Most of the country has had their fair share of cold weather this year. Some Winter days are best spent indoors with your family, and nothing helps that along more than this comfort food. Who doesn't think of being a kid when eating a grilled cheese. I did cheat and used a canned tomato soup today but it's about using what's on hand. Freshly made Heirloom tomato soup will have it's day to shine when I can pick the tomatoes fresh from my garden.
Gruyere Cheese
To kick up your grilled cheese into high gear you're going to need some grownup ingredients. For starts you need cheese and the more the merrier. I like to mix different cheeses- one that melts easily and one with added sharpness to kick things up a notch. Today will feature one of our everyday favorite cheeses, a medium Timalook Cheddar. We'll combine that with some nice Gruyere.
We're also going to need to add some fresh herbs. This is one item that you really need to splurge on in the Winter. The downfall is that they are not a quick walk away in the garden but any store sells a good variety of fresh herbs in the dead of Winter. For this cheese combination I prefer some fresh Thyme. It's just so fragrant and a nice smell when you're eating and looking at the snowfall through the window. To add a little spice we're going to also use from fresh baby arugala.
Heat up your skillet at Medium-Low. I like to use a Cast Iron Skillet for Grilled Cheese because it toasts the bread perfectly. When hot add a TBSP of butter to the pan and lay down your first slice of bread. A good Whole Grain or Rye is perfect for this. Layer your cheese, herbs, and Arugala, then place the other slice on top. Too hot of a pan and you will burn the bread before the cheese gets to melt. Press down with a spatula and flip once toasted. Toast the other side, cut diagonally and serve with hot soup.
