If there’s something I perennially dream of in those interminable moments of growing hunger, it’s the ultimate, the absolute ultimate, grilled cheese sandwich. The buttery crust of the bread, the rich yellow gooey goodness of the cheese bursting from within the sandwich with every bite and the sharp tang of the pickled onions that takes the sandwich to a new level altogether. Slurp…heaven!
And then I remember the number of calories that go with it and quickly crash back to earth. And I quietly settle for dry toast and chai.
But just because I have my eye on my calorie counter, is no reason why you shouldn’t enjoy this gorgeous grilled cheese sandwich. It’s really easy, but the trick lies in getting bread of the right thickness. It’s best if you have your own loaf that you can cut to ¾ inch thick slices.
White bread works best for this recipe. After all, since we are heaping so much cheese, why compromise on the bread. I used pickled onions for this recipe, but if you don’t have them at home, or are disinclined to make them, or simply don’t like them, it’s quite alright. You can always substitute it with a spoonful of finely chopped capsicum and some garlic butter. So here’s the recipe. Be warned though. It’s really really rich!
Ingredients:
For the Cheese Sandwich
4 slices of bread, cut to ¾ inch thickness each
¼ cup grated mozzarella cheese
¼ cup grated sharp cheddar cheese
¼ cup grated regular Indian cubed cheese (for that comfort flavor)
A handful of pickled onion slices, drained
or 2 tsp finely chopped capsicum + 2 tsp garlic butter, softened
¼ tsp chilli flakes
2 tsp white butter
Ingredients for pickled onions
1 large onion, very thinly sliced
2 tsp Apple Cider Vinegar
1 cup water
Salt to taste
3 tsp sugar
Method:
Butter all four bread slices well on both sides.
Arrange them on a large plate and distribute the pickled onions evenly on two slices of bread.
Take a large bowl and mix the three grated cheeses together and toss them with the chilli flakes.
Pile them on top of the pickled onions.
Alternately, mix the softened garlic butter with the chopped capsicum and smear this spread on the bread slices instead of pickled onions. Top it up with the cheese mix. Close both sandwiches with remaining two slices of bread and arrange them on a grill rack.
Preheat the oven to 180 degrees for ten minutes and grill at 150 degrees for 7-10 minutes. If your oven doesn’t have heating rods on both top and bottom, then don’t forget to turn over your sandwich when it is grilled on one side. Alternatively, you can even toast the sandwich in a sandwich maker.
Cut the sandwiches diagonally or across the length and serve.
For Pickled Onions:
Mix all ingredients together. Make sure the onions are fully submerged in the liquid and allow to sit for two hours at least. Drain the liquid before using in sandwiches. You can retain the liquid if you are using in a salad.
Image Courtesy: Shutterstock
More on>> World Cuisine
