Melt: 100 Amazing Adventures in Grilled Cheese (11 page)

Boston Cream Pie

1 small box instant vanilla pudding

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teaspoon vanilla extract

4 Hostess Shortcakes, scooped (keep dough lids)

4 tablespoons farmers’ cheese, divided

Milk chocolate whipped frosting, to cover tops, approximately 1 cup

Powdered sugar, for decoration

A typical Boston Cream Pie is a sponge cake filled with cream, then covered with chocolate. This Boston Cream Pie takes the original recipe and gives it a major flavor boost by adding vanilla custard mixed with farmers’ cheese and chocolate whipped frosting. How’s that for unbelievable!

1. Preheat oven to 250°F, or simply use the “warm” setting on your oven.
   
2. Prepare instant vanilla pudding according to instructions on box. Add
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   teaspoon vanilla extract during preparation.
   
3. Place 1 tablespoon farmers’ cheese in each shortcake. Bake for 3 minutes. With the back of a spoon, press cheese into cake. Let cool.
   
4. Fill each shortcake with
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   cup vanilla pudding. Cover with shortcake lids and milk chocolate whipped frosting.
   
5. Sprinkle with powdered sugar and serve warm.
   

2 tablespoons apple cinnamon granola

2 tablespoons blueberry ’n cream granola

2 tablespoons + 1 tablespoon quark cheese

2–4 tablespoons melted sweet butter, for grilling

2 slices raisin pumpernickel

1 tablespoon cashews, broken

You run to the store—you grab a granola bar. You’re rushed for breakfast—granola bar. You need a pick-me-up in the afternoon—granola bar. This quick and easy snack has come through in a pinch more than once, but you can do better! The granola-filled grilled cheese sandwich uses all the flavors that you’re used to finding wrapped in that shiny package, but let’s be honest, everything is just better when it’s included in an amazing grilled cheese.

1. In a bowl, mix apple cinnamon and blueberry ’n cream granola with quark cheese.
   
2. Brush the melted butter on the outside of the 2 slices of bread. In an unheated sauté pan, place 1 slice of bread butter side down. Spread granola mixture over bread, followed by broken cashews. Place other slice of bread on top, butter side up. Turn burner to medium heat.
   
3. Let sandwich cook on medium heat for 3–5 minutes per side or until bread is golden brown.
   
4. Cut on the diagonal and serve warm.
   

2–4 tablespoons sweet butter

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cup fresh, seedless green grapes, halved

1
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tablespoons white sugar

1 tablespoon brown sugar

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cup water

Salt and pepper to taste

1 Italian sesame roll (hoagie bun), sliced horizontally

Approximately
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, small wheel, approximately 12", of Brie, enough to cover bread

The flavors of the grapes and Brie meld into one amazing taste when placed between two crunchy halves of Italian sesame bread. The mixture of the sweet grapes and creamy texture of the Brie provide for a unique eating experience. Add the Italian bread, which is mild enough to allow the sweet flavors to seep through, and you have yourself an unexpected but wonderful grilled cheese sandwich.

1. In a sauté pan, melt sweet butter over medium heat. Add grapes, white and brown sugar, water, and salt and pepper, to taste. Cook until grapes soften, approximately 7–10 minutes. Drain sweetened grapes, saving the liquid.
   
2. Preheat oven to 350°F.
   
3. Drizzle grape liquid over the bottom half of the roll. Spread Brie over bread, followed by sweetened grapes and the other half of bread.
   
4. Bake for 5–7 minutes and serve warm.
   

Chocolate Mascarpone and Strawberry

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cup mascarpone cheese

5–6 chocolate discs, melted, divided

2–4 tablespoons melted sweet butter, for grilling

2 slices brioche bread, hand-cut

2–3 graham crackers, broken into small–medium pieces

4–5 fresh strawberries, sliced

If you have been tasked with preparing a dessert for a romantic dinner, this sandwich is the perfect option. Filled with the foods of romance—chocolate, mascarpone, and strawberries—this recipe brings a little bit of ooh-la-la to any table. The fact that it’s a sweet grilled cheese sandwich is just the cherry on top!

1. In a bowl, mix mascarpone and
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   of the melted chocolate.
   
2. Brush 2–4 tablespoons melted butter on the outside of the 2 slices of bread. In a sauté pan, brown outside of bread over medium heat for 1–2 minutes. Set on serving dish. Spread chocolate mascarpone on bread, followed by broken graham crackers, sliced strawberries, and
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   of remaining drizzled chocolate. Close sandwich with other piece of challah, cooked side up.
   
3. Drizzle remaining melted chocolate over top of sandwich. Serve at room temperature.
   

8 strawberries, sliced, divided

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mango, sliced, divided

1
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tablespoons olive oil

Salt, to taste

2–4 tablespoons melted sweet butter, for grilling

2 slices pumpernickel bread

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cup shredded Gouda

This recipe uses fruit in two different—but extraordinarily complementary—ways! This grilled cheese is packed with a fruit salsa, a partially juiced mashup of various fruits that really allows the flavors to mingle, and fresh fruit slices that keep the crunch alive! This recipe’s satisfactory sweet flavor doesn’t overpower and never disappoints. Guaranteed!

