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My grandmother used her cast iron skillet for just about everything. Potatoes- Amen. Steak- Hallelujah. Thick Omelets- Oh Lordy. But when she whipped up grilled cheese sandwiches on chilly afternoons, I was certain the angels had sent her to me.
Something so indulgent as rich, oozing cheese….enveloped by thick slices of bread, should never be “lightened” by a Panini press. My mama knew that grilled cheese sandwiches weren’t for the faint of heart. Back her day, if you took on any challenge, you better darn well do it right.
After assembling the sandwich, her trick was to spread room temperature butter onto both sides of the bread. Standing on my tippy toes and gripping the edge of the counter, I would watch as she generously lathered on the doses. Biting my lip, hoping we wouldn’t get caught by my mother, I would gaze at Mama with concern. Too young to understand why my mother would disapprove, I was only aware that our actions were quite rebellious. As the bread hit the skillet, it would emote a satisfying sizzle. Mama would give me an assuring nod and wipe her hand on her homemade apron. She was a powerful revolutionary; providing a warm wall of protection and a never-ending supply of naughty foods.
Tomato and Roasted Red Pepper Soup
Ingredients
1/2 of a Red Pepper, roasted, peeled and chopped
2 Tablespoons Olive oil or Butter
2 Crushed Garlic Cloves
1/2 of a Yellow Onion, Chopped
1 -14.5 Ounce Can Whole Tomatoes (or diced)
1 -14.5 Ounce Can Chicken Broth
4 Large Basil leaves
1 Teaspoon Thyme
1 Tablespoon Honey
1/2 Teaspoon Garlic Powder
1/2 Teaspoon Crushed Red Chili Peppers
1/2 Cup Half and Half
Salt and Pepper to Taste
Directions
Preheat Oven to 420 Degrees
Remove the seeds from your halved Red Pepper. Slather the whole thing in 1 Tablespoon Olive Oil. Lay Cut side down onto a foil lined baking sheet. Pierce a few times with a knife. Roast for about 15-20 minutes, or until skin looks a bit browned and bubbly. Allow pepper to cool until you can touch it. Once cool, peel away the waxy skin and discard. Roughly chop pepper.
In a soup pot, heat your olive oil at medium high. Add your onions and saute for about 7 minutes. Add your garlic, crushed red chili pepper, thyme and garlic powder. Cook for about 1 minute. Add your entire can of tomatoes, your can of chicken broth and your chopped peppers. Bring to a soft boil. Add your basil leaves, honey and ground black pepper. Reduce heat to low and allow to simmer with lid on for about 15 minutes. Turn heat off and let soup rest for about 5 minutes. With an immersion blend, blend until smooth and velvety. If you do not have an immersion blender, with a blender, work in batches.
Once blended, whisk in your half and half. Season with lots of salt and pepper until just right. If you need to heat it up again, just be sure not to boil. It causes the dairy to separate a bit.
Decadent Grilled Cheese Sandwiches
Makes 2 Sandwiches!
Ingredients
4 Slices of Whole Wheat Bread
Thinly Sliced Havarti Cheese
3 Slices of Bacon
1/4 Cup Caramelized Onions
Dijon Mustard
1 Tablespoon Butter
Directions
To assemble, just spread Dijon on once side of all bread slices. Top two slices of bread with as much cheese as you want. Divide the bacon and onions between the two slices of bread and top it off! Slap on the other slices of bread and get to work. Heat a cast iron skillet to medium high. Plop in some butter. Bring to a sizzle. Add your sandwiches. Cook for 3 minutes and flip. Cook for another 3 minutes, pressing down with a spatula to seal things up. Using a large, or a few small, heart-shaped cookie cutter, cut out the loveeeee. Devour this oozing, rich, divine treat.
All Pictures were taken by the man who hates melted cheese, Evan Lentz.