When I was little, I would crave my mom’s grilled cheese sandwiches she’d make with slices of white Wonder bread and a slice of American cheese.
At one of my old jobs, I remember I ordered a grilled cheese sandwich at a tiny cafe and patiently waited for it to be wrapped in parchment like a gift. Oh, it was heaven biting into that sandwich. My mouth waters just thinking of it. The big long slice of bread had just the right crunch. The cheese? Perfect! I never knew what type of bread was used nor the cheese, but I tried several times recreating that taste especially during the rainy winter months.
Below is my take on that grilled cheese sandwich. I added smoked ham for this recipe.
Ingredients
- 1 tablespoon of European salted butter like Plugra
- 2 slices of sharp cheddar cheese (sliced / rustic-cut)
- 2 slices of quality sourdough bread like Boudin or Alfaro
- Mayonnaise
- 4 thin slices of smoked ham / ham off the bone (optional)
- Dijon mustard (optional)
Instructions
Heat a pan to low-medium heat then add the ham until the meat is warm. It won’t take long. Transfer the ham to a plate and carefully separate the slices. Slather a bit of mayonnaise and a tiny dab of Dijon mustard on it. Use more mayo than mustard.
Add butter to the pan. When the butter is melted, add the bread slices and use a cooking spatula to flip the bread so that the butter coats each side. Leave the bread alone on one side for about two minutes. It is important to adjust the heat so the bread crust doesn’t burn. I use low-heat.
As soon as one side is toasted, flip the slices over with the spatula and add the cheese on top of each bread and let it cook for 2-3 minutes. Add the ham. Now put one slice over the other to form the whole sandwich and then pat it down against the pan with the spatula to get the heat in. Continue to flip until all the cheese is melted and/or the crust has a nice golden color (it’s okay if it’s dark in some areas) to give just the right crunch. Enjoy!
Elle Peyarre - The Magazine 