1. In a blender, mix on high half of the sliced strawberries and mangoes, olive oil, and salt into a fine liquid. Set aside.
   
2. Brush 2–4 tablespoons melted butter on the outside of the 2 slices of bread. In an unheated sauté pan, place 1 slice of bread butter side down. Spread half of the fruit mixture on the bread, followed by the shredded Gouda, sliced strawberries, sliced mangoes, and the rest of the fruit mixture. Place the other slice of bread on top, butter side up. Turn burner to medium heat.
   
3. Let sandwich cook for 3–5 minutes per side or until bread is golden brown.
   
4. Cut on the diagonal and serve warm.
   

Just because a grilled cheese sandwich is sweet doesn’t mean that it can’t push some serious culinary boundaries. Today, restaurants and food trucks have thought outside the box and created some amazing, distinctive treats. The sweet recipes in this chapter take inspiration from those grilled cheese gurus and showcase experimentally delicious gourmet concoctions. White bread has been tossed aside in favor of unexpected goodies like brownies, cookies, and Rice Krispies treats. Here, Camembert, crème fraîche, and mascarpone are finally getting their due. These exceptional ingredients provide something for everyone and give you a jumping-off point for your own experimental adventures into the world of sweet grilled cheese sandwiches. Get ready to try something new!

3 ounces blueberries, or your favorite fruit

1
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tablespoons sugar

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cup farmers’ cheese

2 waffles cooked

Waffles make a perfect breakfast dish, but rather than serving them the same old way, time after time, use them to create an exceptional grilled cheese! Feel free to give these sandwiches—which are also perfect for dessert—your own unique spin by adding your favorite fruit to the mix.

1. Preheat oven to 350°F.
   
2. Softly fold the blueberries and sugar into the farmers’ cheese and place most of the mixture on 1 waffle, leaving only a large spoonful behind. Place other waffle on top.
   
3. Bake for 5 minutes on a baking sheet.
   
4. Place remaining farmers’ cheese mixture on top and serve warm.
   

Cheerios are one of America’s favorite breakfast foods, but why limit this healthy cereal to breakfast? Turns out that these crunchy Os pair perfectly with cheese, almonds, and bananas to create a grilled cheese that’s perfect for breakfast, lunch, dinner, or whenever you feel like working some magic in the kitchen!

2–4 tablespoons melted sweet butter, for grilling

2 slices multigrain or banana bread

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banana, sliced

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cup Cheerios

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cup slivered almonds

Honey, to taste

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cup Jarlsberg cheese shredded

1. Brush the melted butter on the outside of the 2 slices of bread. In an unheated sauté pan, place 1 slice of bread butter side down, followed by the sliced banana, Cheerios, slivered almonds, honey, and Jarlsberg cheese. Place other slice of bread on top, butter side up. Turn burner to medium heat.
   
2. Let sandwich cook for 5 minutes per side or until bread is golden brown.
   
3. Cut on the diagonal and serve warm.
   

Stuffed French Toast

FOR STUFFING

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cup fresh raspberries

1 teaspoon sugar

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cup + 1 tablespoon farmers’ cheese

FOR FRENCH TOAST BATTER

1 jumbo egg

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cup milk

2 teaspoons cinnamon sugar (see Harvest Fest recipe in
Chapter 3
for cinnamon sugar details)

Drop of vanilla extract

FOR STUFFED FRENCH TOAST

1–2 tablespoons sweet butter

2 hand-cut slices challah

Cinnamon sugar, to taste

Powdered sugar, for decoration

You have really never had French Toast until you have had challah French Toast! This traditional egg bread adds the perfect amount of sweetness to take this grilled cheese from good to amazing. The flavors of the fresh fruit layer over the sweetness of the challah send this sandwich over the top.

1. In a mixing bowl, mix with a fork the egg, milk, and cinnamon sugar to create batter. Set aside.
   
2. In a separate mixing bowl, combine fresh raspberries and sugar. Softly mix in the farmers’ cheese, being careful not to break the raspberries. Set aside.
   
3. Warm sauté pan to medium heat and melt 1–2 tablespoons of butter. Dredge both slices of the challah in batter. Place slices in pan and brown on both sides, approximately 5 minutes. When flipping challah, sprinkle with cinnamon sugar to taste. Take off heat and spread farmers’ cheese mixture on 1 slice, leaving a spoonful behind. Place other slice of bread on top.
   
4. Place remaining farmers’ cheese mixture on top of bread, sprinkle with powdered sugar, and serve warm.
   

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cup dark brown sugar

4–5 slices thick-cut bacon

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cup ricotta cheese

4–5 caramel chews, diced or torn into small pieces

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teaspoon vanilla extract

2–4 tablespoons melted sweet butter, for grilling

2 slices sweet brioche bread

This guest recipe is the ultimate sweet bacon treat. It may sound strange, but you’ll find that the sweet and salty interplay of the candied bacon actually gives this sandwich complex layers of flavor that make it perfect for entertaining!

