"It's October 3rd" and a Fancy Grilled Cheese Recipe
First off, no Regina, butter is not a carb. Whew, that's been bothering me for a while.
Okay, now that we've gotten those particular Mean Girls references out of the way, lets get onto the goods, annnnd there's butter involved!
Sometimes you really just want a beautiful grilled cheese to warm up your day/evening/middle of the night (I don't judge, midnight snacks are the best). With just two extra steps and some slightly fancier ingredients, I had a brain child moment via Pinterest (and running around Kroger) that led me to throwing together this badass sandwich: The Fancy Grilled Cheese - mixed berry jam, Serrano Ham, and some smoked applewood gouda all nestled between two slices of sourdough and then grilled within an inch of its life.
![](https://static.wixstatic.com/media/a7aea9_772e696789b84759bdc5acfd8e3a9571~mv2.jpg/v1/fill/w_147,h_196,al_c,q_80,usm_0.66_1.00_0.01,blur_2,enc_auto/a7aea9_772e696789b84759bdc5acfd8e3a9571~mv2.jpg)
Ingredients, plus some wine that I decided to try out...murp.
Good. Gravy. This FGC is perfect for when you're in that salty/sweet kind of mood and just don't know what you want, or Hocus Pocus is on and you're in your fuzzy socks on the couch and have a date night with yourself (or that could just be me, whatever).
If you're the drinking sort, this pairs so nicely with a glass of strong red wine and some salt and vinegar chips (word). If you don't like either of those, I'm not a cop, pick your own pairings!
Let's get started
Ingredients: As always, musings in red
- Serrano Ham (I sometimes use prosciutto or speck depending what's on sale, but you can use whatever meat you like)
- Gouda or Gruyere ( I used a specialty gouda for this version since that what was on sale - and it sounded good- but I usually go back and forth between these two cheeses because they melt well and are pretty freaking tasty)
- Bread (I personally like to use sturdier breads like sourdough, but you can use whatever)
- Butter (Some people use mayo instead. I am not one of those people)
- Jam (Use whatever you like, I'm just all about this jam because I like the jar it comes in, and I had a coupon)
Method:
- Depending on how you like to do your grilled cheese, either heat your pan or turn on your griddle/George Foreman/whatever (I have a panini press that my grandma gave me for Christmas way back, so that's what you'll see in the photos)
- Butter your bread slices on the outside (meaning the sides your meat and stuff isn't going to be touching)
![](https://static.wixstatic.com/media/a7aea9_62b451300fcc4b54beed028c08674670~mv2.jpg/v1/fill/w_147,h_110,al_c,q_80,usm_0.66_1.00_0.01,blur_2,enc_auto/a7aea9_62b451300fcc4b54beed028c08674670~mv2.jpg)
Check that butter action
- Flip those pieces over and spread your jam on the other side. Yes, this will get a little messy depending on what surface you're working on, just do it on a plate or something.
![](https://static.wixstatic.com/media/a7aea9_99247a39ee3a41a589dc41dc42df61b1~mv2.jpg/v1/fill/w_147,h_110,al_c,q_80,usm_0.66_1.00_0.01,blur_2,enc_auto/a7aea9_99247a39ee3a41a589dc41dc42df61b1~mv2.jpg)
We be jammin'
- Cut up your cheese into slices for both sides of the bread. I'm clearly a heathen and don't know how to cut cheese, so it's in little pieces all over. Still effective.
![](https://static.wixstatic.com/media/a7aea9_6d8398e4c2294028a0a086523c0cf1f0~mv2.jpg/v1/fill/w_147,h_110,al_c,q_80,usm_0.66_1.00_0.01,blur_2,enc_auto/a7aea9_6d8398e4c2294028a0a086523c0cf1f0~mv2.jpg)
Just look at my terrible attempts at cutting cheese.
- Add your ham slices. I used four pieces total, two on each side.
![](https://static.wixstatic.com/media/a7aea9_6d9b159f28d14f4082a53b52d30cca24~mv2.jpg/v1/fill/w_147,h_110,al_c,q_80,usm_0.66_1.00_0.01,blur_2,enc_auto/a7aea9_6d9b159f28d14f4082a53b52d30cca24~mv2.jpg)
Don't worry if it rips, just throw it on there anyway.
- Grill time! I usually put mine on until I can hear the cheese sizzling off the sides or until it's nice and browned (notice I said browned, and not burnt. Big difference).
![](https://static.wixstatic.com/media/a7aea9_7d5bf77ea7874586bcdabc89e02e3925~mv2.jpg/v1/fill/w_147,h_196,al_c,q_80,usm_0.66_1.00_0.01,blur_2,enc_auto/a7aea9_7d5bf77ea7874586bcdabc89e02e3925~mv2.jpg)
The transformation process begins
- You did it! Set aside to cool for a bit then enjoy.
Pro tip: do not immediately remove the melty cheese from the sides like I did. My fingerprints are probably gone now, but I can potentially pursue a life of crime in the future if I need to, so maybe it's a win.
![](https://static.wixstatic.com/media/a7aea9_a79bea7e4a2a449abc0673c226553aae~mv2.jpg/v1/fill/w_147,h_110,al_c,q_80,usm_0.66_1.00_0.01,blur_2,enc_auto/a7aea9_a79bea7e4a2a449abc0673c226553aae~mv2.jpg)
![](https://static.wixstatic.com/media/a7aea9_3949ea5907c14c6ba95106ac9906cff8~mv2.jpg/v1/fill/w_147,h_196,al_c,q_80,usm_0.66_1.00_0.01,blur_2,enc_auto/a7aea9_3949ea5907c14c6ba95106ac9906cff8~mv2.jpg)
Glamour shots.
This sandwich definitely isn't a looker, but like they say - it's what on the inside that counts. And these delicious, cheesy insides are a winner every time (unless you threw some weird ingredients in there, then that's on you. Shame).
![](https://static.wixstatic.com/media/a7aea9_4f89f934cfab4694900e34fec26893cf~mv2.jpg/v1/fill/w_147,h_196,al_c,q_80,usm_0.66_1.00_0.01,blur_2,enc_auto/a7aea9_4f89f934cfab4694900e34fec26893cf~mv2.jpg)
Pickle for scale
I hope you enjoy, and if you do end up making it and love it (or hate it, it happens), give me a shout at @sociallystacia or tag me at #sociallystacia so I can see how you did!