Parmesan Crusted Fondue Grilled Cheese and Grilled Cheese Academy Recipe Showdown

April ended, May wormed its way in under a blanket of snow and announced the official end of Grilled Cheese Month. Sigh.

While many blogs are moving on to Mother’s Day celebrations—all pretty and lacy with flowers and sweets galore—I have just one more grilled cheese to share with you. Just because I can’t help myself.

And because I couldn’t bear it if you missed out on the chance to win some crazy, great prizes by simply creating your own grilled cheese sandwich, I really needed to remind you just one last time about your chance to wow the world with your cheeseness.

I’ll be one of the judges of the Grilled Cheese Academy’s Grilled Cheese Recipe Showdown next month, eating my way through toasted bread and gooey middles to choose the finest cheese sandwich of 2013.

The entries have been rolling in but I couldn’t resist giving you one more prod, one more push to enter for yourself because the prizes are just too good to not give it a go.

If I could enter, I oh so would. But I can’t, so you need to.

You only have until May 12 to enter the contest, and here are over 5,000 reasons you should…

Gold Skillet Award will go to 1 Winner

$4,000 Gourmet Kitchenware including:

10-piece Copper Core Cookware Set (a serious brand name I totally covet)

7-piece Knife Block Set (from THE German knife maker)

10-piece Cast Iron Cookware Set (and more serious names)

$1,000 MasterCard Gift Card

Wisconsin Cheese Basket

Inclusion in the 2013 Grilled Cheese Academy Recipe Book

Silver Spatula Award will go 2 Winners

$500 Williams-Sonoma Gift Card

Wisconsin Cheese Basket

Inclusion in the 2013 Grilled Cheese Academy Recipe Book

Bronze Butter Knife Award will go to 8 Winners

$100 Williams-Sonoma Gift Card

Wisconsin Cheese Basket

I’ve had a cadre of different grilled cheese sands I’ve created for the blog and this is probably the most stripped down I’ve done yet. Although you can hardly call it uncomplicated.

My inspiration was to create a grilled cheese that embellishes the cheesiest treat around: Fondue. A sandwich that combines the essence of that popular 70’s group noshing fest with the centerpieces nutty gruyere and melty baby swiss.

The bread is toasted and Parmesan crusted, brushed with garlic butter and layered with cheese and pepper jelly. I couldn’t help myself in keeping it cheese only. Will I ever find my simplicity again?

Parmesan Crusted Fondue Grilled Cheese with Pepper Jelly

Ingredients

2 large cloves garlic, thinly sliced 8 ounces baby swiss cheese, sliced Instructions

Melt butter in a small saucepan over medium-low heat with sliced garlic. Cook for 4-5 minutes or until butter begins to brown and garlic becomes fragrant then remove from heat and discard the garlic slices. Brush garlic infused butter on one side of each slice of bread, then flip the bread buttered side down and repeat with the remaining bread slices. Stack the bread slices, buttered sides together and press a sprinkling of grated parmesan into each of the buttered bread slices. Stack the baby swiss cheese then a teaspoon or so of the pepper jelly and then the gruyere cheese onto the bread slices. Place the cheese topped bread, parmesan and buttered side down, in a non-stick fry pan over medium-high heat and top with the other slice of buttered bread. Cover with lid and let cook for 3-4 minutes or until golden. Reduce heat to medium and flip sandwich to the other side and cook for 2-3 minutes or until bread is toasty golden and the cheese has melted. The second side will cook faster than the first so watch carefully. Repeat process with the other sandwich ingredients to make the rest of the grilled cheese sandwiches. Enjoy hot.http://www.foodiecrush.com/2013/05/parmesan-crusted-fondue-grilled-cheese/Can’t wait to see what grilled cheese you come up with to enter in the Grilled Cheese Recipe Showdown,

Tagged as: cheese, grilled cheese, lunch, pepper jelly, sandwich

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Main Dish Seafood: Macadamia Nut Crusted Mahi Mahi

Apr 17, 2006 We had macadamia nut crusted mahi at a *very expensive* restaurant in Hawaii a year and a half ago. Ever since, my husband has been raving about it. I decided to try this recipe for our Easter dinner yesterday as a special treat for him. It was a huge success. :) He said, "this is every bit as delicious as _________ restaurant!" So there you have it -- from the mahi-loving man himself. ;) I did make a few changes to the recipe: first, I used more nuts than bread crumbs because I only had seasoned crumbs and didn't want the nutty flavor to get lost. Second, I forgot to buy a habanero pepper so I just threw some crushed red pepper flakes into the sauce while it simmered. The spiciness was perfect. Next, I used about twice as much coconut as the recipe called for because I really wanted the coconut flavor to stand out. Also, since I used canned pineapple chunks rather than fresh, I used the syrup from the can to sweeten the sauce rather than sugar. And lastly, I served the sauce over the fish without straining it, sort of like a chutney -- the chunks of fruit were really tasty with the fish. Superb recipe!

—ANGELSHARK 

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Savory Pies: Mushroom Crusted Ham and Cheese Pie

Oct 12, 2004 WOW!! Used a few more mushrooms, and a clove of garlic in the crust, and substituted a couple of slices of whole wheat bread toasted dry for the bread crumbs. Didn't have the herb flavored cream cheese, used 1/3 less fat cream cheese and about 1 tsp. dried thyme instead--YUMMY--also used pieces of sliced deli ham instead of chunks of diced!!!! This is a beautiful recipe, with lots of great earthy flavor--served for dinner with a salad and fruit, or great for a brunch--not bready like so many other breakfast casseroles can be!

—KATELOLOSMOM 

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Rosemary Crusted Lamb Chops

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Deep Fried: Oat Crusted Fish

Jan 03, 2008 I dont usually rate a recipe that I altred, but based on other reviews, I made two changes. One, I seasoned the fish to my liking BEFORE the flour, that way the fish got seasoned, not the coating. Second, I cooked the fish in the oven the way I do ovwen fried chicken. I heat up the pan in the oven first, and aadd whatever oil or butter I want to use ( usually a combination ) Then I added the fish. Cooked it halfway thru, then flipped it over to finish cooking. Both sides get crispy, the fish gets cooked before it burns. My husband and I both enjoyed it.

—SEMYWA 

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