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I so love a good, gooey grilled cheese sandwich. It remains a strong comfort food of my childhood and teenage years. At home, we made grilled American cheese on rye. Friday lunch specials at Lower Merion High School were grilled American cheese on white bread with a bowl of homemade Tomato Soup.
According to the editors at Woman’s Day, April is National Grilled Cheese Sandwich Month. I did some culinary sleuthing and discovered America fell in love with grilled cheese during the Great Depression because sliced white bread and American cheese were inexpensive and readily available.
The French could have invented it with their yummy Croque Monsieur made with cheese and ham, and croque madame, made with cheese and leftover cooked chicken or turkey. Their Italian neighbors created a grilled sandwich called the panino prepared on its own unique press.
Little is required to make the perfect grilled cheese. You need a cheese that melts easily. My favorites are cheddar, Swiss, Gruyère, brie, Taleggio, fontina from Italy and good old American cheese sliced to order at the deli.
Bread choices run the gamut from farmhouse white, whole wheat, challah, Jewish rye, seven-grain, rustic Tuscan and sourdough. I like Metropolitan Bakery’s sandwich white and challah. Ask the clerk to slice the bread on the machine. A crusty authentic Jewish rye from a deli floods me with memories of childhood.
You can use either a heavy nonstick skillet or cast-iron pan. Unsalted butter is a necessity. You can smear some mustard on the bread. I heat the skillet over medium. Once the sandwich has settled in nicely, I cover the pan and keep a watchful eye on it because the butter and bread could burn easily. Use a spatula to press down and flip it over.
Some people add thinly sliced tomato, but I don’t care for this combination. The tomato gets too watery and runny. Bacon is my favorite additive for grilled cheese. I also love any kind of ham especially prosciutto di Parma. If you have some corned beef or pastrami in the fridge, get set to make a Reuben. The original Reuben also calls for sauerkraut.
Use your imagination when making grilled cheese. You can add spinach leaves or baby spicy arugula. As Cole Porter wrote: “Anything Goes.”
Croque Monsieur
Ingredients:
Two slices of bread of choice
Mustard, optional
4 thin slices of Gruyère
4 thin slices of boiled ham
Unsalted butter
Directions:
Build your sandwich using alternating slices of cheese and ham.
Heat 2 tablespoons of the butter over medium in the pan. Add the sandwich and let it sit for about two minutes. Cover the skillet with a lid. Allow to cook, checking to make sure butter is not burning. Press down with a spatula. Flip the sandwich over. You may need to add a bit more butter.
Cover the pan with a lid. Allow to cook for about another minute. Check the sandwich to see if the cheese has melted.
Serves one.
Tomato Soup
Ingredients:
2 tablespoons of olive oil
2 tablespoons of unsalted butter
1 large onion, cut into small dice
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
2 28-ounce cans of whole San Marzano tomatoes
1 32-ounce package of chicken or vegetable stock
1 cup of water
Fresh herb of choice, chopped
Dollop of sour cream, optional
Directions:
Melt the oil and butter in a 4-quart pot over medium heat. Add the onion and sauté for about eight minutes. Add the remaining ingredients, except the sour cream, and cook over medium heat. Blend well.
Puree the soup in batches in a blender or food processor. Reheat when ready to serve.
Serves four to six.
Note from Phyllis: Since tomatoes are not in season until July, this recipe works well using top-quality whole San Marzano tomatoes. I will give you a recipe for fresh tomato soup sometime this summer when tomatoes are big, rip, juicy and plentiful. SPR
Contact the South Philly Review at editor@southphillyreview.com.
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