Grilled Cheese Sandwiches

OMG! Can it be? Today is "National Grilled Cheese Day!" Guess I now know what to make for lunch...

This article offers a few twists on the ol' favorite. (Not to mention a really yummy looking photo!)

What goes into YOUR favorite grilled cheesewich? I'm thinking about starting with sharp cheddar and then adding some guacamole and very crisp bacon...maybe on a nice dense whole wheat bread.

My favourite grilled cheesewich starts with a thin spread of Grenache Caramel Spread (sorry, I think it's only available in Canada, it's a Quebecois treat), but only on the inside of one slice of multi-grain bread (too sweet to spread it on both slices); followed by a mixture of thinly sliced Jarlsberg and mozzarella cheeses and topped with the other slice (with nothing on it); then lightly butter the outside of both slices and grill to a nice golden crispness and colour. Mmmmmm. Maybe not the healthiest, what with the caramel and butter, but oh what a treat!

Eagle Heart, that does sound delicious. You're right.

We don't have Grenache Caramel Spread in the US, but I got curious and Googled it. It looks like I found an online vendor that MIGHT ship it to the US....

Gotta go, make myself a grilled cheese - it's after 3 and I haven't eaten lunch yet...

There must be similar caramel spreads in the US...I discovered this one on our travels through Quebec a few years ago. We were having breakfast in the motel restaurant and my egg came with runny yellows, which normally I cannot eat (my eggs have to be well cooked, and I usually order them scrambled to make sure they're not runny). Anyway, we were catching a ferry and I didn't have time to send the eggs back, so I decided to eat them anyway. Buttered my toast, then saw this caramel spread on the table, spread it on my toast and then used it to sop up all that yellow stuff - and it was delicious! We've been buying that caramel spread ever since. What I like about that brand as compared to others is that it's not as sickly sweet...hard to explain, but it's a softer sweetness. If that makes sense.

I'm with you, I can't tolerate runny eggs. Thanks for sharing your story about how you discovered the caramel spread.

Just realized that I must have missed "National Grilled Cheese Day this year. Too bad! It was fun to find out about everyone's favorite grilled cheese sandwiches.

I thought about this port this afternoon, as I "invented" a couple of good grilled cheese sandwiches today -- just looking for something different and using what was in my fridge BEFORE going to the grocery store!!

So I made Steve a grilled cheese on cinnamon bread with Swiss cheese and thinly sliced chicken breast. I put low cal mayo on the bread after initially toasting it, the assembled the sandwich, broiled it open faced until the cheese melted, and then topped it with the second slice of toast.

As for me, I toasted another two slices of cinnamon bread, topped each with a slice of Swiss and broiled each to melt the cheese. Then topped the "melty" cheese with nice tart apple slices. Served it open faced.

Both were darn good. Of course, we WERE pretty hungry to start with!

Of course, the use of the cinnamon bread had to do with it being the only bread I had in the house. But it added a nice counterpoint to the savory toppings.

So what sorts of memorable "goodies" have you come up with when digging through the larder on grocery shopping day? I am sure such a search has happened to others -- with equally delicious results. So please do share!

By the way, Eagle Heart, I would be so delighted if I ever round your Canadian caramel sauce in the stores here. Do you think a person could make a reasonable facsimile? After all, it IS possible to make homemade caramel sauce...

OK, I decided to search online for a recipe for Grenache Caramel Spread, and found this "salted caramel spread" recipe that sounds EXACTLY like what we're discussing, since the woman who posted this actually references her mother making her sandwiches with Grenache Caramel Spread...

NOW I just have to convert the metrics to US measurements!

This looks like a wonderful recipe, Anne! I'd be a little stressed out about the possibility of the sugar crystalizing. But if it works out, should be scrumptious!!! Since Grenache is so easy to buy here, I'll take the easy way, but hope it works out well for you...it really is good on toast, grilled cheese sandwiches, and I also occasionally sneak it in when I make egg-on-toast. Just a wee bit to jazz it up. I must be using just the right amount, because so far it hasn't spiked my sugar at all.

BTW, have you tried looking for "dulce de leche"? It's almost like grenache caramel...I don't use it because of my lactose intolerance, but many people prefer it over the grenache.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dulce_de_leche

http://www.wikihow.com/Make-Dulce-De-Leche

Thanks, Eagle Heart! I have had dulce de leche ice cream -- I think it is a Haagen Daz flavor -- and it's delicious.

