This September Ted and I worked pretty much constantly, so we had more frozen Amy’s meals than I’d like to admit. This month was all about trying to eat healthy food at home while maintaining an insane work schedule, so I tended toward things like this meal, cheese sandwiches and tomato soup. The sandwiches are easy, and the soup comes from a can. While cheese and bread are hardly health foods, I’m sure it’s still better than most of the stuff we’d have eaten if we’d have gone out to eat.
I first learned how to make cheese sandwiches from the cookbook Julia & Jacques: Cooking at Home, which was owned by my friend David Milam. Actually, he was the one who taught me how to make perfect cheese sandwiches, and he used J & J’s method. So, thanks, Milam!
MAIN DISH
Cheese Sandwiches
The key to perfect cheese sandwiches is in grating the cheese. Often, people use slices of cheese, but this makes the cheese runny and gloopy. Grating the cheese is a little extra effort, but it makes the sandwiches perfectly melty and yummy. I know this because Julia & Jacques told me so. It’s also important to use a cast iron skillet, because the cast iron will heat the sandwiches slowly and evenly, which melts the cheese while crisping the bread nicely.
The recipe below is for two people, so adjust according to your needs.
INGREDIENTS
-four slices of bread
-1 c. grated Cheddar cheese
-butter
DIRECTIONS
Place a large cast iron skillet over medium-low heat. While the skillet is heating, spread two slices of bread thinly with butter. Place these slices in the skillet butter side down, and carefully arrange half of the grated cheese on each slice. Place the last two slices of bread on top, and spread those with butter on top, taking care not to disturb the cheese beneath. Soft, room-temperature butter works best.
Cook sandwiches for 7-10 minutes on each side, until cheese is thoroughly melted and bread is toasty and crisp. Serve immediately.
SIDE DISH
Amy’s Organics Tomato Soup
Did I mention I was running low on tie this month? I’m just trying to keep it real here, canned soup is the only way to go if you’re short on time. Amy’s Organics makes a nice tomato soup, just open the can and warm it in a saucepan, being careful not to boil it. Serve hot along with soup, and (important!) cut the sandwich diagonally. Cheese sandwich afficionados will scoff if you slice the sandwich into horizontal halves, so consider yourself warned.
DESSERT
Uncle Eddie’s Cookies
This part of the meal should be pretty self-explanatory… My favorite kind of Uncle Eddie’s are the peanut butter chocolate chip, and the oatmeal chocolate chip and the walnut chocolate are really good, too.
MUSIC
Album: TV On the Radio, Dear Science
Okay, I know I rave about lots of music here on the Scoop, but I am in LOVE with this album. I’ve been listening to it several times a day, every day. It’s really conducive to working with headphones, and I also listened to Dear Science on our iPod dock in the kitchen while I cooked, well, every meal, really. Sometimes when I listen to an album like this I get really sick of it, but with this one, I’m never sick of it. It’s unreal how much I love it. It’s not for everyone, though, which I know because Ted isn’t nearly as sold on it as I am. But David Bowie loves this band, and how can Bowie be wrong?
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