A different sort of grilled cheese sandwich
My daughters laugh at me when I tell them the story of a time when I did not cook, but wanted to impress a young man with my culinary skills. I made a grilled cheese and onion sandwich. He ate it politely, though it was an unimpressive effort. Grilled Cheese and Onion had become synonymous with bad food in our family though no one besides me has ever eaten the infamous creation.
Recently, I decided to revisit the sandwich and “kick it up a notch” as one of my favorite chefs would say…
After reading wide-ranging claims that onions fight conditions ranging from the common cold to heart disease, diabetes, and other diseases, I thought I could use the health benefits excuse to increase my onion intake. Claims of chemical compounds believed to have anti-inflammatory, anti-cholesterol, anti-cancerous, and antioxidant properties haven’t been substantiated scientifically, but one study showed that eating onions can reduce the risk of head and neck cancers and another showed that women who eat lots of onions can reduce the risk of osteoporosis related bone breakage.
So off I went to make a new and improved Grilled Cheese and Onion sandwich. Then a few days later, while attending a meeting out of town, I stopped at an upscale restaurant for lunch with friends. There was only one vegetarian item on the menu: a Grilled Cheese and Onion Sandwich.
Their version was $8.50. You can make yours at home for about $1.25…if you go for the more expensive Gruyère cheese, less if you use Swiss.
Recently, I decided to revisit the sandwich and “kick it up a notch” as one of my favorite chefs would say…
After reading wide-ranging claims that onions fight conditions ranging from the common cold to heart disease, diabetes, and other diseases, I thought I could use the health benefits excuse to increase my onion intake. Claims of chemical compounds believed to have anti-inflammatory, anti-cholesterol, anti-cancerous, and antioxidant properties haven’t been substantiated scientifically, but one study showed that eating onions can reduce the risk of head and neck cancers and another showed that women who eat lots of onions can reduce the risk of osteoporosis related bone breakage.
So off I went to make a new and improved Grilled Cheese and Onion sandwich. Then a few days later, while attending a meeting out of town, I stopped at an upscale restaurant for lunch with friends. There was only one vegetarian item on the menu: a Grilled Cheese and Onion Sandwich.
Their version was $8.50. You can make yours at home for about $1.25…if you go for the more expensive Gruyère cheese, less if you use Swiss.
Grilled Cheese and Onion Sandwich
2 slices of hearty wheat bread (or bread of your choice)
½ onion cut into thin slices
1 teaspoon olive oil
1 teaspoon each rosemary and fennel seed
½ teaspoon nutmeg
2 slices Gruyère or Swiss cheese
1 slice Pepper Jack cheese
· In a sauté pan over medium heat, cook the onion slices and the spices until the onions are caramelized.
· Brush a little butter on each slice of bread and add the cheeses on one side. Pile the caramelized onions on top.
· Put the other slice of bread on top and broil in a preheated oven until the bread begins to brown and the cheese is melted. You can also put the sandwich on the grill for about two minutes per side.
· Serve immediately.
½ onion cut into thin slices
1 teaspoon olive oil
1 teaspoon each rosemary and fennel seed
½ teaspoon nutmeg
2 slices Gruyère or Swiss cheese
1 slice Pepper Jack cheese
· In a sauté pan over medium heat, cook the onion slices and the spices until the onions are caramelized.
· Brush a little butter on each slice of bread and add the cheeses on one side. Pile the caramelized onions on top.
· Put the other slice of bread on top and broil in a preheated oven until the bread begins to brown and the cheese is melted. You can also put the sandwich on the grill for about two minutes per side.
· Serve immediately.
