Ooey, gooey, crispy, and delicious, the grilled cheese sandwich still ranks number one with kids and many adults who grew up on the three ingredient cheesy delight. American or cheddar cheese are typically found between two slices of buttered white bread when making this simple meal, and it is quite often paired up with tomato soup.
The grilled cheese sandwich is a variation of the French recipe, the "Croque Monsieur," which is a hot ham and cheese sandwich served in Bistros and has been around since the early1900's. It is made with two slices of bread, buttered on one side only, with ham and cheese in the center, and fried in clarified butter. However the English claim that they in fact invented the sandwich, claiming that long before the word sandwich came into use, it was common for workers in the field to place meat, fish, or cheese between two slices of black bread.
No matter who invented this cheesy comfort food, it is loved by most and will continue to be a staple in households for years to come. The no brainer ease of constructing it is just about as elementary as you can get, but gourmet food lovers have managed to find crafty ways of embellishing the grilled cheese, taking it to another level entirely.
The simplicity of cheese, bread, and butter prepared in a frying pan has been replaced with easy to use kitchen gadgets that include opened and close style sandwich machines like the Panini maker, toastmasters, and grilling appliances designed for the ultimate sandwich.
No matter what method you prefer to use to master your cheesy culinary toasted piece of heaven, the grilled cheese sandwich is a favorite comfort food that is here to stay, and its versatility is the grilled cheese sandwich's greatest feature. It can be dressed up or dressed down, while the main ingredients, melted cheese, butter, and bread, always remain the same."
1920's: The grilled cheese sandwich was made with processed cheese and sliced white bread.
1940: Grilled cheese sandwiches were open-faced and usually made with prepackaged grated "American" cheddar cheese.
1960: The top piece of bread was added to the grilled cheeses and became standard.
2004: The Golden Palace purchases a piece of grilled cheese pop culture for $28,000. The partially eaten sandwich bore the image of the Virgin Mary.
2006: Sonya Thomas, the 100 pound woman who ate 26 grilled cheese sandwiches in 10 minutes, winning the World Grilled Cheese Eating Championship and $8,000 for her ability to consume a large amount of food.
April is the National Grilled Cheese Month
November 3 is National Sandwich Day in honor of John Montagu's birthday. It is believed that this 18th-century English noble, better known as the fourth Earl of Sandwich, wanted to eat with one hand during a 24-hour gambling bender. So, he instructed his servants to serve him his meal between two pieces of bread.
In Milan, toasted cheese sandwiches are a popular gourmet snack. The cheese is laid over artisan bread and then topped with olives, roasted peppers and herbs.
Info from yahoo.com
A grilled cheese sandwich is a staple food for children because it’s simple, quick, and cheap to make. Kids like simple food, and an American cheese slice on white bread is as simple as it gets. Melt it by frying it in butter, and that adds a dose of love to the dish. When we get older, the pleasure that sandwich brings stays with us, even as we add adult touches like gourmet bread, a variety of cheeses, and extras like vegetables and spices. A grilled cheese is both vegetarian and kosher, but if that’s not a concern it is certainly acceptable to add meat as well. Your basic American chain restaurant knows this, which is why the patty melt, a grilled cheese with a hamburger patty and sauteed onions on rye bread, became so popular.
Today, this simple comfort food and all its grown-up variations are more popular than ever. So popular, in fact, that you can find restaurants that specialize in grilled cheese sandwiches. Just this week inventor Jonathan Kaplan, who developed the Flip camera, open a grilled cheese restaurant in San Francisco called The Melt, which he hopes will become a chain. It won’t be the first. The American Grilled Cheese Kitchen already serves San Francisco. Chedd’s Gourmet Grilled Cheese is open in Austin, Texas, and Sioux Falls, South Dakota. In Maryland, you’ll find Grilled Cheese and Co. There’s Cheesie’s Pub and Grub in Chicago. Melt Bar and Grilled is preparing to open their third location in Ohio. The Grilled Cheese Grill has two outlets serving Portland, Oregon. And the Melthouse Bistro is planned for Milwaukee.
Info from mentalfloss
Here are just a few recipes from food.com:
The Perfect Grilled Cheese Sandwich
Grilled Cheese Sandwiches for Many
Super Grilled Cheese Sandwiches
Velveeta Grilled Cheese Sandwich
Gourmet Grilled Cheese Sandwiches
Kittencal's Thick and Rich Creamy Tomato Soup (Low-Fat Option)
Roasted Tomato Soup
Ginger's "Dorito" Soup (Spicy Tomato Soup)
Homemade Tomato-Basil Soup with Cheese Toasts
Tomato Basil Soup
So what's your favorite grilled cheese sandwich? Do you like it with tomato soup or maybe some other soup? Please give us your favorite recipes!
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