Friday, May 25, 2012

Ultimate Grilled Cheese Sandwich




This week’s Gourmet Live 50 Women Game-Changers focus is on Alexa Andrzejewski and Soraya Darabi, who along with Teb Grubb, created Foodspotting. With so many restaurant review apps available, this group decided to develop one where people could review specific dishes instead of entire restaurants. On the website they explain, “Because we know that even a ‘one star restaurant’ can have one amazing dish, we want to know what you love, not what you hate. We encourage spotters to share only the foods that they like and to 'nom' the foods that they love.”

To honor these two women, I decided to join in on the Foodspotting! I signed up and posted this photo of the Ultimate Grilled Cheese Sandwich from the Mirth Café in Lawrence, Kansas. This is probably my favorite sandwich of all time served at one of my favorite places to dine. (I wrote about the café last summer in this post.)



Then I decided to recreate the sandwich at home, something I’ve wanted to do since the first time I tried it. The cheese combination of provolone, feta and cheddar provide the perfect balance of creaminess and flavor. The sandwich also has a layer of baby spinach and is spread with pesto, which blends well with the cheeses.



I’ll never look at a grilled cheese sandwich the same again. Any other will just seem, well, dull.

Ultimate Grilled Cheese Sandwich
Adapted from the dish served at The Mirth Café in Lawrence, Kansas.

2 pieces of bread
Butter
1-2 teaspoons pesto, to taste
1-2 slices of provolone
Grated sharp cheddar
Feta cheese, crumbled
Baby spinach leaves

Preheat a skillet over medium heat. Spread butter on one side of each bread slice. Spread the pesto on the other side of just one bread slice.

When the skillet is hot, place the butter-only bread slice into the skillet, butter side down. Layer cheeses and spinach on top. Finally place the remaining bread slice on top, pesto side down. Grill until bread is browned, and then turn over to brown the other side.

Be sure to check out my fellow food bloggers to see what they prepared:

Taryn - Have Kitchen Will Feed,
Susan - The Spice Garden
Heather - girlichef,
Miranda - Mangoes and Chutney,
Amrita - Beetles Kitchen Escapades
Mary - One Perfect Bite,
Sue - The View from Great Island,
Barbara - Movable Feasts
Nancy - Picadillo,
Mireya - My Healthy Eating Habits
Veronica - My Catholic Kitchen,
Annie - Most Lovely Things,
Jeanette - Healthy Living
Claudia - Journey of an Italian Cook,
Alyce - More Time at the Table
Kathy - Bakeaway with Me,
Martha - Simple Nourished Living,
Jill - Saucy Cooks
Sara - Everything in the Kitchen Sink
Joanne - Eats Well With Others
Claudia -A Seasonal Cook in Turkey
Viola - The Life is Good Kitchen
Kathleen - Gonna Want Seconds

7 comments:

  1. Linda,
    I haven't had a grilled sandwich in ages, but I know what I'm having for lunch today. Thanks for reminding me.

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  2. Looking forward to trying the Foodspotting app. Your grilled cheese sandwich is definitely Foodspotting worthy!

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  3. This sounds gooey, creamy, yummy and fattening!! Although from your description it sounds like it's worth it!!!

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  4. Is there anything more satisfying than a grilled cheese? Hunger instantly abated and few dishes to wash. Gotta love it and this one looks especially tasty. Happy holiday weekend!

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  5. Grilled cheese is always my go to food when I don't really feel like cooking much in the kitchen. It can turn freezer bread into a flavour packed treat.

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  6. Grilled cheese sandwiches are one of my favorite quick lunches ... this version looks positively decadent! Love it!

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  7. I've now had this sandwich for lunch two days in a row. Can't get enough of it! I've never been a big pesto fan, but on this sandwich it works. I'm considering trying it on other sandwiches as well.
    Jill, it is so worth it! But I guess you could regulate the amount of cheese to make it healthier. Besides, it has spinach, so that's healthy, right? ;)
    I'm glad everyone enjoyed one of my ultimate comfort foods. Thanks for the comments.

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