by Martu Meitus
Scripps Howard News Service
When the term comfort food entered the lexicon, it referred to mom food of the '50s--things like roasted chicken, chocolate-chip cookies and tomato soup. And when it came to sandwiches, most people thought of grilled cheese.
Americans consume an estimated 2.2 billion grilled-cheese sandwiches a year, according to the NPD Group, a national marketing research firm. When Art Ginsburg, TV's "Mr. Food," and the American Dairy Association teamed up this year for their grilled-cheese contest, they received more than 1,000 entries vying for the best hometown grilled-cheese sandwich.
The cheese sandwich sprang up in the 1930s at "Sunday-night suppers," Sylvia Lovegren says in her book Fashionable Food.
The Sunday-night supper was an inexpensive way to entertain family and friends during the Depression, Lovegren says. The grilled-cheese sandwich, then known as the "cheese dream," was a sure hit with men, according to a homemaker reporting in Woman's Home Companion in 1938.
Noted Mrs. Arthur Turner of Long Beach, Calif.: "The lightest thing I have been able to offer with success (by success, I mean that placid, benevolent, relaxed expression that begins to steal over a man's face halfway through his meal) consists of two large slices of bread toasted on one side, topped with generous wedges of cheese, sliced tomatoes and ham or bacon strips, all placed under the broiler for six or seven minutes, served with plenty of pickles and olives and two or three cups of coffee. Many of my friends prefer topping this off with a mammoth piece of pineapple icebox cake."
The original cheese dream has proved to be a blank canvas for chefs looking to update a classic, with new spins on everything from the kinds of cheese to the kinds of toppings to the kinds of bread. If you're looking for a change from your standard American cheese-and-white bread grilled cheese, here are a few suggestions, followed by the winning recipes from the Mr. Food contest.
Try these combinations: grilled Swiss on pumpernickel, Gouda on a dark brown bread, or Havarti with rye bread.
Add any of these toppings to a grilled-cheese sandwich: crisp apples with delicate mozzarella; peaches with Edam; pears with Brie or Gorgonzola.
Grill a variation on a Monte Cristo: Combine cooked turkey or chicken with cheese and cooked ham on toasted bread.
Prepare a deep-dish-pizza grilled cheese with Italian sausage, pizza sauce, mozzarella and Parmesan cheese.
Cook an herbal grilled cheese: Add fresh basil, dried oregano and sun-dried tomatoes to a toasted mozzarella cheese sandwich.
Here's some other fun variations:
Pacifica Pear Grilled Cheese
Fisherman's Wharf Grilled Cheese
Spicy Cajun Bayou Grilled Cheese
New York Strip Steak Grilled Cheese
Hoosier Apple Surprise Sammies
Heartland "Pepper Harvest" Cracked-Wheat Grilled Cheese
Pacifica Pear Grilled Cheese
Recipe from "Mr. Food" Kitchens.
Ingredients:
2 Tbs. butter, softened
8 slices (1/2-inch thick) crusty French bread, cut from a round loaf
4 slices Muenster cheese
1 Bartlett pear, cored and cut into thin slices
4 tsp. raspberry preserves
8 oz. Brie cheese, cut into 12 thin slices, rind removed
Preparation:
Spread butter evenly on one side of each slice of bread. On the unbuttered sides of four slices of bread, layer one slice of Muenster cheese folded in half, and four pear slices. Spread with equal amounts of raspberry preserves.
Top each with three slices of Brie cheese and another slice of bread, buttered side out.
Preheat a large skillet or griddle over low heat. Cover and cook the sandwiches, in batches if necessary, for two to three minutes per side or until golden and the cheeses are melted. Serve immediately.
Yield: 4 servings
Fisherman's Wharf Grilled Cheese
From Runner-Up Roxanne Chan, Albany, Calif.
Ingredients:
1/4 cup mayonnaise
8 slices (1/2-inch thick) sourdough bread, cut from a round loaf
1/2 cup crumbled blue cheese
1/2 tsp. ground pepper
2 Tbs. red onion, diced
8 oz. fresh crab or imitation crabmeat, flaked
1 small green bell pepper, cut into thin strips
4 slices Havarti cheese
4 Tbs. (1/2 stick) butter, softened
Preparation:
Spread mayonnaise evenly on one side of four slices of bread. Layer each with two tablespoons crumbled blue cheese, ground pepper, onion, crab, bell peppers and one slice of Havarti cheese. Top with the remaining slices of bread.
