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Being Cheesy Isn’t Bad!

Peppy Pimento Grilled Cheese

One of my favorite sandwiches is a grilled cheese. When my mom would put one in front of me, I instantly had a smile on my face. Now, I make them for my grandson and watch him have that same big smile.

But who says grilled cheese has to be only for kids? Just A Pinch members have come up with some great adult versions of the classic kid favorite.

“When I think about good ol’ Southern cheese, I think about pimento cheese,” says Lori Frazee. “So I put my own spicy twist on it, and you guessed, to the grill I go!”

Lori’s Peppy Pimento Grilled Cheese is a really snappy grilled cheese! Coming from the South, I’m a big fan of pimento cheese. There is just enough heat in Lori’s to make you take notice but not enough to set you on fire. If you have any leftover, it would make a great dip!

It’s fun to see how people can take a basic sandwich and make it into something extraordinary! And that’s exactly what Teressa Drenth did with her Gourmet Grilled Cheese. “I came up with this recipe when I had some leftover dip mix still in the refrigerator and thought it might taste good between potato bread and toasted,” shares Teressa. “After a couple of enhancements the Gourmet Grilled Cheese was born.”

The blend of cream cheese, cheddar cheese and Parmesan cheese makes for an ooey, gooey filling once grilled. I really liked the addition of chives too. I chose to use Hawaiian bread, but use what you have on hand. I bet sourdough would be great!

If you can find the cranberry bread for Christine M.’s New England Style Grilled Cheese, it’s worth buying. It adds to this flavor packed sandwich.

“This combination is inspired by the Cape Codder (cranberries) and a classic New England fall activity (apple picking),” explains Christine. We loved the sharpness of the cheese and the slight crunchiness of the apples. This is a great, quick lunch idea!

It’s amazing how a simple twist can make such a delicious impact on a classic dish. Debbi Bitner adds mustard or hot jelly to her Grilled Cheese With A Twist and let me tell you, it’s delicious.

“You can customize this grilled cheese recipe as you like,” says Debbi. We served these sammies with both mustard and pepper jelly… and both were super good. Get creative!

Andy Anderson definitely got creative when dreaming up his South of the Border Grilled Cheese. “It’s an interesting combination of flavors, and to be honest it’s a bit messy,” Andy shares, “But, oh so yummy.” Yummy is an understatement!

Your taste buds are going to be really happy with this grilled cheese. Grating the cheese helps melt it to ooey gooey goodness. He adds crushed tortilla chips for a nice crunch. And, bacon which adds that wonderful extra pop of flavor.

There really are so many choices on how to make this classic sandwich. This week, become a kid again and whip up a grilled cheese. A cup of tomato soup optional.