Comfort Food and the Grilled Cheese Sandwich

[Jim Koepke]

One of my favorite comfort foods is a grilled cheese sandwich (GCS). Mine are almost always made under the oven's broiler.

On those evenings where one just doesn't feel like making a more thorough meal, a grilled cheese, salad, bag of chips and a beverage can hit the spot.

More often than not, if there is some ham in the fridge it too ends up in the sandwich.

Most often the typical GCS has American Cheese, which some folks refuse to acknowledge as actually being cheese. This product of industry and marketing has found its way into many of my GCSes.

Now one of my favorite cheeses is a pepper jack. It seems every distributer of pepper jack has a different formula as to which peppers and how many they include. Shop around to find one you like if that is your desire.

Currently my mouth is undergoing extensive dental work and it may be awhile before being able to tackle a sandwich. Looking forward to the day my mouth can wrap around some of these:

https://www.huffingtonpost.com/entry/best-cheese-for-grilled-cheese-sandwich_us_5acbb3b1e4b07a3485e742c5

This may require finding a cheese shop in Portland to try some of them.

jtk

[Nathan Johnson]

I'm partial to a combination of provolone and pepper jack.

[John C Cox]

I agree that a Grilled Cheese Sandwich is one of the finer things in life. It's hard to beat the ubiquitous 2 slices of American cheese inside well buttered white bread. I do like cheddar and monterey jack... But American is hard to beat....

[Doug Garson]

I agree that a Grilled Cheese Sandwich is one of the finer things in life. It's hard to beat the ubiquitous 2 slices of American cheese inside well buttered white bread. I do like cheddar and monterey jack... But American is hard to beat....
How about a BLT with some mayo and for a bonus avocado?

[Marshall Harrison]

How about a BLT with some mayo and for a bonus avocado?

I'm a simple guy. I would much rather have a tomato sandwich. Just bread, mayo (preferably Duke's Mayonnaise) tomatoes and a little salt.

If I do a GCS I prefer American cheese or Velveeta (another product of industry and marketing). I love a GCS with chili.

[Ken Fitzgerald]

I dearly love my cheese and grilled cheese sandwiches. A typical winter supper can be a GCS and tomato soup. I prefer suped up tomato soups but my wife prefers Campbells plain tomato soup.

But cheese....for a local commercial brand, I prefer Tillamook ...I like their ice cream too. I like a wide variety of cheeses...including pepper jack, blue cheese, Havarti, American, Velveeta, cheddar, white cheddar, and so on.

Recently a pizza shop headquartered on the west coast of Washington, Mod Pizza opened a shop here. I enjoy going there as I can choose from a wide variety of cheeses to try a different pizza, looking for a favorite.

[Jim Becker]

I make Professor Dr. SWMBO and I grilled cheese sandwiches for a weekend lunch quite frequently and I originally intended to have one today for lunch, but got backed up with a project and had to settle for something quick on the way to pick my daughter up from work.

My preference is for a whole grain/seedy bread and various different kinds of cheeses. Occasionally, it's not just cheese, either...ham, salami or whatever might make an appearance in the middle of that gooey, delicious melted cheese. I do them on top of the range in a hot pan, but might try that broiler method at some point.

'Hope you heal fast and can get back into the sandwich swing quickly, Jim!

[Matt Day]

I made GC’s for dinner tonight. Plain cheddar (extra sharp Kraft) for the kids, and my wife and I had cheddar and smoked Gruyere. I use Pepperidge Farm Hearty White (I think it’s callled) which gives it a bit of a Texas Toast taste after it’s cooked/toasted with butter. Very tasty. I like to mix up the cheeses, but have learned not to get too exotic or it takes away from that GC taste.

I normally cook mine with buttered bread on a pan set on low/med.

Of course we had tomato soup (bisque this time) with it. And snap peas and raspberries to add some healthier food.

Can you tell I really enjoyed it?

I know what you mean about cheese becoming a lot less cheese and more fake processed junk. I got some store brand shredded cheddar and it tasted like cardboard. No more, I’m grating my own from a block now.

Hope your mouth heals up fast!

[George Bokros]

I like a good white American cheese like Land 'O Lakes. I also like cheddars like Sargento Extra Sharp White Cheddar.

