You worked hard to get halfway good at adulting. School? Check. Job? Several. Family? Sheesh, I know it’s none of my business and no, I haven’t been speaking with your mother. Save the profanity for therapy.
Don’t worry, craving a food you loved as a child doesn’t mean you have to turn in your voter registration card, unless you happen to be a person of color in the American South. The crunch of golden, buttery, toast, followed by a gush of gooey cheese, and…
Sorry, I’m back. Anyway, no one is telling you to give up grilled cheese after age 18 and there is no scientific evidence suggesting any sandwich can lead to moving back in with your parents. So go ahead, get grilled cheese on the menu plan and, if it makes you feel more grown up or you’re working on impressing someone who isn’t yet 4-course dinner material, amp it up with some acid and brine. Eat, enjoy, and find a playground to go swinging.
Or you’re grounded.
How to Eat A Grilled Cheese
The longest-running disagreement between Frau v. F and me is how to cut a sandwich. She demands that the bread be cut diagonally, while my strongly-held belief is to keep the knife in the drawer so when I bite into it there’s no chance of content spillage anywhere but into my mouth.
To dunk or not to dunk? Lots of people like to dunk their sandwich into tomato soup, it’s a classic taste combo. Lots of people are daft, too, and there’s probably a large overlap between those two groups. Don’t make your sandwich soggy; eat your soup with a spoon.
Equipment and Supplies
- paper towels
Ingredients
- 2 heirloom tomatoes, sliced
- ½ small red onion, diced
- 4 ounces whipped cream cheese
- 4 ounces shredded cheddar cheese
- 2 tablespoons tapenade
- 8 slices sandwich bread
- 3 tablespoons butter, softened
Method
- Wrap the tomato slices in a paper towel and put a plate on top to press out some of the water.2 heirloom tomatoes
- Stir the tapenade, diced onion, shredded cheese and cream cheese together in a mixing bowl until they are thoroughly combined.½ small red onion, 4 ounces whipped cream cheese, 4 ounces shredded cheddar cheese, 2 tablespoons tapenade
- Spread the cheese and tapenade mix evenly on 4 slices of bread, then place the tomatoes on top. Top each with the remaining 4 slices of bread.8 slices sandwich bread
- Spread the butter on the top of each sandwich. Place each, butter side down, in the skillet. Butter the now top, naked, side.3 tablespoons butter
- Fry each side for about 4 minutes on each side or until golden and crunchy. Slice if you must, and serve immediately.
i really liked the bitey-ness to it from the red onion and the depth of flavor from the tapenade really helped bring it to another level. I’m not generally a tomato guy, but the acidity of the tomato also helped round everything out and itd be good without the tomato but its great with the tomato. Other helpful tip is that you can make the tapenade ahead of time so when you’ve got it ready whenever you’re craving a grilled cheese!