Grilled cheese is proof that beauty doesn’t have to be complicated. All you need is some bread, butter, and cheese to win over even the most hardened of hearts. I have nothing but fond memories involving this sandwich like when a drunk Jackson tried unsuccessfully to make one in a friend’s toaster at a party. Or when our Welsch friend in college would call his grilled cheese sandwich “cheese toasties.”
However, most of my favorite grilled cheese memories involve my dad and me. Our annual camping trip to New Hampshire would always include a stop at Clark’s Trading Post to watch a bear show, take a train ride while being chased by the wolfman (still gives me nightmares), and eat grilled cheese with exotic white cheese instead of the usual orange stuff. When we had to leave New Hampshire and the wolfman behind, we bought a campfire grilled cheese contraption and made our own.
The two of us are night owls, late-night snackers, and would take salty over sweet any day of the week. Therefore, I’ve lost count of the weekend nights I ended up making a stack of midnight grilled cheeses for us to share. We’d eat our sandwiches and watch some terrible comedy until one of us called it a night (or my dad fell asleep in his chair, which happened more often than not).
So yeah, to me, grilled cheese is no ordinary sandwich. And this particular grilled cheese I’ve whipped up for you is no ordinary grilled cheese. If you’re ever pondering what truly is the best bread for a grilled cheese sandwich, ponder no more! The best bread is sourdough, hands down. My grandpa, the master of grilled cheeserie, has been making me sourdough and colby jack grilled cheese sandwiches for as long as I can remember. I even asked if he could make me two a few hours before my wedding (some people drink to calm their nerves, I eat grilled cheese). As you can see, grilled cheese runs in my family, so I am to be trusted.
Now, sourdough and colby is always a safe bet, but if you’re looking for something a little bolder: here it is (please forgive me, grandpa).
Sourdough bread grilled with rosemary butter and filled with feta spread with a hint of lemon, provolone, gruyere, and mozzarella. This combo is so good it might even possess the power to conjure up your own grilled cheese memories (whether they happened or not. Seriously, it’s that good).
Dip in tomato soup or enjoy on its own. But most importantly, eat in good company.
Rosemary grilled cheese
Ingredients
- 4 slices sourdough bread
- 2 tbsp butter, softened
- 1/4 tsp fresh rosemary, minced
- 1/2 cup crumbled feta
- 1/2 tbsp lemon juice
- 1/2 tbsp olive oil
- 2 slices provolone
- 1/3 cup mozzarella
- 1/3 cup gruyere
Instructions
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Mix together butter and rosemary. Spread on the four slices of bread.
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In a food processor, combine feta and lemon juice. Add olive oil and pulse until the mixture is smooth and spreadable.
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Heat a skillet (preferably cast iron) over a low heat. Spread feta on the non-buttered side of each slice of bread.
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Lay two slices of bread butter-side down on the heated skillet. Layer one slice of provolone, half the mozzarella, and half the gruyere on the slices of bread. Cook open-faced until cheese begins to melt. Flip one slice of bread onto the other and cook for an additional minute or so.
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Repeat with the other sandwich. Cut and half and serve immediately with tomato soup or on its own.