[Peter Christensen]

Not nice to make our mouths water after we just had dinner. :p

I worked afternoon shift for many years, so I got pretty creative with my food to prevent tastebud boredom. I had a browning dish that I would bring and preheat in the microwave. When it was hot I would toss in my inch and a half thick hand sliced and buttered cheese sandwiches. First side got about 45 seconds and then flipped to do the second for another minute. Out they came hot, toasted, with the lots of melted cheese spilling out. They looked and tasted just like ones done on a frying pan or griddle. Always triggered drooling among the guys eating their leftovers. Cheddar, mozzarella, smoked gouda or swiss all cut from a block, never pre-sliced individually wrapped almost cheese and fresh bread picked up in the morning from the bakery. Almost made working tolerable. :)

[James Tibbetts]

GCS and tomato soup is my favorite lunch, and often dinner as well. For the cheese I prefer sharp enough-to-cut -you cheddar; or Kraft American slices with Jalapeno.
That tomato sandwich Marshall mentioned is way up on my list also. Tomato, mayo and S&P. And then there is the ever popular BLT.
Man, I could live a long time on that selection

[Arthur Fleming]

My preference is Italian bread, and toasted to an almost crunchy, dark golden, finish. prefer smoked provolone, Pepperjack a close second. Ham, bacon, turkey, if easily available. Mustard, never mayo (for grilled cheeses, mayo for most of my other sandwiches). Love salads, but not with grilled cheeses. Chips, and pickles, yes.

[Mark Blatter]

I'm a simple guy. I would much rather have a tomato sandwich. Just bread, mayo (preferably Duke's Mayonnaise) tomatoes and a little salt.


+1

I love tomato sandwiches, if the tomato is vine ripe. The only time I make them is late summer when I can pick my own tomatoes so I know they are perfectly ripe. I refuse to buy tomatoes from a store as they are always tasteless and nasty. I do toast my bread though and use Miracle Whip instead of mayo. I like the tangy taste in conjunction with the ripe tomatoes.

With GCS, I prefer a sharp or extra sharp cheddar. Helps to make sure my mouth is awake and not just calling in the chewing from the beach. I also like to add tomato soup to dip it in.

[Mac McQuinn]

Grilled Spatz(regional fix) bread with Whole Food's shredded Mexican cheese blend and slices of Roma tomatoes inside, works for me.
Mac

[Joe Mioux]

Grilled cheese on whole-multi grain bread, yellow mustard and butter, and dill and/or bread and butter pickles.

Tomato soup is a must with GC sandwiches.

[Curt Harms]

Seeded Rye bread, adequate butter on the outsides of the bread, light powdered garlic and oregano, extra sharp Vermont cheddar. I often add a slice of ham. Brown in a large pan or griddle so the butter melts, soaks into the bread and browns. Guess what we're having for lunch today? :).

[Eduard Nemirovsky]

Funny, today driving to work, I heard over the radio - "Today is GCS day!".
Jim, when you start this thread, did you know about it? :) :confused:

Ed.

[Perry Hilbert Jr]

Monterrey jack cheese on sour dough bread makes the second best grilled cheese. Monterrey jack on pumpernickle is the top. And when a vine ripe tomato is handy, pry the two slices apart with all that gooey melted cheese and add a thick slice of tomato. Now at my house, there is a long somewhat odd tradition with tomato soup. We add cracked up beer pretzels instead of crackers and also season with old bay instead of salt and pepper.

I understand that there really is an actual "American cheese" Though now hard to find with all the processed "cheese food" products flooding the market. Also, we the American Cheese we buy, is white (actually cream colored) In the 1930's adding yellow food coloring to food like cheese and butter was considered adulteration and was a criminal offense. ,So in this area of PA, American cheese is usually white in color and folks refer to it as white American cheese. Many folks here would will not buy any yellow American cheese.

[James Waldron]

SWMBO has a sourdough starter she maintains and bakes a loaf of bread in a nice large boule-shape about once a week. It makes delightful gcs lunches and occasionally peppered sharp cheddar cheese toast in the morning. Sometimes with crispy thick-sliced bacon, sometimes sugar cured ham, sometimes salt cured ham, sometimes plain. Good bread contributes a lot to a gcs; grilling in unsalted butter is a must, too. Best on well seasoned cast iron.

I think I need to check something in the kitchen now. Bye!

[Jim Becker]

I also use unsalted butter for cooking, James. A lot of it. Pioneer Woman would be proud of me!

[Marshall Harrison]

I had two tomato sandwiches for lunch today.

[Mike Null]

I love cheese and I'm kind of old fashioned when it comes snacks. GCS is a favorite and I usually get snobby and disdain American or Velveeta but the truth is I like it. Buttered, grilled in a frying pan using 12 grain bread.

I also have PBJ at least twice a week. I'm not big on tomato soup though.

