Green Goddess Grilled Cheese Sandwich

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So, looking in the refrigerator, I had a motley assortment of odds and ends of ingredients, including a bag of spring greens mix with baby spinach, some Fontina cheese, some left over goat cheese, some anchovy paste, and half an avocado. There was a shallot in there too. Hmmmm. So, what is a girl to do?

So looking at the spice rack, I spied tarragon, basil, salt and pepper. So a plan was forming to make a Green Goddess Dressing for a salad. But then on second thought, I wanted something a little more filling than a salad. So I began to think why not take the green goddess herbs mixed directly into the cheeses, the spring greens and make a cheese spread for a grilled cheese sandwich?

This simple sandwich came together very quickly and very easily with the use of a food processor. You can also use a blender or a sharp knife to finely chop up the ingredients.

Not you regular, every day grilled cheese sandwich, but I can guarantee that you will like it just fine, if not more.

Enjoy!

Serves 4 to 6

Ingredients:
1 clove garlic, finely chopped
1 oil-packed anchovy, finely chopped
1 teaspoon lemon zest (about 1 lemon)
Juice of ½ a lemon
3 Tablespoons chopped fresh Italian parsley
2 Tablespoons chopped fresh tarragon
2 Tablespoons chopped fresh cilantro
1 Tablespoon chopped fresh basil
1 Tablespoon finely chopped shallot
1 cup mixed spring greens
½ Avocado, diced
¼ teaspoon Dijon mustard
2 ounces goat cheese, cut into smaller cubes
½ ounces Fontina cheese, cut into small cubes
½ cup shredded mozzarella cheese
8-12 slices sourdough bread
1 Tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
2-3 Tablespoons unsalted butter

Directions:
Add garlic and anchovies to a food processor and pulse for a few seconds until it’s really finely chopped, almost like a paste (if you don’t have a food processor, you can always just chop the ingredients really well with a sharp knife on a cutting board).
Add in the lemon zest, lemon juice, parsley, tarragon, cilantro, basil, shallot, spring greens, avocado, mustard and goat and Fontina cheeses and pulse again until well blended. Transfer to a medium-sized bowl and stir in the mozzarella cheese.

Heat 1 tablespoon olive oil and 2 tablespoons of butter in a cast iron skillet over medium low heat. Lightly brown the bread and then flip each slice over. Spread about 3 to 4 tablespoons of the green goddess mixture onto each slice of bread and press together gently. Continue to fry the sandwich until the bread is golden brown. Press down on the sandwich lightly, then flip the sandwich over and cook until second side is golden brown.

Remove for the skillet and serve immediately.

TODAY.com Parenting Team FC Contributor

The Crab Melt

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This sandwich is a variation on the classic tuna melt, which is itself a variation on the classic grilled cheese sandwich. This sandwich is a bit more upscale, since it uses crabmeat in place of tuna.

Serves 2

Ingredients:
Soften unsalted butter
4 slices ciabatta bread
4 slices Swiss cheese
10 ounces crab claw meat
3 ounces Monterey Jack cheese, shredded
2 tablespoons green onions, finely chopped
1 tablespoon celery, finely chopped
1/3 cup mayonnaise
1 teaspoon Old Bay Seasoning


Directions:
Prepare the bread. Spread butter on each slice and lay a slice of Swiss cheese on the unbuttered side.

To make the crab mixture, in a medium bowl, mix the crab meat, Monterey jack cheese, mayonnaise, green onions, and Old Bay Seasoning.

Add an even layer of the crab mixture on the top of one cheese slice. Place the other bread layer on top of the mixture, with the buttered bread side on the outside.

Heat a cast iron skillet or a non-stick pan on medium high heat. Grill the sandwich, browning each side for a few minutes until golden and crisp or until the cheese melts.

Cut the sandwiches in half and set at an angle for that endearingly crabby appearance.

Serve immediately with French fries or potato chips.

Cook’s Note:
If cibatta bread is not available, a large store bought Italian bread is an excellent substitute. You want a bread that has a moderate crust and a fairly soft crumb. A coarse-textured peasant bread or a dense sourdough might be too hard to bite through without making a mess of the filling.

Croque Madame

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Bonjour !

Je vous présente la tartine du petit déjeuner ultime… la Croque Madame!

The croque madame, the classic French ham and cheese sandwich covered in cheesy bechamel, with a fried egg placed on top of it. Ham and cheese never tasted so good!

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Serves 6

Ingredients:
3 tablespoons unsalted butter
3 tablespoons all purpose flour
2 cups whole milk
12 ounces Gruyère, grated
1/2 cup finely grated Parmesan cheese
Kosher salt, to taste
Freshly ground black pepper, to taste
Freshly grated nutmeg, to taste
Twelve 3/4 inch-thick slices pain de mie or Pullman bread, toasted
6 tablespoons Dijon mustard
12 slices baked ham, thinly sliced
2 tablespoons canola oil
6 eggs

Directions:
Heat butter in a 2-quart saucepan over medium-high heat. Add flour and cook, whisking, until smooth, about 1 minute. Whisk in milk, and bring to a boil; reduce heat to medium-low and let simmer until slightly reduced and thickened, 6–8 minutes. Add ½ cup grated Gruyère and the Parmesan, and whisk until smooth. Season with salt, pepper, and nutmeg.

Heat broiler to high. Place 6 slices bread on a parchment paper-lined baking sheet, and spread 1 tablespoon mustard over each. Top with 2 slices ham and remaining Gruyère. Broil until cheese begins to melt, 1–2 minutes. Top with remaining bread slices, then pour a generous amount of béchamel on top of each sandwich. Broil until cheese sauce is bubbling and evenly browned, about 3–4 minutes.

Meanwhile, heat oil in a 12-inch cast iron  skillet over medium heat. Add eggs, season with salt and pepper, and cook until whites are cooked but yolks are still runny, about 3 minutes. Place an egg on top of each sandwich, and serve hot.

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TODAY.com Parenting Team FC Contributor