recipe: ultimate grilled cheese

My favourite things about autumn include:  plush warm sweaters, my mom’s Thanksgiving dinner, warm apple cider, a trip to Shantzholm to pick up pumpkins with David and Johnny, Halloween-sized Snickers bars, and getting to watch new episodes of my favourite T.V. shows.

I’m currently enjoying a couple new series. One that’s particularly fun is called “Man vs. Food”.  It airs on the Travel Channel, and is hosted by Adam Richman. His passion, humour and knowledge of food industry makes him perfect for this show – that and his ability to pack away a TON of food.  

This series is somewhat like Food TV’s “Diners, Dive-ins and Dives” in that Richman tours mom & pop shops from coast to coast, however, every episode of this show ends with an eating contest of sorts (hence the show’s name).

Some of the contests are shocking, a few mouthwatering, but all are somewhat disturbing (my Aunt Deb and Mom can’t even watch the show).   A recent episode (although this was a repeat) featured the “ultimate” grilled cheese sandwich, from a bar in Cleveland called “Bar and Grilled”. The sandwich featured fourteen cheeses, three-and-a-half pounds of it in total.  

I was surprised to be craving a grilled cheese sandwich by the end of that episode, considering it could have just as easily turned me off grilled cheese for life, given the magnitude of the sandwich.  Anyway, here’s my version of the ultimate grilled cheese, toned-down considerably from the Man vs. Food version.

Dana’s Ultimate Grilled Cheese Sandwich

ingredients

·        2 (two) slices of whole grain bread

·        1 (one) tablespoon Dutch apple pie jam, or your favourite apple or pear jam

·        1 (one) ounce St. Agur blue cheese

·        1 (one) ounce old cheddar cheese

·        ½ (one-half) apple or pear, thin slices with skin on

·        2 (two) slices cooked bacon, crisp

·        a small handful of spinach

·        1 (one) tablespoon butter, softened

method

1.      Spread jam onto one slice of bread, top with both cheeses, apple or pear slices, bacon and spinach.  Top with second slice of bread and press down.

2.      Spread each (outside) slice of bread with ½ tablespoon of softened butter.

3.      Heat frying pan over medium heat until hot, add sandwich and cook until golden brown on both sides and cheese is melted, turning once, about 2-3 minutes per side.