In a large skillet or griddle, melt butter over low heat. Cook the sandwiches, in batches if necessary, for two to three minutes per side or until golden and the cheeses are melted. Serve immediately.
Yield: 4 servings
Spicy Cajun Bayou Grilled Cheese
From Grand-Prize Winner Tracy Preston, New Orleans, La.
Ingredients:
4 Tbs. (1/2 stick) butter, softened
8 slices crusty Italian bread
6 Tbs. pepper jelly
8 slices Pepper Jack cheese
2 links andouille sausage, grilled, each link cut into quarters and split lengthwise
8 slices Muenster cheese
Spread butter on one side of each slice of bread. Spread pepper jelly on the unbuttered sides of four slices of bread. On slices of bread with pepper jelly, place two slices of Pepper Jack cheese and two pieces of grilled andouille sausage over the jelly. Cover andouille sausage with two slices of Muenster cheese and top with the remaining slices of bread, buttered side out.
Preheat a large skillet or griddle over medium heat. Cook sandwiches, in batches if necessary, for two to three minutes per side or until golden and the cheeses are melted. Serve immediately.
Yield: 4 servings
* Note: Andouille is a spicy smoked sausage made from pork; a specialty of Cajun cooking. Substitute any other smoked sausage if desired.
New York Strip Steak Grilled Cheese
From Runner-Up Claudia Shepardson, Loudonville, N.Y.
Ingredients:
4 oz. cream cheese, softened
2 Tbs. horseradish mustard
1 cup baby spinach leaves, stems removed and coarsely chopped
2 New York strip steaks (about 8 oz. each), grilled to desired doneness
4 Tbs. (1/2 stick) butter, softened
8 slices hearty white bread
2/3 cup canned, drained or previously sauteed fresh mushrooms
4 slices Havarti cheese
Preparation:
In a small bowl, combine cream cheese and horseradish mustard. Stir until smooth. Fold chopped spinach gently into the mixture. Trim steak of any visible fat and thinly slice on the diagonal.
Spread butter evenly on one side of each slice of bread. On the unbuttered sides of each slice of bread, spread equal amounts of the cream-cheese mixture. Layer four slices of bread with about 1/4 of the steak slices and 1/4 of the sauteed mushrooms. Top each sandwich with a slice of Havarti cheese and remaining slices of bread, buttered side out.
Preheat a large skillet or griddle over medium heat. Cook sandwiches, in batches if necessary, for two to three minutes per side, or until golden and the cheeses are melted. Serve immediately.
Yield: 4 servings
Hoosier Apple Surprise Sammies
From Runner-Up Kay Eller, North Manchester, Ind.
Ingredients:
4 Tbs. (1/2 stick) butter, softened
8 slices cinnamon-raisin bread
1/2 cup crunchy peanut butter
4 slices mozzarella cheese
1 Golden Delicious apple, thinly sliced
8 slices cheddar cheese
Preparation:
Spread butter evenly on one side of each slice of bread. On the unbuttered sides of four slices of bread, spread equal amounts of peanut butter and top with one slice of mozzarella cheese. Place apple slices over the cheese, and top each sandwich with two slices of cheddar cheese. Top with remaining slices of bread, buttered side out.
Preheat a large skillet or griddle over medium heat. Cook sandwiches, in batches if necessary, for two to three minutes per side, or until golden and the cheeses are melted. Serve immediately.
Yield: 4 servings
Heartland "Pepper Harvest" Cracked-Wheat Grilled Cheese
From Runner-Up Nancy Williams, Wichita, Kan.
Ingredients:
4 Tbs. (1/2 stick) butter, softened
8 slices cracked-wheat bread
4 slices Monterey Jack cheese
4 slices provolone cheese
8 oz. thinly sliced peppered roast beef or pastrami
12 slices cooked bacon, sprinkled with coarse ground pepper
Preparation:
Spread butter evenly on one side of each slice of bread. On the unbuttered sides of four slices of bread, layer one slice of Monterey Jack and one slice of provolone cheese. Place roast beef and bacon over cheeses, and top with the remaining slices of bread, buttered side out.
Preheat a large skillet or griddle over medium heat. Cook sandwiches, in batches if necessary, for two to three minutes per side or until golden and the cheeses are melted. Serve immediately.
Yield: 4 servings
(Marty Meitus is the food editor of the Rocky Mountain News in Denver.)
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