Oh hey. Sorry, kind of forgot this was here. Instead of trite apologies, how about a recipe?
It’s about 46 and raining here in Portland, and on these days there is seriously nothing better than a grilled cheese sandwich and tomato soup. Now, there about several ways to go about making grilled cheese, but you must understand I am a grilled cheese purist: a proper grilled cheese sandwich is bread and cheese; once you add anything else, it becomes a “melt.” Add tuna? Tuna Melt. Add tomatoes? I don’t know what you’d call it, but it is no longer grilled cheese. I don’t know why, it’s just one of those things I feel very strongly about. So here’s my grilled cheese recipe:
PDXPup’s Grilled Cheese
2 Slices of bread of your choosing (I usually have this one called ‘Oatnut’ that’s pretty good)
2 Slices Tillamook (yes, Tillamook) Medium Sharp Cheddar Cheese
1 Slice Tillamook (see above) Pepperjack cheese
Butter (for bread and melting)
Turn your stove on to just over medium, but not quite medium high and get your pan on there. Butter one side of each piece of bread and set aside. Throw a good chunk of butter in the pan for melting-don’t go overboard, but don’t skimp either…this is the key to a really good toasty outside. Once the butter in the pan has melted put one of the slices of bread, butter side down, in the pan. Add one slice of cheddar cheese to the bread and then layer the slice of pepperjack in, followed by the other slice of cheddar so the three slices sit uniformly across the bread. Put the other slice of bread, butter side up and facing you on top. Let grill for about 2-3 minutes and lift with a spatula to see that it is toasting. Flip over and let toast another minute or two. Keep flipping every minute or so to ensure uniform cheese melting and toasting. Once it’s grilled to your preferred doneness on the outside and inside, put on a plate and enjoy.
For the tomato soup everyone’s got their preferences, but if you’re using Campbell’s try using milk instead of water. So much better for dunking the sandwich into. Another option is Safeway’s Tomato Basil soup that you can buy already made and just heat up. Some people hate tomato soup and prefer another kind instead, which is a-okay with me.