There are few sandwiches I hold in higher esteem than the grilled cheese. When done right, the simple combination of bread, cheese and butter has a special place in my heart (and stomach) that even the most elegant dish cannot touch. Perhaps my love stems from fond memories of meals with friends at the local truck stop, the fact that grilled cheese are one of the few entrees I can cook or the plain simple truth that I, like any good Sconnie, love cheese. But for these reasons and more, I was thrilled to learn that April is National Grilled Cheese Month.
“National Grilled Cheese Month”? you may ask. “But of course!” the Wisconsin Milk Marketing Board (WMMB) would respond. Why not, if May is National Salad Month and October is National Pizza Month? Better than National Flour Month in February! While some may scoff at the idea of a month celebrating a sandwich, I took the news as an opportunity to find the best grilled cheese out there. While my classic truck stop grilled cheese was hard to beat, some variations on the theme proved to be strong competitors.
Before I delve in to the gooey hot mess, I must clarify what is classified as a “grilled cheese.” While most envision the sandwich as a heated plain cheese sandwich, there is no exact definition available. Any sandwich that is heated to the point that the cheese melts seems to qualify, regardless of what other ingredients are used. By this definition (or really, lack of one), your world of grilled cheese just got a whole lot bigger.
If National Grilled Cheese Month teaches you anything, it should be that almost everything tastes good with cheese. Whether you like bacon or broccoli, turkey or tapenade, there is a grilled cheese for you. And grilled cheese are not just for cheddar anymore – bleu cheese, Brie and even feta have found their way into less-conventional recipes, and they are a risk worth taking. Basically for cheeses, if you can melt it, you can grilled cheese it.
An example of a rewarding cheese risk is the Gruyere and Gorgonzola with Hazelnut Butter grilled cheese found in Laura Werlin’s new “Grilled Cheese Please!” cookbook. The name makes the sandwich sound more difficult to make than it was, which is exactly why I chose it. After getting over the oh-so-daunting task of making hazelnut butter (a process that consisted of throwing three ingredients in a blender) and following Werlin’s tips for cooking the grilled cheese (buttering the bread, not the pan, and covering the sandwich while on the stove), I wound up with a sandwich masterpiece.
The smooth taste of the hazelnut cut the bite of the Gorgonzola, while the savory Gruyere threw in a surprising twist. I had not been able to speculate what the combination would taste like, but the result was a truly pleasant taste. This grilled cheese involves a few too many steps (i.e., more than two) to be made on a daily basis, but is a recipe I will make again.
For those who aren’t buying the notion of a gourmet grilled cheese, worry not. There are plenty of less presumptuous grilled cheese recipes out there that will still give a kick to the classic. Simple adjustments, such as adding a sauce or a vegetable, can give your mouth something new while remaining easy to make. Mustard, tomato and cheddar grilled cheese give that extra something while remaining familiar, while bacon, chipotle mayo and Colby Jack grilled cheese provide a taste all their own. Really, the question isn’t what you can put in a grilled cheese – you’ll have a harder time answering what you can’t.
While grilled cheese recipes are tantalizing, their obvious downfall is the fact that you can’t eat them. Effort is required for the recipe to become a hot and ready to eat reality, something we are not always willing to give. Luckily, we live in the capital of the cheese state (fuck you, California), and many restaurants serve up their own versions of grilled cheese.
By far my favorite grilled cheese in Madison is the stuffed grilled cheese from Alchemy Caf? on Atwood. Made with Swiss and cheddar cheese and broccoli, tomato, red onion and carrots, the grilled cheese features a cilantro pesto sauce and is simply amazing. It is close enough to a classic to be fairly considered a grilled cheese but far enough from it to offer something exciting. For $7.75 you’d expect a pretty epic grilled cheese, and Alchemy delivers.
There are plenty of other places to celebrate National Grilled Cheese Month. Monty’s Blue Plate Diner serves a grilled cheese that changes weekly with flavors from Mediterranean to meat-laden, all for just $8.29. The Old Fashioned has a hefty grilled cheese with its No. 40, made with Swiss, Cheddar, red peppers and smoked bacon for $6.95. For a frills-free grilled cheese, Sunroom Caf? has a great one for $3.95. Choose your grilled cheese dream and go out and celebrate.
Allegra Dimperio ([email protected]) is a sophomore majoring in journalism.
