If it weren't for men, I'd say that grilled cheese sandwiches are the perfect dinner. I think most women and children would agree. Men, on the other hand, are perfectly happy to eat a grilled cheese sandwich as part of a dinner, perhaps as the appetizer part. You have to train men to recognize that grilled cheese, or soup, or even a baked potato, and worst case scenario-a bag of popcorn can quaify as dinner. They will put up a fight, but don't give up. Or compromise and let them have their bag of popcorn and a bowl of cereal as a well balanced meal. And let them have their grilled cheese sandwich with a bowl of soup. (It has to be tomato soup with grilled cheese, in my bossy opinion.) Here's my favorite grilled cheese in the world. We discovered it on a trip to Vermont with my sister Heidi and husband Mikey. We were all instantly enraptured. (It was lunch time and for men a grilled cheese sandwich can be cautiously accepted as lunch.) You might be tempted to think that apples are a strange addition but they are perfectly at place with the sharp cheddar cheese, buttery sourdough bread, hearty ham and maple mustard dipping sauce. I've also swapped out the apples for tomatoes and it was equally good. If you are going to have grilled cheese for dinner, then this is the one. Be firm. He's going to love it. 
Vermont Grilled Cheese SandwichEstimated Cost: $6.00 for 4 sandwiches
4 tablespoons yellow mustard
4 tablespoons maple syrup
8 slices sourdough bread
softened butter
deli sliced ham or turkey
thin slices of apple-any variety
sharp cheddar cheese
In a small bowl, combine mustard and maple. Spread just a dab very thinly on insides of two slices of bread. Stack one slice of bread with cheese, apples and meat. Top with other slice of bread, mustard side in. Butter outsides of bread and cook in preheated frying pan over medium heat for two minutes. Flip, reduce heat to low and cover and cook an additional three minutes, or until bread is toasted. Serve with extra maple mustard dipping sauce.
20 comments:
I can give my hubby grill cheese for supper, but it has to be plural as in at least 2 and sometimes 3.....
Funny, because my husband will eat grilled cheese for dinner, although yes, there is usually tomato soup involved. I, on the other hand, would rather not, unless that is, you put either ham or tuna on it. Yum! Adding apples! Why haven't I thought of that? My grandma (yours too) used to feed me sharp cheddar with apple slices as an afternoon snack and they taste lovely together. I was joking with Valerie yesterday that your New Years promise of fiber and antioxidants didn't last too long before you started tempting me with bread, brownies and now cheese! Yum! The truth is, I love all your recipes, fiber or not. Thanks for sharing.
You had me at grilled cheese....brownie recipe below looks devine too!
Looks like a perfect meal to me...I love them too! :D
i adore a grilled cheese sandwich. i get away with it for dinner if i call it panini and serve it with a salad or soup (any soup will do). it is always a big bonus if there is some meat involved in said sandwich, so this looks like something we need to try immediately.
I was just thinking about this sandwich the other day. It sounded so good to me, but I can't remember why I didn't make one. Oh well, I think I will definitely be making one, now. Thanks for sharing.
Julie,
Uh, oh! You mean those little apple slices in the grilled cheese and the pecans in the brownies don't count as antioxidants and fiber? That reminds me of some after school special that I watched once where the straw that broke the teenage marriage was the chocolate cupcakes the young bride made for dinner. The teenage husband was furious and the girl was trying to defend herself by repeating "But they've got nuts in them! They're got nuts in them!" Needless to say, the couple divorced and it was supposed to be some kind of cautionary tale about marrying young I suppose. But I think it would be a better message to make sure you find a husband that recognizes that nuts have antioxidants and that in cupcakes (or brownies) they count as high nutrition. Ha!
Oh how I LOVE grilled cheese! This one looks amazing!
My Mom has a delicious grilled cheese recipe that she is kind enough to make for me when she visits. :) It includes motzerella, basil, the bread is dipped in egg, and you serve it with marinara for dipping. Sooo tasty! I can hardly wait until she visits next Mother! ;)
Katie,
Don't hold out on me! I need that recipe, ASAP! Or better yet, why don't you come on up and make me one. I'll make dessert.
Don't worry, I won't leave you for tempting me with brownies, and you're right, apples and nuts cancel out any and all fat that might be in these recipes. How could I have forgotten the rules? I really think I am making these tonight. I had baked ziti on the menu, but after I read this, I threw the beef in the freezer and made a menu change.
Oh, and I want Laurie's recipe, too. Katie, please? That sounds like a mozarella stick. Yum! You guys are killing me.
This_looks_fabulous!! What a wonderful way to "fancify" such an everyday standard, and make it special!
I wish I could come over and eat this sandwich with you, well, minus the apples, you know.
It looks delicious.
Why, oh why, can't men be happy with a sandwich, or popcorn, or a cookie or a cinnamon roll for dinner???
My man always wants a steak or a roast.
We went to dinner last month at The Cheesecake Factory and he ordered what Mary Kate orders. Steak and mashed potatoes and with every bite I had to hear how this was the best dinner he has had in a long time because his wife only likes popcorn, or cookies, or a cinnamon roll for dinner. It was so mean and it made me laugh my head off with every bite. I think you would have too, if you had been there. I liked this post, Prudy. I think you should give some serious thought to becoming a humor writer.
Ha!Ha!Ha! Are meat and potatoes ingrained in all men's brains? Tonight I made a baked potato bar for dinner with five kinds of toppings plus home made rolls. Dear Hubby looks at all the variety of food on the table and asks.....but where's the meat?
You may have thought I was joking before, but we really did change our menu and have this for dinner tonight. It definitely qualifies as dinner. In fact, after we were done, Seth decided that when we open our Wisconsin cheese restaurant, we will put this on the menu and you will be able to choose your apple type and how thick the apple slices are. I explained that it is not our recipe to sell, and he assured me that we will name it Erin's Grilled Cheese. I am not kidding. We really had this conversation. The sandwich was very tasty and unique. By the time I was done I felt like I'd had dinner and dessert. Another winning recipe for Prudy!
I'm making these tonight. I can't wait to eat them! I forgot how awesome cheddar and apple are together.
Prudelicious, I love grilled cheese samiches! Three questions; A) Why do women think they can "train' a man? Thirdly) Have you ever seen "women" eat popcorn in the movie theatre? And D) How many tries did it take you to make the mustard look lie a fish?
Oh that looks so good!
This looks and sounds SO TASTY! Is it too early to make a grilled cheese for breakfast?
I am in complete agreement that soup can be dinner. My husband and I have this argument all the time. And yes, I've had popcorn for dinner myself. Usually on a Sunday night (for some odd reason.)
Great post!!!!
I am really excited to try this! You will live on in generations of my family for introducing us to the combination of apples, maple, mustard and pork. Wow.
Also, looks like you got in and out of Egypt just in time!
I have been trying to find a way to sneak apples into my beau's diet. Here's to you Prudy!
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