Ina Garten’s Ultimate Grilled Cheese is like grilled cheese on steroids. Add a bowl of creamy roasted tomato basil soup and be prepared to be blown away.
And evidently, not for the Barefoot Contessa either since the Ultimate Grilled Cheese is one of the recipes from her upcoming new book, How Easy Is That?
I’m still swooning over this simple sandwich on steroids. It’s Bread + Cheese + Butter x 10. Plus some bacon and mayo. Oy!
No joke, this was a fabulous sandwich. How could it not be with a line-up like that one?
Though I suppose it isn’t a sandwich for lightweights. You have to be all or nothing. Do this sandwich justice.
And if your conscience nags you about eating this, you can always eat two meals of fruit for the day. Like I did. ‘Cause lots of fruit totally negates the butter, cheese, and bacon. Totally.
When you make this…and you will want to…head over to Ezra Pound Cake and thank Rebecca for choosing this recipe for the Barefoot Bloggers to make this month. She didn’t have much to go off of because she doesn’t have a copy of the book yet but went on a hunch after seeing the recipe mentioned on the Amazon.com write-up of How Easy Is That? I love her hunches.
And if you need some tomato soup inspiration to go along with the ultimate grilled cheese, let me point you in the direction of either this creamless creamy tomato soup or this roasted tomato basil soup.
Otherwise and unconventionally, I think Ina’s split pea soup would also be an excellent soup to make for dipping this grilled cheese. Either way, make Ina’s ultimate grilled cheese and make yourself happy.
Ina Garten’s Ultimate Grilled CheeseYield:
Not any old grilled cheese includes 3 types of cheese but this one does! Add some crispy bacon – or skip for a meatless version – and youre on your way to eating the ultimate grilled cheese!
- 12 slices thick-cut bacon
- 1 cup mayonnaise
- ¼ cup dijon mustard
- ¼ cup grated parmesan cheese
- 1 ½ tsp kosher salt
- ½ tsp freshly ground black pepper
- 1 loaf sourdough bread, sliced ½-inch thick (12 slices)
- 6 tbsp salted butter, at room temperature
- 6 oz gruyere or swiss cheese
- 6 oz extra-sharp cheddar
- Preheat the oven to 400° F. Arrange the bacon on a baking rack set over a sheet pan in a single layer and roast for 20 to 30 minutes, until nicely browned. Drain on a plate lined with paper towels and cut in 1-inch pieces.
- Meanwhile, combine the mayonnaise, mustard, Parmesan, salt, and pepper in a small bowl. Lay 12 slices of bread on a board and spread each one lightly with butter. Flip the slices and spread each one generously with the mayonnaise mixture. Don’t neglect the corners!
- Grate the cheeses in a food processor fitted with the largest grating disk and combine. Distribute the bacon evenly on half the slices of bread. Pile ⅓ cup grated cheese evenly on top of the bacon and top with the remaining bread slices, sauce side down.
- Heat an electric panini press or griddle. When the press/griddle is hot, cook the sandwiches for 3 to 5 minutes in batches until the bread is toasted and the cheese is melted. Allow to cool for 2 minutes. Cut in half and serve warm.
adapted from How Easy Is That? by Ina Garten
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Ina Garten’s Ultimate Grilled Cheese | Barefoot Contessa | Food Network
FAQ
What kind of cheese makes the best grilled cheese?
What is the best bread to use for grilled cheese?
How to make a grilled cheese like Gordon Ramsay?
What is the best way to make grilled cheese?
My favorite way to do grilled cheese is to grill both slices of bread, buttered side down, open faced with cheese sprinkled on both pieces until it melts. Then spread a chipotle mayo (homemade), add sliced cucumbers, tomatoes, olives, red onion, and some sort of minced herb.
What grilled cheese does Barefoot Contessa eat?
You probably have her extra ingredients in your refrigerator already! On one end of the grilled cheese spectrum are Kraft singles and white bread, while on the other is Ina Garten. Salon recently unearthed a 2013 clip of the Barefoot Contessa doing what she does best: elevating simple, wholesome comfort food to an unprecedented level of decadence.
How long do you cook grilled cheese sandwiches in a panini press?
Meanwhile, heat an electric panini press. When the press is hot, cook the sandwiches for 3 to 5 minutes in batches until the bread is toasted and the cheese is melted. Allow to cool for 2 minutes. Cut in half and serve warm. Ultimate Grilled Cheese from Barefoot Contessa.
What kind of cheese does Garten eat?
Garten opts for a blend of freshly grated white cheddar and Gruyere, which adds a nice nutty flavor. She piles that on and pops the sandwiches in a panini press. The result? A perfectly balanced grilled cheese that’s cheesy, smoky, and tangy.