My new favorite grilled cheese sandwich

[Jenise]

Or, guess what I had for lunch?

1 Olaffson's "Ensenada Veggie" flour tortilla*
3 slices Tuscan ham*
1/2 c grated sharp cheddar
3 roasted New Mexico chiles, peeled and chopped

Sprinkle cheese over the upper 2/3 of your tortilla. Drop chopped chiles over the cheese, then overlap the three slices of ham over the bottom 2/3 of the tortilla. This distribution will ensure you have a tight roll that stays shut during cooking, and a minimum of leakage. Starting from the ham end, roll tortilla up. Place in 350 F degree toaster oven and bake for 15 minutes until the roll is hot through and slightly browned and crispy on top.

The result is a really perfect blend of good bread, ham, cheese and chilis all in fairly equal measure and balance--no ingredient dominates, and no ingredient is expendable. That is, compared to the typical American grilled cheese, it's not overly meaty, and the attractive tortilla is more than just a vessel of dough.

*Any tortilla will theoretically do, of course, in this preparation, but these tortillas (from Toronto) are better than any American flavored tortillas I've ever had and I just wanted to give them a shout-out. The Tuscan ham is not your typical over-preserved, wet-moist packaged American lunch meat ham, it's real baked ham sliced thinly to order off a real boneless ham at the deli counter of a store I go to--but again, any thinly sliced deli ham will do. Just don't buy the chopped/pressed/formed stuff--other considerations aside, it will leak all over the place and you really don't want that.

Sounds delicious!

I'm reminded of something Jamie Oliver once had on his show - he sandwiched two tortillas together with cheese and an assortment of chillies between them and fried it in a pan. He called it a "quesadilla", although I don't know if it actually was.

[Jenise]

Sounds delicious!

I'm reminded of something Jamie Oliver once had on his show - he sandwiched two tortillas together with cheese and an assortment of chillies between them and fried it in a pan. He called it a "quesadilla", although I don't know if it actually was.

That would be a quesadilla allright. Doesn't need to be "fried" though, just heated and crisped on a hot griddle.

Here's one of my favorites: grilled goat cheese with applewood smoked bacon and the ripest of ripe tomatoes.

http://www.babettefeasts.com/2008/08/august-tomatoes.html

Nothing finer than a thick slice of tomato still warm from the sun, salted and peppered, between two slices of bread. Cheese is good too, but optional. Forget the mayo. I've made many a sandwich like that.

I just couldn't let this subject go by without sharing my favorite grilled cheese sandwich called Grilled Parmigiano Reggiano Cheese Sandwich. A very unusual and tasty cheese sandwich. So simple and so good! The pepper makes a wonderful tasting statement along with the Parmigiano Reggiano cheese. Cut into small finger sandwiches, these go great to serve at your wine tastings.

Grilled Parmigiano Reggiano Cheese Sandwich

4 thin slices country (coarse texture) bread
1 1/2 cups finely grated Parmigiano Reggiano cheese
Coarsely ground black pepper
Unsalted butter

Cover two slices of the bread with a layer of the fluffy grated cheese. Generously grind pepper over the top. Place the remaining slices of bread on top to make sandwiches.

On a large griddle or a frying pan (I like to use my cast-iron griddle), add enough butter to provide a generous film (about 2 tablespoons). Heat the butter over medium-low heat until foamy. Add the cheese sandwiches, pressing them onto the pan; slowly fry, regulating the heat so the butter does not burn. Once the sandwiches are a light brown, turn the sandwiches over, and press down with a spatula to compress slightly. Brown the other side.

When done, transfer the sandwiches to a paper towel to drain off any excess butter. Cut each sandwich in half diagonally, and serve with your favorite wine.

Makes 2 whole sandwiches and 16 finger sandwiches.

http://whatscookingamerica.net/Appetizers/GrilledParmigianoSandwich.htm

Geez. If the versions in this thread are as good as regular old grilled cheddar on bread, I may never eat anything else again.

Except maybe Celia's custard recipe.....

My own favorites are the often simple but invariably flavorful croques monsieurs and croques madames served up at dozens (if not hundreds) of street-side stands, those often attached to cafes or boulngeries in Paris, Lyon, Aix, Marseille, Arles, Montpellier, Reims, and many other French cities.

Nothing finer than a thick slice of tomato still warm from the sun, salted and peppered, between two slices of bread. Cheese is good too, but optional. Forget the mayo. I've made many a sandwich like that.

Robert, I agree about forgetting the mayo, but I do like to use sour cream plus S&P as a spread. somehow it makes me think of tomato sandwiches devoured as a kid. The bread (I have spoken on this subject too many times here already) was made by my Mother and sliced thickly for sandwiches. In the vein of Believe it or not, cold bean sandwiches are good too. I like to use a little Miracle Whip in the beans and make the sandwich from beans straight from the fridge.

1 Olaffson's "Ensenada Veggie" flour tortilla*

*Any tortilla will theoretically do, of course, in this preparation, but these tortillas (from Toronto) are better than any American flavored tortillas I've ever had and I just wanted to give them a shout-out.

OK, Jenise - how did you end up with tortillas from Toronto, and how come I've never heard of them, despite living here for 60 years

[Jenise]

1 Olaffson's "Ensenada Veggie" flour tortilla*

*Any tortilla will theoretically do, of course, in this preparation, but these tortillas (from Toronto) are better than any American flavored tortillas I've ever had and I just wanted to give them a shout-out.

OK, Jenise - how did you end up with tortillas from Toronto, and how come I've never heard of them, despite living here for 60 years

I shop over the border for a few things--and it's about as close as anything here so it's not extra trouble but for the border crossing, and I have Nexus so that's been reduced to a non-issue now, too. Anyway, this brand is carried by the Sav-On market chain, and they're excellent.