Grilled Cheese Sandwich - Special Edition

Grilled cheese sandwiches were a dietary staple when I was growing up. Then, as well as into my adulthood, these sandwiches were only ho-hum as far as I was concerned. They were just something to eat for lunch between my busy schedule doing one thing and then doing another thing. That is until about a year ago when my daughter Erin made me her version of this standard staple. Mother of God and all that is holy! her unmatched grilled cheese sandwiches took ho-hum and put them on a spiritual plane. Add a few pepperoncini on the side and a glass of Coca Cola, and well…that right there is reason enough to celebrate life. The tide has turned, the tables have flipped, lunch has become the high point between the banality of chores.

Calorie Content: Listen, it’s got bread, cheese, olive oil (in the pesto), butter, and prosciutto. Of course it has calories! Actually, this sandwich is one giant calorie.

Ingredients:

Musical ingredient: a Lammas Ladymass: 13th and 14th Century English Chant and Polyphony by Anonymous 4

Loaf of sourdough bread, sliced

Basil pesto

Prosciutto, three pieces per sandwich, cut into small bite-size pieces

Cheddar cheese, sliced

Butter, unsalted

Recommended drink: Coca Cola

Directions:

1.     Warm butter to room temperature. Using a knife, thoroughly spread a thin layer of butter over one side of each piece of bread.

2.     Drain excess oil from the basil.

3.     For each sandwich, lay one piece of bread on a plate, butter-side down. Add sliced cheddar cheese to cover bread, then add prosciutto followed by a thin layer of basil pesto. Top with the second piece of bread, butter-side up.

4.     Transfer sandwich to a skillet and cook at medium high. Using a spatula, flip over when the bottom side is golden brown. Cook until flipped side also turns golden brown and the cheese starts to melt.

5.     Remove from skillet. Cut sandwich in half and serve while still hot.