Remember a week or so ago when I begged, er, asked nicely to vote for my rainbow cake in the Butter recipe exchange? Well, if you hadn’t heard, I won. And I am pretty darn proud and thankful for all of you who rallied behind me. (Thank you!)
Anyways, the prize for the victory, a $150 Kerry Gold gift basket, arrived shortly after. While I knew I was getting some butter (and fantastically amazing butter at that), what I didn’t expect was the sheer quantity of cheese. Swiss and cheddar and gouda, oh my!
Now the grilled cheese probably makes more sense, huh?
But this isn’t just any grilled cheese, this grilled cheese has class. With a thin layer of homemade apricot jam and a few leaves of fresh arugula added at the very last minute, this sandwich is as delicious as it is simple. I mean, it is a grilled cheese, after all. And what a perfect way to highlight the superb ingredients I was given.
This particular sandwich makes use of Kerry Gold’s unusual Dubliner cheese, described as somewhat sweet, somewhat nutty (sound like someone else you know?). That slight sweetness, when combined with the fruit jam and spicy arugula, makes for the perfect grilled cheese sandwich.
Grilled Cheese with Apricot Jam and Arugula
Makes 2 sandwiches.
Ingredients:
- 4 slices country bread
- 4 oz. Kerry Gold® Cheddar or Dubliner cheese, sliced
- 2 tablespoons apricot (or other fruit) Jam
- 1 tablespoon Kerry Gold® salted butter
- 1/4 cup arugula
Directions:
- Preheat a large skillet or sandwich press on medium-high heat.
- To assemble sandwiches, spread a thin layer of jam on one side of bread. Top with a double layer of cheese slices and second piece of bread. Generously butter outsides of both pieces of bread.
- Put sandwiches in skillet and toast until bread is golden brown and cheese is melted, about 3-4 minutes per side. Remove from pan. Carefully (it will be hot!) peel apart bread and place arugula inside and replace top slice of bread. Cut in half and serve immediately.
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Spread some love butter this holiday season.
Butter, Artisan Bread, Raw Milk Cheddar Cheese, Heirloom Tomato (from the garden or farm)
Figs, Gorgonzola, arugula. Yum. But I would be open to other cheese.
Ultimate grilled cheese: Sharp cheddar, sprouted wheat bread, lots o’ good butter (KerryGold ROCKS!), avocado, and tomato. Mmmm hmmm!
Extra sharp cheese with turkey and then some more cheese!
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Our ultimate grilled cheese sandwich is preferably sourdough bread, slice of ham, sharp cheddar and fresh tomatoes & rosemary from our garden. Fabulous!
Gruyere and goat cheese with carmelized onions and bacon on crusty white bread. Um, yum, yum.
There is no way a grilled cheese couldn’t be perfect. But i think the best would have to be with a sharp cheddar cheese or a blend of cheddar and Gruyere with heirloom tomatoes on sourdough or thick cut challa bread!!!
homemade sourdough toasted in bacon grease, sharp white cheddar, caramelized onions, with a bowl of creamy potato soup and an avocado. Yum. Thanks for reminding a girl to dream.
I love classic grilled cheese. White bread, cheddar, and a big slathering of butter on every surface imaginable!
Love artisan sourdough grilled in lots of butter with gruyere cheese and a tad of bleu cheese with my raw varietal honey and berries on the side.
Seven grain bread, butter, cream cheese and sharp cheddar!
Pesto, roasted red pepper, and mozzarella cheese!
I love buttered sourdough bread with mozzarella cheese, tomato, and just a little bit of honey mustard. mmmmmm :]
My favorite grilled cheese is a grilled Pimento Cheese. I like it on good ole Wonder Bread too. I make my sandwich,as if to eat cold. Add some butter to a pan,let it get hot and grill it up. Oh so yum!
Tomato, cheese and basil and I am in heaven. and I became a fan.
My favorite grilled cheese is simple. Mild cheddar with some nutritional yeast in the middle of sprouted grain bread and of course plenty of butter on the outside.
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Chibatta Bread
Pepper Jack Cheese
Jalepenos
Bacon
butter on both sides of the bread
Cast Iron Skillet
sooo good
Fresh homemade bread, lots of butter and yogurt cheese and mustard for dipping. Yummy!!!
Tweeted the giveaway!
http://twitter.com/farmermissy
Liked you on Facebook
I dig on some pumpernickel bread and provolone cheese. Melt some butter, sprinkle garlic salt and freshly ground pepper in the pan, slap those slices in the goodness and you’ve got the most delicious sandwich available to man. This I promise you.
The best grilled cheese sandwich is made of thick sliced homemade bread, butter and sharp cheddar cheese, with freshly grated black pepper on the outside.
Sourdough bread, cheddar, tomatoes, and arugula. Oooh, and a spicy mustard.
