Cheddar Grilled Cheese w/Garlic Crusted Sourdough

Since this creation was concocted last minute, I referenced my Great Grilled Cheese book, authored by Laura Werlin, who appears in the above video, for the recipe. (I really enjoy this video and think a lot of her technique is spot on. I used these techniques for this grilled cheese. I highly recommend you watch the video.) For this grilled cheese sandwich, there was no GrilledShane twist, I simply followed the recipe, which turned out well, in my opinion. What can be wrong with a grilled cheese that features extra sharp Cheddar cheese? (My dad would disagree. He has been spoiled by previous “fancy” grilled cheese sandwiches.)

ingredients:

• “Garlic Crust”
• Black Creek Extra Sharp Cheddar Cheese
• Sourdough Bread
• Shredded Parmesan

the cheese: black creek extra sharp cheddar

I was not sure that I would be cooking a grilled cheese sandwich this past Sunday as I was headed to the Browns game and my folks were returning from a mini-vacation. However, father requested a grilled cheese so I obliged. Nice son, aren’t I?! Anyway, instead of heading to my usual market for my ingredients, I went to the local grocery store. There, I found Black Creek Extra Sharp Cheddar cheese. It was a dollar extra for the “extra sharp” aged version, but it was well worth it in my opinion.

Black Creek Extra Sharp Cheddar is 3 years old and has a rich, nutty flavor that becomes increasingly sharp and tangy as the natural aging process takes place. The texture is smooth and firm and becomes more granular and crumbly with age, yet melts to a rich, creamy texture when warmed.

For over a century the people of Black Creek have been perfecting the art of crafting the finest quality, naturally aged Cheddar cheeses. Black Creek is part of a cooperative dairy owned by the Wisconsin farm families who produce the milk used in the creation of the cheeses. For generations, award-winning cheesemakers have crafted the finest naturally aged cheeses in rural Black Creek, Wisconsin. (Gourmet-Food.com)

This Cheddar was fantastic with a nice smooth, creamy texture and a great sharp taste. The “bold & creamy” description on the label is dead on. I have been eating this cheese consistently since it was purchased last Sunday. It was $5.99/7 oz, which is not exactly cheap, but I would definitely say it is worth it.

additional cheese: shredded parmesan

The recipe (more on that below), also called for shredded Parmesan, but in my opinion, it is not the main cheese in this grilled cheese. Since we were splurging on amazing extra sharp cheddar, we did not splurge on the shredded Parmesan and simply went with Kraft. It seemed to work for me…

thoughts

The first step in the recipe is to peel and boil two cloves of garlic for approximately 5 minutes. Simple enough if I do say so myself.

Next, it was time to mix the garlic, and two tablespoons of butter. For this step, I employed my new mortar and pestle, which was given to me as a Hanukkah present by my sous chef.

It worked out really well.

Then, it was time to add in the 1/4 cup of Parmesan cheese and mix again.

Then, spread this cheese/butter/garlic mixture on the “outside” of two pieces of bread.

After that, all you have to do is shred the Cheddar and place it on the opposite side of the garlic/Parmesan mixture on one slice, close the sandwich, making sure the cheddar is on the inside, and cook it.

I used a stove top pan, followed Ms. Werlin’s instructions from her video, and ended up with one great grilled cheese.

the grilled cheese:

cheddar grilled cheese w/garlic crusted sourdough: A

I believe this is the first grilled cheese sandwich/Sunday Dinner in which I have completely followed a recipe. As compared to other sandwiches I have created, this one is simple/traditional, but I think all of the flavors came together for a bold, yummy sandwich. The combination of the garlic/Parmesan cheese mixture and the extra sharp Cheddar worked very well together. If you are looking for a mild, calm grilled cheese, this would not be for you. However, if you wanted a grilled cheese with strong flavors and a nice crunch, I would highly recommend you cook this sandwich.

My father, spoiled by previous recipes, found this too simple and pedestrian and so it was not his favorite but he did still enjoy it.

• Cheesiness: A. The shredded cheddar, and the methods laid out by Ms. Werlin, created a very cheesy sandwich.
• Combined Fillings: A. Technically, the only fillings in this sandwich was the cheddar, which I loved, but I think the garlic crust must be included as well. These two flavors really worked well together.

ingredients were purchased at…

• Giant Eagle (Black Creek Extra Sharp Cheddar Cheese, Sourdough Bread, KRAFT Shredded Parmesan)