a soft egg bread. Then, I add thick slices of havarti or aged cheddar. Then I sandwich it with another buttered bread slice and fry them up in a non-stick pan on both sides so that the butterred sides are golden brown and crispy but the inside is gooey.
My yummiest version of a grilled cheese sandwich is using Spicy Havarti on whole wheat bread ummmmm:)
Posted by me on behalf of Angie:
My adult version of a grilled cheese sandwich.
Layer on light rye bread soft brie cheese and then a couple slice’s of tomatoe, season with salt and pepper,then add a thin slice
of ham and then add some more brie cheese on top. Put on the top slice of bread and lightly butter both sides of the bread (to
make it easier butter one side first put it face down into the hot frying pan and then butter the other side) then put your
sandwich into your hot frying pan and fry each side until nice and golden brown and your brie cheese has started to melt. yummy
Angie Berst
Grilled cheese is my favorite ‘no one home time to splurge’treat. I like a whole grain bread with lots of seeds and nuts in it. I use real butter just on the outside of the bread. I use presliced, real cheddar slices (2). It has to be grilled a beautiful golden brown. Serve it with Old Dutch barbeque chips and 2 crunchy dill pickles. Glass of milk or diet coke to accompany. Only thing better is a slice of rich chocolate cake to go with it for desert. Heavenly
My version of a great grilled cheese:
I use aged cheddar and sliced onions.
I slice the cheese and onions and build it in layers. After buttering the bread, I place the butter side down in the frying pan and put a layer of chees then a layer of onions then another layer of cheese on the bread and top with bread, buttered on the outside.
It sounds strange but the combo of onion and cheese is very very good, well tis to me.
Try it, you might like it too!
My favourite grilled cheese sandwich, has always been, french bread, grilled with extra old cheddar and raw onions. It’s like going to Gramma’s house, it always taste good. The onions are raw, but warmed up, still giving that crunch. Too far away to be in Toronto, but the cookbook is always fantastic, since I collect them.
I love grilled cheese sandwichs. I have one everyday for lunch. I don’t even butter the outside, just one side and put the cheese on . I use my grill for it, so it is no need to butter the outside. Hope I am lucky. Always nice to get one of your cookbooks. I have been trying for quite sometime now, but never had any luck. Maybe this time I will be lucky.
There has been many grilled cheese sandwiches in my life time and very few cheeses that I have not tried to grill!But I think that my favorite one to date is grilled Havarti with Procuto and thinly sliced red onions.Of course to make this sandwich the ultimat treat it is grilled on sourdough bread.I must say the best thing to have along side is still a big bowl of Tomato soup!
mmmmm, these all sound good, I like the old standby with a twist… butter one side of the bread… add slice of the regular Kraft processed cheese, add a layer of thin sliced apple, another slice of cheese…a slice of bread to hold it together… toast in a not too hot frypan. Glass of wine and maybe some grapes.
My ultimate grilled cheese sandwich was a treat I made for myself on a cold day over the holidays that really hit the spot!
I used a nice rye bread spread with pesto and put a layer of sliced homemade roasted red pepper, a few pieces of baby spinach and then a generous crumbling of goat’s cheese and a quick crackle of black pepper to finish it off. It was so simple, but the goat cheese and roasted red peppers were both fantastically rich and smooth and the baby spinach added a nice lighter green element with the pesto. I grilled it in my George Foreman Grill which I actually find quite nice for pressing all the ingredients together and really helping the flavours meld.
Ah grilled cheese! Sorry, but grilled cheese has to be white bread. I never eat white bread but grilled cheese is a childhood thing and white bread is what we ate in those years, so it is a must. I use swiss cheese a slice of turkey and a slice of swiss cheese again. The bread is buttered, honey mustard added and the whole sandwhich dipped in eggwhite. The cheese melts with the turkey, it’s great. It’s kinda french toast, but it is my version of a grilled cheese. Enjoy!
My family LOVES my version of a good ol fashion simple, yet cheese-a-licious grilled cheese, and always ask for seconds:)
My version: Take 2 slices of your favourite bread, buttered on both sides. Brown on a non-stick pan or George Foreman (awesome grill marks), each side. Once this is done put 1 or 2 slices (your choice), of REAL CHEDDAR and make into a sandwich. Continue heating till cheese has melted. Slice in half and enjoy!! Simple, yet an absolute comfort food. Mother made/family approved:) Bon Appetit!!