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I tweeted.
http://twitter.com/#!/Terri6580/status/14472302397759489
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Sourdough bread, white cheddar and thinly sliced tomatos. SO GOOD!
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Liked you on facebook too! :)
Ultimate Grilled Cheese:
Italian Bread with mozzarella, thinly sliced tomatoes and basil grilled in olive oil and serve with a side of marinara dipping sauce :)
Now I want that for dinner!!!
now following you on twitter… wow what a stalker
liked you on FB
Rustic bread, sharp cheddar cheese with some fontina mixed in, spicy dijon mustard
oil both sides and cook between 2 hot cast iron pans, a la alton brown.
my ultimate grilled cheese sandwich has fresh garden tomatoes, sliced thin, with mustard on the inside of the bread, bread from my local bread bakery, (fornax in Roslindale,MA) and a drizzle of olive oil on the pan to brown the bread in. i use a weight to help keep it all together, and encourage good melting of the fabulous cheddar cheese i use to make this sandwich!
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Tweeted (@mama2six)
Kerry Gold Cheese (I prefer Blarney Castle)
Kerry Gold Butter
oatmeal soda bread (granny’s recipe!)
My all time favorite grilled cheese sandwich is to spread butter on the 2 bottoms of a good crusty bread, place a thin layer of swiss and cheddar, some very thin sliced tomatoes, another layer t(thicker this time) of swiss and cheddar, topped with a thin layer of thousand island dressing and crumbled bacon. Put the top slice of bread and place it in a frying pan and lay a piece of aluminum foil on top and place a bit of weight on the top of the sandwich and cook on a low heat so that the bread toasts nicely and the cheese begins to melt. Then turn it over and do the same on the other side. And I eat it with and steaming bowl of cream of tomato soup. My mouth is watering just writing this…
Honey Crisp apples and sharp cheddar cheese…. mmmmm!
Sourdough, butter, sharp cheddar… Does it really need much more?
Bacon, bacon, and bacon!
My ultimate grilled cheese would start with two slices of multigrain bread, Havarti and sharp cheddar cheeses, and Kerry Gold butter.
I have to say – I love staying classic with sourdough, sharp cheddar, and thin slices of tomato! (Don’t forget the tomato bisque for dipping!)
Honestly? My ultimate grilled cheese is just a slice and a half of amazing cheese, on two pieces of slightly buttered bread toasted nice and yummy and amazing.
Provolone, a tad bit of American (just ’cause it’s so melty!), carmelized onion on a delicious sourdough. YUM.
White cheddar, thnly sliced apple and applewood-smoked bacon sandwiched between hearty sourdough whole wheat bread and griddled with lots of butter.
My ultimate grilled cheese is as follows….
Italian bread
Roasted garlic
Fresh mozzarella
Sliced tomato
Fresh basil
The roasted garlic is made into a paste, and spread on the inside of the bread before layering two slices of cheese with basil and tomato between them.
The bread is buttered, grilled to perfection, and the sandwich is cut diagonally.
This is my all time favorite grilled cheese. SImple, but delicious.
My ultimate grilled cheese sandwich is sourdough bread, sharp cheddar cheese, fresh tomatoes, olives and sliced turkey breast.
My ultimate grilled cheese has tomato, chipotle pepper & cilantro in it….with a side of Latin American Kraut (Cortido)
Cheese, tomato, and basil! Mmmm!
I just tweeted!!!
My ultimate grilled cheese is garlic and herb fromage d’affinois with fire roasted tomatoes that have been marinated in garlic and herbs on Rudi’s organic white bread. Instead of butter, I let the bread soak up some of the olive oil from the tomatoes. I could eat it until I became ill, it’s so good.
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My FAVORITE grilled cheese is made with fermented whole grain bread, cheddar, muenster, or dubliner cheese, avacado, roma tomato, and mayo. YUM!
My ultimate grilled cheese is made with sharp cheddar and smoked Gouda with caramelized onions and yellow mustard on thick pieces of whole wheat bread.
I like tomato on my grilled cheese.
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Apple grilled cheese in incredibly good. Also, a regular grilled cheese that’s cooked in herbed olive oil.
OMG GRILLED CHEESE! Who doesn’t love cheese… :D I’m a sucker for a good sharp white cheddar YUM
ULTIMATE GRILLED CHEESE:
Sharp White Cheddar with Black and Green Pepper Corns (Marco Polo from Beecher’s is AMAZING, but Tillamook just came out with a black pepper white cheddar that I’ll have to try.)
Tomatos
Fresh Basil and Dill Weed
Raw Red Onion
Spicey Brown Mustard (just a little bit)
Land O’ Lakes Butter (it just has a REALLY good flavor!)
Probably all on a hearty wheat bread. :3 I like really bold flavors.
My awesome grilled cheese usually consists of whatever cheese I have on hand but I absolutely must have sourdough bread, cream cheese, and a tiny bit of pecorino romano for a little bite :) delicious
Om nom nom! Brie, Provolone, Havarti, a moderate amount of sharp French mustard, roasted red pepper, and a little baby spinach on challah bread. YUM!
