Cooking at the cottage means simple recipes using fresh ingredients. I don’t want to be in the kitchen any longer than I have to. Don’t get me wrong, I adore cooking but I also adore this view:
Several years ago, our dear friend Barb (Profiteroles and Pony Tails) and her then beau (now hubby) came up to our cottage, The Upper Deck. We traded off days for cooking and for one lunch Barb made this excellent grilled cheese sandwich (Toastie)! We’re not talking about a processed cheese slice slapped between two slices of Mungie-cake white bread. No, this is a serious blend of cheeses with a splash of whiskey or cognac and some delicious green onion thrown in for good measure. Believe me, when I say: once you have this grilled cheese, you will NEVER want any other.
I posted this recipe originally in March 2009 and it was a bit of a sore spot because a named magazine asked to use my photo in a grilled cheese story but since I was relatively new to blogging, I wasn’t paying attention to the comments, so I missed out! Sigh. The flavour of the whiskey or cognac is essential, the cheese blend is entirely up to you, but I suggest hard cheese and not soft like goats cheese.
Adult Grilled Cheese
Serves 2
Ingredients:
- 125-150 g shredded cheese, in total
- 1 tbsp butter
- 2 slices sourdough bread, use this recipe
- 1 green onion, thinly sliced
- 2 tbsp cognac or whiskey
Directions:
- Combine shredded cheeses, green onion and cognac and mix well.
- Butter one side of each bread, lay one slice buttered side down and top with the cheese mixture. Lay the other side of the bread on top, buttered side up.
- Heat a grill pan and place sandwich on top, lay a weight over it (I used 3 cast iron pans but I put a piece of parchment on top of the sandwich first).
- Grill until cheese has melted. Cut sandwich in half and serve with celery sticks and homemade salsa.
Notes:
- For this sandwich, we used Applewood Smoked Cheddar, Extra Old Cheddar and Mozzarella.
- We have also used Mozzarella, Gruyère and white Cheddar, the combinations are endless. It is nice to use a stringy cheese for this type of sandwich.
- You could also put additional cheese on the exterior (omit butter) and instead of grill, lay a piece of parchment down in a cast iron frying pan and cook, repeat for other side. See instructions from my dear friend Lorraine, here.
Sounds like a perfect grilled cheese sandwich made even more so by that amazing view.
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oh gosh – this lake, this view and most of all this “tipsy Panini”!!!!! 🙂 Like Chgo John we too in our house might never use mustard on this ever again 🙂 Carina
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Now this is y kind of panino, Eva! And you are so right to avoid that processed stuff that comes individually wrapped. How can they get away with calling that cheese? A blend of cheeses is the only way to go. i, also, add a bit of brown mustard to my grilled “toasty”. I lived near a restaurant that added it and once I tried it, I was hooked.Then again, I’ve never used cognac. I may not use mustard ever again. 🙂
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What you describe here, Eva, brings a cheese sandwich to a completely different class of dishes! I love the idea of cognac or whiskey’s addition and your use good quality cheese is not that frequent from what I’ve observed on blogs…
I’m sure you would love it with good matured Swiss gruyère. It’s irresistible when melted… Pity I cannot send you some! Thank you so much for inspiration and for sharing the beautiful view from your cottage.
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Dear Sissi, thank you for your kind and flattering words. We were fortunate enough to have come by some lovely, mature gruyère recently and you are right on the money about the wonderful flavour it brings to this sandwich. The Canadian cottage experience is a unique experience that I feel, must be shared. We have a group of artists called the Group of Seven who painted our rugged landscape so beautifully, please check out Tom Thomson (one of my fav’s).
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I love the use of booze in this sandwich! I’ve used beer/ale with cheese, a lot (think Welsh Rarebit). This sounds better. And yes, your view is wonderful! 🙂
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Thank you kindly John, it does add a certain je ne sais quois to the ordinary grilled cheese! I have seen Welsh Rarebit around and have been meaning to try it, thank you for the reminder.
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Your view reminds me of the last time we were up in Wisconsin—we had a balcony right over the lake—so serene! I’m loving this boozy grilled cheese!! What a fabulous way to make a classic even better!
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Thank you Liz, indeed the landscape is very much like that of Wisconsin. I’m so glad you think this version is lovely.
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A beautiful view… so good!
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Thank you kindly, Liz.
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Goodness me Eva that looks superb! It doesn’t help that it’s around brunch time right now! Love the addition of cognac 🙂
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Thanks so much Lorraine, the cognac (or whiskey) are barely detectable but it sure does add a lovely background note to the sandwich.
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Mungie-cake! I don’t know what it is but it makes me smile… as do “toasties” with booze! GREG
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Ha, sorry Greg, it’s a term I use similar to what vanilla has come to mean. Thank you for your kind words.
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Ooh, love the idea of a boozy grilled cheese – how great! Enjoy the spirit of summer and those gorgeous views Eva… it all flies by way too fast. Savour every moment and keep them locked in your heart for the colder months.
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Thank you kindly, Kelly, there are really no other views like those of Northern Ontario, are there? I did see on Instagram a pic of what might have been a view from your cabin, I do hope you have been able to enjoy even a short sojourn there.
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This hot weather sure is perfect for spending time at the cottage, the water must be nice and warm. I want a whole sandwich not a half please, thanks 🙂
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Thank you, Norma, I have only dipped into the lake once and it was very quick. Our lake is spring-fed and therefore is rather chilly until, at least August. Only the young and foolish (and perhaps those who are tipsy) swim this time of year! I would definitely make you a whole sandwich.
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That looks very satisfying and tasty, Eva.
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Thank you kindly Angie.
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