1 Video | Photo: Big Cheese Squeeze Recipe
There are times (your team just lost by a lousy field goal) when our appetites should be free to comfort us without having to bow to the culinary censorship of our consciousness. What could possibly get us through the winters of our discontent like the warm embrace of melted cheese nestled between perfectly crisped bookends of toast? That's right: nothing.
Ingredients
- 2 slices of bread, cut thin (as far as bread selection goes, all I'll say is the bigger the loaf the bigger the sandwich)
- 1 teaspoon (or more) smooth Dijon mustard
- 1 cup grated cheese (This is the soul of the thing, so use the good stuff. We like a semi-hard, semi-soft combo like smoked gouda and Gruyere or Fontina with a young Asiago. If you're a purist, go for the Cheddar, but make it sharp and aged if possible.
- Good quality olive oil for spritzing.
Directions
Find 2 heavy skillets that will nest together. Two (10-inch) cast iron skillets are ideal. Heat them over high heat.
Meanwhile, spread mustard on one slice of bread. Distribute the cheese evenly over the mustard, season with fresh black pepper and top with second piece of bread.
Spritz the bread surface that's staring up at you with olive oil using either a Misto or a pump sprayer. A light coat will do, don't soak.
When the pans are hot enough to vigorously sizzle a drop of water, remove them from the heat and place the sandwich, top-side down in the middle of one pan. (if your pans are a different size, this would be the larger one.) Spritz the slice now facing you, as well as the bottom of the other skillet. Lay the skillet right on top of the sandwich. If the top pan isn't cast iron, weigh it down with a brick, can, or something of similar heft.
Wait patiently, crack a beer. When you hear the first bit of cheese run out and sizzle on the pan, it's done. This will take anywhere from 3 to 5 minutes.
Carefully remove the top skillet, (you may need to coax it off with a spatula, but I doubt it). Just look at it. It's perfect...better than mom's. (no reason to tell her)
Remove to a plate, count to 10 and slice it in half. Take a bite. Take another. So they lost ... there's always next year.
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By seashoreandhorizon
on December 22, 2012
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Awesome! I think the thing I love best about AB's recipe is how easy and quick it is. Also, once you get the hang of it the results are very consistent. I heat up the cast iron pans (2 x 12" skillets for five minutes on high and let the sandwich press for three minutes every time. The only change I made was to use butter on both sides of the bread instead of OO, and spray the bottom of the pan with nonstick spray. In my experience, the butter helps it to brown a bit more.
By Mandabot
on March 28, 2011
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Excellent! The mustard is key. We don't have an olive oil mister so I used butter, also, I cooked on a griddle since I was making four at once and they were still incredible. We used smoked Gouda and gruyere on thinly sliced French bread. I served with African peanut stew when some vegetarian pals came over and it was great with red wine.
By dearsmileyjoe_1...
Portland, 77
on October 27, 2009
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It took me a couple of tries to get this one right, but it was well worth the effort! I've found the hotter the pans (smoking hot the better it browns. At first I think I used too much olive oil, not being in possession of an olive oil spritzer. Then I figured out that brushing the OO on with a light touch from a pastry brush works just fine. My next trick is to try to imprint the molded duck drawing on the bottom of my cast iron onto the grilled cheese. Sounds like a yummy experiment! Thanks, AB. I love the show!
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