Glad to know the grenache spread doesn't spike your blood sugar. That's important!

(Speaking of blood sugar, I'm so excited, my blood sugar has been so good lately the doctor took me off the drug I was taking for my diabetes.

Now I am just controlling my blood sugar with healthy eating and exercise.

I asked her if it would be possible that I can keep this up forever, and she said it's doubtful. She said she'd not be surprised if by 10 years from now I don't have to start taking insulin.

But I am a positive thinker, so I'm planning that by 2023 the scientists will have either come up with an alternative to giving myself shots -- or a cure for Type 2 Diabetes.)

Anne, that's fantastic news! You are a testament to the power of healthy living. Those behaviors are not easy, we all know, surrounded as we are with tons of fun but ultimately unhealthy choices.

That's wonderful news, Anne! I was diagnosed with type 2 diabetes, but my doctor gave me the chance to get it under control with diet and lifestyle, and so far it's working very well. The adjustments that I made for the sugar also make me feel a lot better overall. Just cutting out all the white flour (breads), white pasta (actually I rarely ever eat any pasta anymore, I use spaghetti squash instead now) and lowering my portions of rice, potatoes and sweets have all made an enormous difference. I even lost close to 30lbs in the past year, without much effort really. I just wish I could drum up the discipline to do more exercise.

Anyway, I don't see why diet and lifestyle won't keep the diabetes under control for the rest of your/our lives...if it's working now, why shouldn't it work later?! I'm hoping that as we are able to give our pancreas a break from having to keep up with our insulin needs (ie, when we weren't living as healthfully), it might actually heal itself.

Hey, Anne, your bike is missing some local trips.

So Anne, did your doctor tell you to go on a low glycemic diet?

This means avoiding certain fruits that may natural cause blood sugar spikes. what changes have you made to your diet to control Diabetes 2?

Hi Orchid,

No, she didn't suggest a low glycemic diet. Primarily I have been successful simply by eating a typical healthy diet. You know, one that's a balance of the basic food groups.

For example, I normally eat oatmeal or granola for breakfast, with fruit, a few walnuts and yogurt. Blueberries are a fave or apples. I put cinnamon and nutmeg in the bowl before the oats.

Lunch is really small -- probably a couple of Triscuit or other whole grain crackers, with cheese.

Dinner is nothing unusual. A protein, a couple of veggies, maybe a starch. You know, the usual stuff.

I think the main thing that's helped me is that I was also diagnosed with sleep apnea a few years ago, so I use my sleep mask every night, and now get 7 hours of good quality sleep every night. Which means I am not tired and falling asleep during the day.

Before I started sleeping so well, I was always eating sweets during the day -- mainly hard candies -- to help me stay awake. (Without the sugar, it would be very possible for me to fall asleep during the day, anytime I got a chance to sit quietly for any length of time. This could be a work, at church, or even while driving.)

I always knew, of course, that the "sugar rush" wasn't a good thing. But it was the only thing I knew of that worked. That and copious amounts of coffee...

So now I can even have any sort of dessert I might choose -- as long as the portion sizes are normal.

Over the past 6 months I've had two normal A1C tests, WITHOUT taking the drug I used to take once a day. (Actos)

Well, I might mentioned several years ago, I did have near diabetes 2 blood test results. A sister, a decade younger than I, got diabetes 2 blood test which disturbed her (she's a doctor), modified her diet, jogged, etc. and lost 50 lbs.

She went on a low-glycemic diet..I got the same book which resulted me in cutting out white rice and a lot of breads. I will eat either...maybe 1-2 times per month. If I eat a lot of it, I don't feel well.

Sister has had 2 kids since then and has had to struggle with weight gain --approx. regained 15 lbs. back. She did seriously have to ensure she didn't get gestational diabetes during her pregnancy.

I do eat desserts. I am certain that my lifestyle cycling does help me manage all this.... but I don't consciously think about it. I just love to bike. That's all.

Exercise is clearly a way to fend off Type 2 diabetes, Orchid.

My docs told me for years my blood glucose tests were "high," but never actually put that into any perspective for me. I wish they had. I believe I would have taken action had I totally understood the implications.

As it is, my A1C tests now, again fall into that "high normal" category, and I am sure if I made the dietary changes you've implemented -- and/or increased my exercise, that I could further reduce my number.