I never learned how to make a grilled cheese sandwich

[disneyhand]

My mom had a “quickie pie” maker. Bread, cheese, butter or margarine....we had margarine. Heated over our gas range. I just remembered this. This is a modern version.

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This takes me back in time! My husband and I rented a mountain cabin one weekend, many years ago with another couple. The cabin had a fireplace and the other husband brought his quickie pie maker like you mention above. He made grilled sandwiches or pies, with leftover Thanksgiving food on buttered white bread. They were delicious. Later he made cherry pies with buttered white bread, canned cherry pie filling and whip cream. Also delicious! Now I'm craving all of it

 

[disneyhand]

sometimes if we have people over we break out the panini press and do turkey, brie and sliced green apple sandwiches with honey mustard on sourdough and they are so good! I love paninis!

well the grilled cheese and dipping in Campbell’s soup for DH and I is a throwback to our elementary school days, where that was a lunchtime staple. Sure, there are better tomato soups today, but it’s not the same! We’re probably weird in that we actually liked a lot of the school lunches they served! Who else had this?

I did! Back in my school days (graduated high school in 1974), the local school cafeteria's served real food, cooked on site. Along with Campbell's Soup. I liked everything I ever tried, especially the hot cinnamon rolls and peanut butter chews. For me buying lunch was a treat, I usually brought a home made lunch. My own kids thought buying a school lunch was torture, because by then school lunches were inedible. Same school district, new "healthy" ways.

My best friend's mom worked at one of the local school cafe's and brought home a few of the recipes, broken down to family serving sizes. I still make tacos like school did and use the peanut butter chews recipe frequently. They are family favorites here!

 

[Pea-n-Me]

Don't know if they use that kind of sandwich press, but the most glorious sandwich I've ever had in my life was the Cubano Especial at Luis Galindo's Latin American Cafeteria #2 in Sweetwater, Florida. I haven't had one in over 13 years but I still think about it. If I'm ever in Florida for any reason, I'm going to make that drive there just for the sandwich.

Well, what’s in it?? Let me guess - some variation of ham, Swiss, pickles, Dijon mustard and often some kind of pork, like shoulder, with bread buttered and grilled?

 

[Pea-n-Me]

I did! Back in my school days (graduated high school in 1974), the local school cafeteria's served real food, cooked on site. Along with Campbell's Soup. I liked everything I ever tried, especially the hot cinnamon rolls and peanut butter chews. For me buying lunch was a treat, I usually brought a home made lunch. My own kids thought buying a school lunch was torture, because by then school lunches were inedible. Same school district, new "healthy" ways.

My best friend's mom worked at one of the local school cafe's and brought home a few of the recipes, broken down to family serving sizes. I still make tacos like school did and use the peanut butter chews recipe frequently. They are family favorites here!

I agree! I remember the kitchens where food was cooked and it was a treat to eat! I often brought my lunch, too, but on certain days, I liked to buy! Even the PBJ got dunked in the Campbell’s vegetable soup! (Some are probably gagging now, lol.)

 

[FlightlessDuck]

There's a killer grilled cheese place in Mystic, CT. Bleu Squid

https://www.tripadvisor.com/Restaur...y_Cafe-Mystic_Mystic_Country_Connecticut.html

 

[Searc]

My mom had a “quickie pie” maker. Bread, cheese, butter or margarine....we had margarine. Heated over our gas range. I just remembered this. This is a modern version.

View attachment 469650

I call those pudgie pies. We used to make them camping all the time, with all kinds of fillings, from sweet to savory.

 

[caroline5177]

Lots of good advice already. We love grilled cheese at our house, especially with homemade soup.
I love to add bacon (the crispier the better!) and thin sliced tomato to my grilled cheese!

 

[NYCgrrl]

Lots of good advice already. We love grilled cheese at our house, especially with homemade soup.
I love to add bacon (the crispier the better!) and thin sliced tomato to my grilled cheese!

Sounds like you're walking into "Croque territory"

 

[bcla]

Well, what’s in it?? Let me guess - some variation of ham, Swiss, pickles, Dijon mustard and often some kind of pork, like shoulder, with bread buttered and grilled?