1. Preheat an oven to 350°F degrees. While the oven is warming, spread the brown sugar out in a shallow bowl, and toss the bacon with it until the bacon is fully coated. Place the sugared bacon onto a foil-lined bacon sheet, and into the oven.
   
2. Bake the candied bacon for 20–30 minutes, depending on the thickness of your bacon. The sugar should be fully melted and the bacon should be brown. Transfer the bacon to wax paper to cool, but be careful of the hot sugar.
   
3. In a small bowl, combine the ricotta cheese, the caramel pieces, and the vanilla extract, and mix them together just until combined.
   
4. Brush the melted butter on the outside of the 2 slices of brioche. In an unheated sauté pan, place 1 slice of bread butter side down.
   
5. Layer the brioche with the sweet ricotta mixture and the cooled candied bacon. Top the sandwich with the other slice of buttered brioche. Turn burner to medium heat.
   
6. Let sandwich cook for 3–5 minutes per side or until bread is golden brown.
   
7. Cut on the diagonal and serve at room temperature.
   

1 large Rice Krispies treat

Brie to cover 1 side of Rice Krispies treat

Peanut butter to cover 1 side of Rice Krispies treat

7 chocolate discs, melted

Rice Krispies Treats may be a blast from the past, but there’s no reason to leave this great snack to languish in children’s lunchboxes. This recipe puts the Rice Krispies Treat front and center by using it as the bread for the grilled cheese. This sandwich is still good for kids, but it’s probably more appropriate for a dessert after a great, grown-up meal. Lucky you!

1. Preheat oven to 250°F.
   
2. Cut the Rice Krispies treat horizontally. Spread brie on 1 half and peanut butter on the other. Drizzle melted chocolate on the peanut butter side.
   
3. Place only the brie half on a baking sheet and in the oven for 3 minutes. Set aside.
   
4. Combine the covered sides.
   
5. Cut in half and serve.
   

3 ounces cream cheese

3 teaspoons cinnamon sugar, divided (see Harvest Fest recipe in
Chapter 3
for cinnamon sugar details)

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teaspoon vanilla

2–4 tablespoons melted sweet butter, for grilling

2 hand-cut slices challah

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teaspoon instant coffee granules

6 chocolate chip morsels, melted

The only thing better than a sweet grilled cheese is one that comes packed full of get-up-and-go. Leave your coffee cup at home, because this recipe is packed full of everyone’s favorite shot of caffeine. And as if the rich coffee wasn’t enough for you, this sandwich also contains plenty of cinnamon and sugar. It’s like a cup of Joe and a delicious Danish … all in the palm of your hand.

1. In a mixing bowl, combine cream cheese, 2 teaspoons cinnamon sugar, and vanilla. Set aside.
   
2. Brush the melted butter on the outside of the 2 slices of bread. Sprinkle each slice of bread with the remaining 1 teaspoon of cinnamon sugar. In a sauté pan, place 1 slice of bread butter side down. Place cream cheese mixture on bread. Sprinkle coffee grounds on top and drizzle with melted chocolate. Place other slice of bread on top, butter side up.
   
3. Let sandwich cook on medium heat for 3–5 minutes per side or until bread is golden brown.
   
4. Cut on the diagonal and serve warm.
   

2 graham crackers

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cup crumbled Raclette cheese

1–2 tablespoons crème fraîche

2 large marshmallows, sliced in half

8 chocolate discs, melted

S’mores are a campfire classic, but you’re a grown-up who’s looking for a grilled cheese with a grown-up sensibility. Enter The S’more! This particular sandwich doesn’t require a campfire—just imagination and a deep love for chocolate. Feel free to throw in a ghost story or two to set the mood!

1. Preheat oven to 325°F.
   
2. On top of 1 graham cracker, place the Raclette cheese, crème fraîche, and marshmallows. Drizzle the melted chocolate on top of the marshmallows. Top with other graham cracker and bake for 3–5 minutes on a baking pan.
   
3. Let newly created S’mores sandwich cool for 3 minutes, allowing the cheese to coagulate. Eat and enjoy.
   

Chocolate Brownie Indulgence

2 brownies measured 5" square

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cup mascarpone

1 chocolate sandwich cookie, crumbled

1 teaspoon gourmet hot fudge

Powdered sugar, for decoration

If you love chocolate—really, truly, passionately love chocolate—then the Chocolate Brownie Indulgence is the right treat for you! With its combination of chocolate brownies, chocolate sandwich cookies, and rich hot fudge, this over-the-top grilled cheese sandwich is the perfect dessert for any chocoholic … or you could just skip dinner and go right for the good stuff.

1. Preheat oven to 350°F.
   
2. Spread mascarpone over one brownie, followed by crumbled chocolate sandwich cookie and hot fudge. Close sandwich with other half of brownie.
   
3. Bake for 6 minutes on a baking sheet.
   
4. Sprinkle with powdered sugar for decoration and serve warm.