My ultimate is kinda similar, I made apricot jam and used feta and colby jack cheese on sourdough. OMgoodness, yum.
I think my ultimate grilled cheese includes roasted tomatoes!
Simple is best for my ultimate grilled cheese: fresh crusty Italian bread, Irish butter and sharp cheddar. Add a bowl of tomato bisque and I’m in heaven!
Dark wheat bread, Cahill’s Porter Cheddar Cheese, and pear butter. IT IS LIFE CHANGING.
Wow, I LOVE Kerry Gold butter but haven’t yet tried their cheese. It looks awesome. I love a simple grilled cheese (with SHARP cheddar), but the addition of apricot jam looks fabulous. I also sometimes enjoy adding salami or ham to mine and occasionally tomato. Oh, and a nice bowl of hot tomato soup is the perfect complement :)
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Love grilled cheese of any kind.
Sourdough, a slice of onion and pepperjack cheese.
Well, I do love a good grilled cheese but another awesome thing to do with Kerry Gold butter is to spread it on bread and fill the inside with peanut butter and seedless strawberry jam. The peanut butter and jam melt together and it’s like heaven!
Hmm, I almost never make grilled cheese but I’m pretty much stealing the above idea for the mozz, basil, and tomato sandwich. That sounds delightful. Great idea, Jen!
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Caramelized onions and sliced pear. I love grilled cheese!
Lots of caramelized onions and bacon. And tomato!
My favorite is the one my mom makes for me when I’m down and being picky about the food: butter on white bread, american cheese, and not too toasted. I like it melted without black on the bread. Perfection.
I am a fan on facebook.
I haven’t tried this yet, but I’ve read that a yummy grilled cheese sandwich includes sharp cheddar and dill pickles. I also want to try your recipe.
My favorite grilled cheese is not fancy, it’s what mom made…white bread, American cheese, and Miracle Whip. Strange but good.
I “liked” you on facebook! :-)
My must have ingredient is cowboy tomato jam
http://cathyshambley.blogspot.com/2010/08/tomato-canjam.html
We made some this summer and now must have it on every sandwich! Delish!
My ultimate grilled cheese? Fresh mozzarella, basil, and plum tomatoes with a balsamic glaze on buttered sourdough bread. Capresie Grilled Cheesy!
jen [at] cupadeecakes [dot] com
Sharp cheddar and tomato. I like to keep it simple, although this recipe has me tempted to be creative!
Thick bread, salty butter, classic yellow american cheese. Or, if I’m feeling jazzy, bacon and tomato!
I love adding jalepenos to my grilled cheese sandwiches!
Grilled cheese has been a favorite of mine since childhood!
I love lathering up a crusty bread with some organic butter and layering it with a combo of Swiss and American cheese. Tomatos are a must too!! :)
My favorite grilled cheese would include a 7 grain bread, English Cotswold Cheese, sundried tomatoes and some spinach leaves.
My ultimate grilled cheese is on a mexican pon (bread) grilled with butter and a little garlic, with monterey jack cheese, over baked with a thin layer of guacamole. So yummy!
Also, was excited to find you on facebook and have now, obviously, liked!
I love my grilled cheese on rye bread, with american cheese, tomato and bacon. Mmmm! Oh, and a side of tomato soup :)
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I love mine w/cheddar cheese, sauteed mushrooms and caramelized onions. Wish I had one right now!
I loooove grilled cheese pretty much anyway you can make it, but I think my ultimate is provolone with caramelized onions on sweet dark bread. Yum! I’m also a fan on Facebook!
My favorite is from Alice Waters and is made with gruyere and then sage leaves on the outside!
sourdough, mature cheddar, and lashings of butter. i might have to go make this now.
My favorite grilled cheese is on sourdough bread with some extra sharp cheese, apples and arugula.
my favorite grilled cheese is one i had in a little sandwich shop in vermont… loads of avocado and basil, melty cheese and a good dosing of this red spicy dust, some combination of cayenne and paprika, i think.
Homemade sourgough
Muenster Cheese
Mayonaisse
Grilled in truffle butter
Heaven.
also, I liked the page on facebook!
My ultimate grilled cheese has 12 grain bread with sunflower seeds, and aged chedder cheese and a couple slices of tomato basil turkey. mmm. also, ketchup on the side :)
hope to win the Kerrygold!
Firstly-Dubliner in a melt? Awesome! Secondly I think my favorite is smoked gouda, shaved honey ham, bacon, and tomato on a thick cut 12-grain. Artery clogging but amazing!
I LOVE Kerrygold stuff. I fell in love with it in Ireland. That Dubliner cheese is pretty amazing, and we only use their butter. Loving that you styled your plate and prizes on an Orla Kiely placemat to keep the Irish theme going :)