Grilled Cheese Trifecta
Grilled cheese reminds me of my childhood and I’m pretty sure that memory goes for most people as well. When I was little, I would go to friend’s houses to play and their parents would make us grilled cheese sandwiches for after school snacks and I noticed that everyone’s parents made it a little bit differently. Differently than my mother would at least. I was used to classic white bread and four slices of orange Kraft Singles, slowly toasted in a skillet with a little bit of butter. That was my childhood staple.
Whenever I’d come inside from playing in the yard, I’d whine to my mom, “I’m hungryyyy!!!”, and this was a quick solution that she didn’t mind spending two minutes to fix. As I got older, my perception of grilled cheese evolved… and I noticed my mother’s love for grilled cheese too. I’d have a couple friends sleep over and we’d ask my mom to make us some of her by then, famous grilled cheeses. I started to notice that my mother would always burn the first one and pretend like she was upset by it, but later I realized that she had a thing for burnt grilled cheeses. Somehow, that first ”mistake” always disappeared.
When I got to college, my concept of grilled cheese changed again. When I wasn’t eating twelve of them in one sitting, I was busy stuffing them with cheese Doritos and dipping them in con queso or blue cheese dressing. Probably the reason I put on the freshman thirty, but at least I was being creative with my comfort food that reminded me of home. Now, I still appreciate the classic Kraft contraption every once in a while, but I also can’t resist getting gourmet with my grilled cheese.
The other day, my school teacher fiance called me up at lunchtime because she had a craving for grilled cheese after working lunch duty in the cafeteria of her middle school. I told her, “great idea!”, but she had no idea what I had in store for her when she got home.
I wanted to pair different cheeses with different types of bread to create three of the ultimate grilled cheese sandwiches, in three different styles. Wine wasn’t the route to go with this blog so I opted to pair each sandwich with a different craft beer. Let’s face it… beer and cheese are a match made in heaven (just ask Brad Wasik from Wasik’s Cheese Shop in Wellesley center, who offers amazing beer and cheese pairing events from time to time).
My first GCS (Grilled Cheese Sandwich) started off on the light side (ironic, I know). I crumbled up some local goat cheese and spread it in between two slices of fresh sourdough bread. Taking notes from my mother, I slowly toasted it in a skillet with some butter until both sides were golden brown and the goat cheese oozed out of the sides. This became my early favorite because the sourdough toast and the tangy goat cheese were amazing together.
I poured a tall glass of Chimay Cinq Cents Gold Label, which is a traditional Belgian Wheat Ale, and watched as the foamy head settled to the top. I was shocked at how aromatic this beer was, almost more aromatic than it was flavorful but in a good way. I stuck my nose right into the glass like it was a fine white Burgundy and noticed all of the honey, clove, and yeasty smells. The beer was a hazy golden color and was full of carbonation. It was medium bodied with a bitter, caramel finish that was actually quite pleasant.
My second GCS was created using, freshly sliced pumpernickel loaf and two amazing melting cheeses. I was going for the picture-esque, Kraft television commercial, pull apart shot where the stringy cheese stretches for miles. I layered a slice each of both aged Gruyere and Emmental cheese, which is kind of like a funky Swiss.
It was a good thing that the pumpernickel toasted quicker than the sourdough because these cheeses broke down fast and started to drip down the sides of the bread. The Gruyere is my type of cheese… super funky! and when it gets warm, the smell gets better and better. It was a really cool combination with the nutty, roasted malt flavors in the pumpernickel.
This is the GCS that you don’t want to serve to your children if you don’t know how to perform the HeimlichManeuver! I paired this one with a bottle of Samuel Smith Nut Brown Ale. This comes from an old English Brewery that has been making beer for hundreds of years. It’s much darker in color and has a significantly lower level of carbonation. The nose smelled of sweet apples and flowers but when I tasted it, it was rich and nutty. It had a cola-like mouthfeel, and almost tasted like toasted pumpernickel bread and toffee. It was like a New Castle on steroids!
My last creation was by far my favorite GCS and the richest one as well. I spread tons of creamy Gorgonzola (Italy’s blue cheese) in between two slices of dense, cinnamon-raisin bread and performed the same toasting procedure. I paired these two odd balls together because with a cheese that is so rich and full of mind boggling flavor, it would have considerably dominated a wimpy slice of Wonder. I needed a bread that had an equal amount of wallop to combat the Gorgonzola, so I chose one that was studded with plump raisins and laced with sweet cinnamon. Let me just say, that I have officially created a monster. The raisins caramelized with the toast and the blue veins just oozed out into the pan.
The love affair of sweet and savory was the most incredible GCS combination of the night. I paired this one with a bottle of Schlafly Reserve Barleywine Ale from Missouri. The beer was a burnt orange color and smelled like vanilla and sweet oak. I had never had a barleywine ale before but I really enjoyed this beer. Just like the GCS, it was a perfect balance of earthy and sweet. Tons of bourbon and maple flavors combined with a dry, creamy finish. After three giant craft beers, and three different, super rich, grilled cheese sandwiches it was time to revert back to my childhood once again and take a much needed nap.
