Grill Cheese Help !

That is a good link Bonnie, Strawberry picking just started around my neck of the woods. (Eastern NC). The French bread shown brought back memories of Miami and Cuban bread. There are little neighborhood bakeries all around. The bread is great and their pastries are wonderful.
 
This may be more than what you are looking for... but, a basic Reuben sandwich is my go to "grilled cheese" item.
  • Lightly butter one side of two bread slices.
  • Spread non-buttered sides with Thousand Island dressing.
  • Layer one slice Swiss cheese, corned beef, sauerkraut and second slice of Swiss cheese on top of the Thousand Island dressing side of one of the bread slices.
  • Top with remaining bread slice, buttered side out.
  • Grill sandwiche until both sides are golden brown, about 15 minutes per side. Serve hot
Yum!
 
Thanks Dan. That sounds great. You must be using a low, or medium-low cooking temp, to be able to cook for 15 minutes on each side. I know that my grilled cheese were "very" golden brown (or more), and in no time, and I cooked them a whole lot less than 15 minutes/side......:icon_scratchchin:

A Reuben will be in my near future, for sure.....:icon_thumbsup:
 
Hey Nick, yes I keep a low temp so that there is time to heat the sandwich throughout esp. if there is a lot of cheese, corned beef and sauerkraut. In hindsight perhaps the 15 mins is a bit long... actually, I just check on occasion until it gets golden brown, then flip. I guessed at the 15 mins :oops:.
 
Well, these things are coming out good, but it seems, I continue to somewhat, over-cook the bread (very dark). I assume they need to be cooked slow, and on low ?
 
I'm confused. Back in post #9 (that you made) you state that you know how to make grilled cheese sandwiches and that you've "made a million" and now you're asking questions on how to make them. Making them in cast iron is no different than making them in any non stick skillet: medium low heat and cheese that will melt like gruyere, manchego, cheddar, American, Swiss, Monterey Jack, colby, etc.
 
Lately i've been making a lot of no-knead dutch oven bread, and ive been experimenting with it a little. The last loaf i added rosemary and thyme to the bread before baking, this bread makes excellent grilled cheese sandwiches.
 
KevinE said:
I'm confused. Back in post #9 (that you made) you state that you know how to make grilled cheese sandwiches and that you've "made a million" and now you're asking questions on how to make them. Making them in cast iron is no different than making them in any non stick skillet: medium low heat and cheese that will melt like gruyere, manchego, cheddar, American, Swiss, Monterey Jack, colby, etc.
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Well Kevin, maybe I should clarify, as I surely didn't mean to confuse anyone. Yes, I've made a million grill cheese sandwiches (but don't hold me to that precise number), however, they were not made in a cast iron skillet, nor were they made in any other kind of skillet (non-stick or otherwise). And yes, there are other ways to make a "so called", grilled cheese sandwich, other than in a skillet. I'm just trying to figure out the heat thing, because I seem to keep burning the bread. Sorry for asking.:???:
 
Yes, Nick, I think it's the heat thing. Mine are done by guess and by golly, and getting the "color" right is the tricky part in my oh so humble opinion. As far as basic ingreds., if it tastes good, it's fine! (PS my mom called them "toasted cheese".)
 
Cast iron stores heat well, so continuing to heat it over a medium burner for the entire cook will result in cooking at more like med-high, or even high if longer. If cooking med-low, back it down to low once it gets as hot as needed. The pan will react to the change slowly, but you will not be continuing to rise above the originally set burner temp.

I use multiple types of cheese in one sandwich, and often add a thin slice of deli turkey or crisp cooked crumbled bacon. When the bread reaches desired brownness, I remove and cut in half. If the cheese in the center isn't as melted as I'd like, 10 seconds in the microwave solves that.

Where I was raised, they're called "cheese toasties".
 
Doug D. said:
If the cheese in the center isn't as melted as I'd like, 10 seconds in the microwave solves that.
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That was my exact thought, last night, but was thinking the microwave may make it soggy, so instead, I opted for 5 minutes in the oven (350F). That worked fine, but I had already over-darkened the bread, but not enough to discard. I was actually doing Dan B's Reuben (a few posts back), and other than slightly blackening one side, they turned out pretty good, but I was still curious as to what temps most used.

Thanks for the tips......(and sorry for the confusion)
 
Sharon Shuman said:
Yes, Nick, I think it's the heat thing. Mine are done by guess and by golly, and getting the "color" right is the tricky part in my oh so humble opinion. As far as basic ingreds., if it tastes good, it's fine! (PS my mom called them "toasted cheese".)
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Think of it like your cooking real buttermilk pancakes, they are thick and full like grilled cheeses sandwiches, and require a bit of longer time with lower heat to find the sweet spot your looking for. Hey like all food cooked find temperature, time, and what you like the flavor of and your good to go.

