Grilled cheese sandwiches are frequently thought of as kid food--but they can be so much more than that! They can be sophisticated, incorporate classic flavors, and can even be made into a dessert. I have three great recipes to up your grilled cheese game.
Red Wine Grilled Cheese
This is an ADULT grilled cheese. I made it loosely off of this recipe here. If you don’t have Gruyere, cheddar is a great substitute.
Ingredients
- 2 slices French or sourdough bread
- 1-2 Tbs butter
- 1/2 red onion chopped
- 1 clove garlic minced
- Dash of rosemary
- Dash of thyme
- 3/4 cup red wine such as Cabernet Sauvignon
- 1/2 cup shredded Gruyere cheese
Method
- In a pan on medium heat, melt butter.
- Add onion, mixing into butter.
- Once the onions begin to soften, add garlic, thyme, and rosemary.
- Add salt and pepper to taste
- Sauté for a couple of minutes.
- Add wine
- Reduce until the alcohol has burned off and the reduction is thick enough to coat a spoon or leaves a clear trail in the pan when moved with a spatula.
- Separate the onions from the liquid, and reserve the liquid for later use. (if needed you can add more wine and reduce it down)
- Build the sandwich with Gruyere, onions, and more Gruyere
- Melt some butter (1 Tbs.) in a pan on medium-low heat
- Grill in a pan until golden brown on each side, and cheese is melted. (Cover the pan if you notice the bread browning long before cheese melts)
- Drizzle the red wine reduction on top.
- Enjoy!
Buffalo Chicken Grilled Cheese
I first had a sandwich like this from the Grilled Cheezerie in Ann Arbor. They have since gone out of business, but I loved their sandwich so much, here is my dupe of it. I borrowed the recipe for the buffalo sauce from here.
Ingredients
- ½ cup cold unsalted butter
- 2/3 cup Frank’s Red Hot Buffalo Wing Sauce
- 1½ tablespoon white vinegar
- ¼ teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
- ¼ teaspoon cayenne pepper
- ⅛ teaspoon garlic powder
- salt to taste
- 1 cooked chicken breast shredded (I used a breast from a grocery store rotisserie chicken)
- Sourdough Bread
- Shredded Cheddar Cheese
- Shredded Mozzarella
- Blue cheese
- Kettle Cooked Chips
Method
- In a medium saucepan, on medium-high heat, melt the butter.
- Then add hot sauce, vinegar, Worcestershire sauce, cayenne pepper, and garlic powder. Bring to a simmer while stirring with a whisk.
- As soon as the liquid begins to bubble on the sides of the pot, remove it from heat, stir with the whisk. This is your Buffalo sauce.
- In a bowl stir together the shredded chicken breast and the Buffalo sauce.
- Build the sandwich with a 50/50 blend on cheddar and mozzarella, then the buffalo chicken, blue cheese to taste, kettle-cooked chips, and more of the 50/50 mozzarella cheddar blend.
- Melt some butter (1 Tbs) in a pan on medium-low heat
- Grill in a pan until golden brown on each side, and cheese is melted (Cover the pan if you notice the bread browning long before cheese melts)
- Enjoy!
Raspberry Chocolate Grilled Cheese
Yes, you can make a grilled cheese into a dessert! I based this one on the recipe here. You can also add some Sander’s Hot Fudge if your chocolate chips do not melt, but you want that melted chocolate texture.
Ingredients
- 1/2 cup mascarpone cheese
- 1 Tbsp. sugar
- 1 Tsp. vanilla extract
- 6 oz. Raspberries
- 2 teaspoons butter
- 8 (1/4-inch-thick) slices brioche
- 2 oz. semi-sweet chocolate chips
- Powdered sugar, for dusting
Method
- Combine mascarpone, sugar, and vanilla in a small bowl.
- Place bread slices on the work surface. Spread mascarpone mixture on bread, evenly dividing among slices.
- Top 4 slices each with a single layer of raspberries and a single layer of chocolate pieces. Top each with 1 of the remaining bread slices and press down firmly.
- Heat butter in a large nonstick skillet over medium-high until melted.
- Add sandwiches, in batches if necessary, and cook for 3 to 4 minutes or until chocolate is melted and bread is browned on both sides.
- Remove from pan and sprinkle with powdered sugar.
- Enjoy!