Well, yeah. I've have Cubanos before and Cubanos after. I've paid twice the price. I had some at other places on this trip. I have never had a better sandwich in my life. It was that good.

 

[DLgal]

Well, yeah. I've have Cubanos before and Cubanos after. I've paid twice the price. I had some at other places on this trip. I have never had a better sandwich in my life. It was that good.

This reminded me of how my mom used to make us grilled cheese before she learned the "American way." We are Puerto Rican and she used to take hot dog buns or Pan Cubano (our supermarket in New Jersey used to carry it in their bakery) and put cheese inside and then press it in our folding griddle pan. So, basically a cheese Cubano. My husband grew up in Puerto Rico and we found it funny that we both used to get "hot dog bun grilled cheeses" as kids, because his mom did the same thing.

 

[FlightlessDuck]

Sounds like you're walking into "Croque territory"

 

[bcla]

NM - posted to wrong thread.

 

[ponyboy]

Throw a couple of pieces of bread in the toaster, when it comes out put some butter on them, throw on the cheese and pop it in the microwave. That's how I do it for my kids when I'm in a hurry and they can't tell the difference. Lol

 

[emer95]

Every time I come back to this thread I am overcome with desire for a grilled cheese sandwich. Doesn’t fit into my diet. Darn it.

 

[crazylady]

If my butter isn't soft, I melt it in the pan and then butter the bread with the melted butter. A regular gc for me is whole wheat with American but you can very it up. My favorite is sour dough with olive oil instead of butter and pesto, provolone and grilled chicken.

 

[bcla]

Sounds like you're walking into "Croque territory"

I dunno. One time a waitress read my order back to me. "OK - a croak mon-sure." This was supposedly a French restaurant too.

 

[AndreaDM]

Thanks to this post we had grilled cheese and tomato soup for dinner last night. DD's friend was over and she was thrilled she got to choose from 3 kinds of cheese and 2 kinds of bread lol.

 

[firefly_ris]

I call those pudgie pies. We used to make them camping all the time, with all kinds of fillings, from sweet to savory.

We call them "hobo pies".... seems like there's a million different nicknames for those things. They are great at camping. My DH's favorite is "pizza sandwiches" using these or an electric sandwich press (like this guy) -- just white bread, shredded mozz, sauce, and a couple pepperonis. We'll be camping again in May so looking for some new ideas...

 

[bushdianee]

One of my favorite school lunches when I worked in a school as an adult was chili and grilled cheese. It was a huge and filling lunch as you got a decent sized bowl of chili, a grilled cheese sandwich,usually a vegetable like carrot or celery sticks and a fruit. Now they serve chili or grilled cheese as separate meals not one.

 

[RangerPooh]

WHAT?!?!?!?!?!?
This is one of our favorite meals! In fact DH and I sent out last night with friends and I got a grilled cheese sandwich.

Since we're a family of 6 I make them assembly line style, so here's my strategy:

1. Warm a flat top griddle or pan on a lower setting. Too hot and the bread burns. Don;t forget to spray with cooking spray first.
2. Use butter or margarine, your choice. If I use butter I prefer to have it slightly thawed so it's easily spreadable, but use frozen bread so it doesn't tear. If I use margarine I'll use room temp bread as it spreads easily.
   • Spread generously over the bread. Don't be stingy, and don't only pout in in the center like my mom. It needs to cover everything! The buttered side goes face down on the griddle.
3. Cheese- This is up to you. American cheese melts easier than cheddar. We have used both, but since we try to avoid processed cheese we usually opt for cheddar.
   • If I'm being fancy I'll put a slice of cheddar and a slice of mozzarella. Then between the two I'll add a slice of precooked bacon.
4. Have everything ready to go, both sides buttered and cheese unwrapped. put onto the griddle/pan to cook on low heat. Too high and it will burn fast.
   • Flip when it's to the desired done-ness.

**When I make mine on the griddle I do 8 at a time. But I have all bread buttered and stacked ready to go. Buttered sides touching so that it doesn't transfer to non buttered side. Cheese placed on dry sides of stack. All I have to do is pick up off stack, place on griddle, and cook. I might rotate placement as those in the middle always cook faster. But it means less cooking time as everything is prepped and ready to go.