My current favorite version of a grilled cheese is a variation on an appetizer that I greatly enjoy. Two slices of any kind of bread, sliced brie, raspberries, and a drizzle of honey which is then toated until golden brown. The melted cheese and the touch of sweetness from the raspberries and the honey are a divine combination. My current guilty pleasure.
My favorite grilled cheese starts with 2 butered pieces of rye bread, sprinkle lots of shredded cheddar cheese, ( 1/2cups) add a large serving of pastromi, one ring of red onion, grill bread until nicely golden and cheese is melted, serve with a dill pickle and a side of mustard, this adult grilled cheese is great with a pink of beer, just have lots of pastromi and cheddar on hand because most people ask for seconds,
Oh, it is getting close to lunch and I am getting very HUNGRY! I love all the great ideas and have made the old cheddar and onions version many times. Here is my very ADULT version for when I really want to indulge….
Butter both sides of bread ….seriously, who doesn’t? This works great with a fresh baguette, sliced to your preference…I like medium-thick. Saute the bread on both sides until a little golden, then spread a little roasted garlic on one of the slices. Next add a nice slice of double-cream Brie. On top of that, place some apple slices that have been squirted with a little lemon juice, then sauteed in a little butter and brown sugar…until very soft. Then top that off with some caramelized onions (don’t we all keep these on hand?). Place this under the broiler just to melt the cheese and top with the other toasted slice of baguette. Or, you can eat this one open-faced (oh yeah, save those calories…it’s not like the Brie and buttered bread will send you over your daily limit already!).
p.s. I am not able to attend the TO event, much to my disappointment but I would love a new COOKBOOK!
Being Chinese-Canadian, I didn’t grow up on grilled cheese sandwiches. But since living with my partner, the best part of grilled cheese is him making it for me on a lazy Saturday afternoons! The only cheese staple we have in our home is sharp cheddar cheese, so with simple, natural ingredients, he butters both sides of sliced crusty bread, adds the cheese and lets it slowly brown on both sides in a pan. We always serve it with ketchup with a side of vegetable soup! On fancier occassions, we’ve gotten our hands on Quebec unpasteurized cheese…mmmm! So, I would LOVE to go to this event!
Who knew that grilled cheese to keep little hungry tummies satisfied could be so “up-scale”? My favorite … and the kids ate it too … is homemade white bread, thick sliced, buttered on both sides, with a slathering of good mayonnaise (homemade cooked mayonnaise is by far the best!), a couple of slices of Provolone cheese, the second slice of bread, then sprinkled liberally with seasoned salt on both sides (might as well up the ante for the blood pressure as well as the cholesterol), and then … grilled … as in, on the BBQ! Indescribable flavor.
Butter marble rye bread. Pour on the grated medium cheddar cheese, and add a couple of strips of bacon, and a little chopped onion. Grill in a hot frying pan. Grill until golden brown. Cut in half and stretch the cheese as far as you can. Warning, bacon may slide out with this action, but so what. It’s finger food.
Excellent if served with a bowl of tomato soup on the side.
For grilled cheese sandwiches, I like to use fried bacon, extra old cheddar on homemade bread. I butter both sides if the bread and put it under the grill in the toaster oven or the regular oven to broil for about five minutes on each sides.
I find the sandwiches are tastier and juicier under the grill than in the frypan. I like serve these with pickles on the side and with .homemade chicken soup
My favourite grilled adult sandwich does include cheese but I am very careful about the type of cheese I choose being lactose-sensitive. I use the best feta I can find thickly placed on ciabatta that has been lightly buttered inside. This will be an open faced sandwich. Next avocado slices or guacamole, if available, a thin slice of red onion and a little bit more feta, a sprinkle of fesh cilantro then grill. The bread is already chewy so you just want to warm it through and melt the cheese not toast. yummy!!!!! I love the colour and texture of this sandwich so while I do miss the cheddar ones of my youth this makes up for it!
I make grilled cheese by chopping up mushrooms ( or use canned) some pickled hot peppers chopped fine, add finely chopped onion, toss in some shredded skim mozza, 1/4 parmesan, a tablespoon of lite mayo, give everything a mix, spread over one piece of bread and cover with another piece,dip whole sandwhich in beaten egg/milk/parmesan mixture and grill……the BEST grilled cheese (gourmet)………..