Beer Bread Grilled Cheese

Even since I found a Grilled Beer and Cheese Sandwich recipe on Wisconsin Cheese Talk (recipe courtesy Gabi of Honest Fare), I had wanted to try it out for myself. However, I was worried about actually making the bread and in turn the grilled cheese. Up until now, I had always bought my bread. The only time I made my own bread was many years ago when I used a Sunbeam bread maker and all the work was done for me.

The recipe sat as an opened tab in my browser window since December 20, 2010. Once I knew I was off work this past Sunday, I decided that would be the day I took a leap and make this beer bread grilled cheese. I am glad I did.

ingredients:

• “Caramelized” White Onions
• Dijon Mustard
• Swedish Fontina
• Tillamook Sharp Cheddar
• Homemade Beer Bread

cheese #1: tillamook sharp cheddar cheese

When I went to the 1st 8th Annual Grilled Cheese Invitational in Los Angeles, I was overrun with advertising by Tillamook, as they were one of the official sponsors. Up until the Invitational, I hadn’t heard of Tillamook. After the Invitational, I can’t forget them. When I was at Heinen’s, a local grocery store, I stumbled on Tillamook Sharp Cheddar. I knew I couldn’t pass it up. It turned out I made a good choice.

At first bite, I didn’t think it was as sharp as I normally like it but as I tasted it multiple times, the sharpness came through very quickly. I was very pleased with the taste and would definitely recommend you try this sharp cheddar in your next grilled cheese sandwich.

cheese #2: swedish fontina

I had two choices when selecting a Fontina cheese: BelGioioso and Swedish Fontina (above). I am all for purchasing American cheeses, but for this grilled cheese, I felt like going out of the country. Fontina is a great contrast to cheddar as it is creamy and buttery while cheddar is of course, sharp.

thoughts

I had two items on my to do list:

• Use homemade bread in a grilled cheese sandwich
• Make cheese

Thanks to this recipe, I am now able to cross off one of those items (although this particular bread was so good, I may have to make bread more often). Making cheese is next on the list, although that will be a bigger undertaking than making bread…or so I think.

Making bread really isn’t that difficult in general, but making Beer Bread seems to be really easy.

You throw some flour, baking powder, salt and sugar together, add 12 ounces of a cheap beer, mix and then bake. Easy.

Yes, the recipe actually calls for cheap beer.

And that is what I used.

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How easier could it get? If I could do it, you can do it.

Now time for the interior part of the grilled cheese. I have caramelized onions before, but normally I sauté them in olive oil. This recipe added some great new flavors, including oregano and worcestershire that made for a great addition to any sandwich.

The smell of these onions were absolutely fantastic. I don’t use worcestershire much in my cooking, but I may start after eating these yummy onions.

the grilled cheese:

beer bread grilled cheese: A

I am really glad I stumbled on Wisconsin Cheese Talk’s Grilled Beer and Cheese Sandwich recipe. I was able to push my skills by making beer bread while also cooking an amazing grilled cheese. Sure, parts may have been too sweet for even my taste buds, but overall, this grilled cheese was a clear winner. My father, the pickiest grilled cheese aficionado, ate most of this sandwich, which he hasn’t done in many weeks. If you have a couple of hours free one night, make sure to spend it making this awesome beer bread grilled cheese.