[Nike Nihiser]

I smoke meat and a little pulled pork thrown a GCS is great. I warm the pork up in the microwave first. We like it on light rye.

[Matt Day]

I forgot to mention a local restaurant we have here in th Cleveland are called Melt. Specializing in crazy, huge, grilled cheese sammys. They’ve been featured on a number of foodie shows, and every time we’ve gone there’s about an hour wait. No reservations.

[Lee DeRaud]

I'm a simple guy. I would much rather have a tomato sandwich. Just bread, mayo (preferably Duke's Mayonnaise) tomatoes and a little salt.Good: that means more bacon for the rest of us. :)

[Lee DeRaud]

WRT GCS, cheddar jack and gouda on sourdough, with some grated parmesan/romano sprinkled on the outside as it cooks.
And Amy's Chunky Tomato Bisque to dunk in.

[Jim Koepke]

Funny, today driving to work, I heard over the radio - "Today is GCS day!".
Jim, when you start this thread, did you know about it? :) :confused:

Ed.

No

jtk

[Jim Becker]

Today's lunch after food shopping was GCS with whole grain bread, Havarti cheese and some thinly sliced salami.

[Nike Nihiser]

I smoke meat as one of my other hobbies. The LOML and I like smoked pulled pork on our grilled cheese sandwiches. The bread is sourdough or rye, warm up the pork in the microwave first.

[Bruce Volden]

When I was a "kid" 15/16 years old, my grandma introduced me to onion sandwiches! Rye bread, butter, thin sliced onions.
I miss my grandma.

Bruce

[James Waldron]

When I was a "kid" 15/16 years old, my grandma introduced me to onion sandwiches! Rye bread, butter, thin sliced onions.
I miss my grandma.

Bruce

I'm sure your gandma meant well, but the best onion sandwiches are made with Vidalia onions, fresh baked sourdough bread and proper mayonnaise. Proper = Duke's or in dire straights, Hellmans. 'Course up in South Dakota, life requires a lot of compromise. :rolleyes:

[Bill Carey]

I could eat GCS everyday. Add a thinly sliced tomato to it and it gets better. Usually American cheese - the white stuff. But to really appreciate the levels a GCS can attain, take 3 or 4 thin slices of home made meatloaf, fry them in a pan with butter (lots of butter), and add them between several slices of cheese. My all time favorite sammy.

[Dave Anderson NH]

My GCS of choice is Rye or Whole wheat bread with 2 slices of Hoffman's Sharp and one of Swiss. If we have them in the house, I will also add sliced tomato. As for peanut butter sandwiches, I had to give up chunky PB due to diverticulitis and the smooth just isn't as satisfying but it is better than none at all.

[Mike Null]

Well, this prompted me to have a gcs for lunch. I added bacon to my sharp cheddar. We've been using pre-cooked bacon and it's so fast and easy we're eating a lot more than if we had to cook it each time. We sacrifice a little flavor but it's so easy.

[Mike Cary]

Glad I waited until after lunch to read this thread.

[Jason Roehl]

I can't believe nobody mentioned Gouda for GCSs.

I must say, though, as much as I like finer foods with all-natural ingredients, nothing takes me back to childhood like a GCS on white bread (we normally ate whole wheat, so white was a treat) made with Kraft Singles and a bowl of Campbell's tomato soup made according to the directions, with some milk added at the table.

BTW, until you use peanut butter in place of mayo on a BLT, you're missing out.

[Lee DeRaud]

I can't believe nobody mentioned Gouda for GCSs.Post #26. :)

[Peter Christensen]

Post #10 too but maybe because I said "smoked gouda" you didn't count it. :)

[Perry Hilbert Jr]

Mrs. is partial to Asiago cheese in hers. As for peanut butter in sandwiches. An old timer I knew years ago, would eat grilled peanut butter and fresh sliced peach sandwiches. He also often had scrambled calf brains for breakfast. Both are just wrong in my view.

[Jason Roehl]

Post #26. :)


Post #10 too but maybe because I said "smoked gouda" you didn't count it. :)

Fair enough...I must have been scanning instead of reading.

They say there are three things you shouldn't talk about: religion, politics, and what you eat with your peanut butter.

[Joe Mioux]

I already posted on my favorite form of GCS earlier in this thread. With that said, this thread got me thinking of one of my favorite sandwiches.

Braunschweiger and grape jelly on cheap white bread....(you know the kind that gets stuck to the roof of your mouth when taking a bite). This sandwich is best eaten opened face though.

I digress, back to GCS sandwiches. pretty much any kind of cheese is good as long as it has yellow mustard and multi grain bread.