I like mine with dipped in tomato soup:)

---------- Post added at 04:10 PM ---------- Previous post was at 03:10 PM ----------

Nick, I kinda forgot the variations are endless. Sun dried tomatoes with bacon cooked in the rendered fat? Pick a cheese you think will fit off the top of your head. Some of my really great meals were off the top of my head by what was in the house at the moment. Unfortunately myself or the girlfriend at moment failed to to write down when we discussed later about how to make again :)

Enjoy cooking, for me it's kinda fun and always changing if you play in the kitchen you always try to conquer the flavor or dish that's on on your mind when you break out the chef knive.
 
I want to be sure my cheese melts without the bread burning, so I cheat by starting a piece of bread, with cheese on top, in a toaster oven. Another way I cheat is to put buttered but untested bread on the skillet, and when it gets really hot, I turn it over and put the cheese on the buttered and now heated side of the bread. That way I get the other side of the bread toasted while the cheese melts on the pre-heated side.

And then ... oh, what difference does it make. It's just hot bread and cheese with butter.

But mayo? Uh, no. Though I do love mayo.
 
Doug D. said:
You can't taste the mayo.
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Doug - I tried your "mayo on the outside" suggestion, along with the "microwave" trick (with a little twist). I prepared my sandwich - bread/Cheddar/Colby/Swiss/bread, etc. Then I hit it with the microwave for about 20 seconds, applied mayo to the outside top, and immediately flipped it into the skillet, mayo side down. I then put the mayo on the other (up) side, and continued cooking on medium-low, watching closely so as not to burn. After turning, it came out perfect - golden brown on the outside, with nice gooey melted cheese, on the inside. ;)
 
I love a good Monte Cristo, it's kind of a "grilled cheese" sandwich. The best one I have had was at the Blue Bayou restaurant at Disneyland.

This one will require either a deep skillet, or a dutch oven.

CURRANT JELLY SAUCE: Combine 12 oz jelly, 1 tbsp. water and 1 tbsp. half and half in blender and mix until smooth. Makes about 3/4 cup.

FRUIT COMPOTE:
1 (12 ounce) jar red currant jelly
1 (15 ounce) can peaches (or your choice of canned fruit. I like peaches)
Combine your favorite fresh and canned fruits and chill well. Yield is about 1/2 cup per person.

BATTER:
2/3 cup water
1 small egg
1⁄2 teaspoon salt
1⁄8 teaspoon white pepper
2⁄3 cup all-purpose flour
1 3⁄4 teaspoons baking powder
Place water, egg, salt, and pepper in a bowl and using an electric mixer, mix well at low speed. Add flour and baking powder and mix until batter is smooth. Chill.


SANDWICHES:
8 slices white bread
4 slices roasted cooked turkey (1 ounce each sandwich)
4 slices Swiss cheese (1 ounce each sandwich)
4 slices smoked ham (1 ounce each sandwich)
vegetable oil, for frying


Make 4 sandwiches, putting cheese between ham and turkey. Cut into fourths and put a toothpick through each quarter.

Frying in approximately 1/4" oil in a large skillet on both sides until crispy and brown.

Remove from oil and take out toothpicks. Drain on paper towel to remove excess oil.

Sprinkle sandwiches with confectioners' sugar. Serve with fruit compote and currant jelly sauce.
 
Nick_N said:
Doug - I tried your "mayo on the outside" suggestion, along with the "microwave" trick (with a little twist). I prepared my sandwich - bread/Cheddar/Colby/Swiss/bread, etc. Then I hit it with the microwave for about 20 seconds, applied mayo to the outside top, and immediately flipped it into the skillet, mayo side down. I then put the mayo on the other (up) side, and continued cooking on medium-low, watching closely so as not to burn. After turning, it came out perfect - golden brown on the outside, with nice gooey melted cheese, on the inside. ;)
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I use a #9 griddle on med-low and tent my grilled cheeses with a c-8 glass lid (fits perfectly). I have found that tenting allows me to cook a little slower, decreasing the risk of burning the bread while at the same time ensuring the cheese melts all the way through without having to use a secondary heat source.
 
Mike F said:
I use a #9 griddle on med-low and tent my grilled cheeses with a c-8 glass lid (fits perfectly). I have found that tenting allows me to cook a little slower, decreasing the risk of burning the bread while at the same time ensuring the cheese melts all the way through without having to use a secondary heat source.
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Thanks Mike - I will try that next time around, as I have a lid that fits one of my skillets perfectly. No condensation problems (dripping on the sandwich) ?
 
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