Compensation was provided by Gallo Family Vineyards via Sunday Supper, LLC. The opinions expressed herein are those of the author, and are not indicative of the opinions or positions of Gallo Family Vineyards.
Did you know April is National Grilled Cheese month?! It's true! Not that I need a reason to enjoy one of my favorite comfort foods! Every so often I get a craving for grilled cheese that won't stop until I indulge in the crisp, buttery goodness that is this classic American sandwich
Gallo Family Vineyards and our #SundaySupper family have joined forces to honor this cheesy month in a most delicious way. Be sure to scroll down for a list of all the #SundaySupper Grilled Cheese recipes and wine pairings! I know you'll want to try each and every one of these tasty pairings! I sure do!!
I have to admit, I am a bit of a grilled cheese snob. I am very fussy about how my sandwich is prepared. Some claim that toasting both sides of each slice of bread is the key to a good grilled cheese, but that's not my thing. I like the classic preparation of toasting just one side of each slice.
Others swear by using mayonnaise instead of butter to toast the bread. That's not my thing either. I guess I'm a traditional kinda girl, because I'm sticking with butter when it comes to making grilled cheese!
Some folks melt their butter in the skillet and then add the bread! This is not acceptable to me! A light coating of butter, not missing a spot, all over the bread is the only way to go when it comes to making a perfect grilled cheese sandwich (in my opinion, anyway).
I have tried all of the above methods, but I always go back to a very traditional way of making grilled cheese. The perfect grilled cheese to me is crispy golden all over on the outside but not greasy. Cheese generously oozes from between those 2 golden slices of crisp buttery perfection, whereupon first bite you bask in the all over comforting feeling that only the goodness of a perfectly grilled cheese sandwich can create <smile> Now that is sandwich nirvana! Here's how I achieve it...
Have everything you need ready to go. I start with room temperature ingredients. This is very important. Butter at room temperature is easy to spread which makes it possible to apply a very thin layer on every inch of the outside of the bread. The cheese will melt more evenly and you don't have to worry about burning the bread just to melt the cheese. What good is a grilled cheese sandwich if the cheese isn't melted?!
I start off by sauteing the artichokes in a little bit of butter to brown them slightly. then I add the garlic and spinach and heat until the spinach wilts. I set that aside until I'm ready to fill my sandwich.
Next, spread a very thin layer of butter on one side of each piece of bread while heating a skillet over mid-high heat. I prefer to use a cast iron skillet for maximum crispiness, but a stainless steel skillet will work nicely too. Avoid using a non-stick pan. The bread simply won't crisp up as nicely in a non-stick pan.
Lay one piece of bread, butter side down, into the hot pan. You should hear it sizzle as soon as it hits the pan. If you don't, the pan is not hot enough and you'll have a greasy sandwich, so turn up the heat if needed. Working with room temp ingredients allows us to use a higher heat to avoid making a greasy sandwich.
While the bread is toasting, add a slice of cheese on top of it and top that with the spinach artichoke mixture, then add another slice of cheese and top with the other slice of bread - butter side up this time :) Carefully check the underside of the sandwich by lifting up one of the corners to check for a beautiful all-over crispy golden outside. It should only take about a minute, so once you are done topping the bread it should be close to turn over. When ready, carefully flip the sandwich over and toast the other side. Again, it should only take about a minute.
When both sides of the bread have an all-over beautiful golden brown crust on the outside and the cheese is nicely melted, remove from the heat, slice on the diagonal, and enjoy!
If you prefer a white wine, I recommend the Moscato. It pairs beautifully with Gruyere cheese and the sweetness complements the savory goodness of this sandwich nicely.
This sandwich tastes so good with my favorite Tomato Basil Soup, so be sure to make up a batch for dipping! Enjoy!
Spinach Artichoke Grilled Cheese
Published 04/12/2015
Ingredients
- 1 tablespoon unsalted butter
- 2 ounces jarred artichokes, drained and diced
- 1 teaspoon freshly minced garlic
- 1.5 cups fresh baby spinach leaves
- Room temperature, unsalted butter
- 2 slices of your favorite bread
- 2 slices Gruyere cheese
Instructions
- In a skillet over mid-high heat, melt 1 tablespoon of butter. Saute the artichokes to brown them slightly. then add 1 teaspoon of garlic and 1.5 cups fresh baby spinach. Heat until the spinach wilts. I set that aside and keep warm until I'm ready to fill my sandwich.
- Next, spread a very thin layer of butter on one side of each piece of bread while heating a skillet over mid-high heat. I prefer to use a cast iron skillet for maximum crispiness, but a stainless steel skillet will work nicely too. Avoid using a non-stick pan. The bread simply won't crisp up as nicely in a non-stick pan.
- Lay one piece of bread, butter side down, into the hot pan. You should hear it sizzle as soon as it hits the pan. If you don't, the pan is not hot enough and you'll have a greasy sandwich, so turn up the heat if needed. Working with room temp ingredients allows us to use a higher heat to avoid making a greasy sandwich.
- While the bread is toasting, add a slice of cheese on top of it and top that with the spinach artichoke mixture, then add another slice of cheese and top with the other slice of bread - butter side up this time. Carefully check the underside of the sandwich by lifting up one of the corners to check for a beautiful all-over crispy golden outside. It should only take about a minute, so once you are done topping the bread it should be close to turn over. When ready, carefully flip the sandwich over and toast the other side. Again, it should only take about a minute.
- When both sides of the bread have an all-over beautiful golden brown crust on the outside and the cheese is nicely melted, remove from the heat, slice on the diagonal, and enjoy!
Prep Time: 5 mins.
Total time: 15 mins.
Tags: Spinach Artichoke, Grilled Cheese, Sandwich, American, Bread, Butter, Comfort Food, Wine, #SundaySupper, Recipe
More #SundaySupper Grilled Cheese recipes....
- Bacon Inverted Grilled Cheese by Brunch with Joy
- BBQ Pulled Pork and Smoked Gouda Grilled Cheese by Bobbi's Kozy Kitchen
- Brie, Raspberry and Honey Grilled Cheese by The Girl In The Little Red Kitchen
- Chicken Pesto Grilled Cheese by That Skinny Chick Can Bake
- Egg Prosciutto Grilled Cheese by Magnolia Days
- French Onion Grilled Cheese by The Redhead Baker
- Garlicky Anaheim Pepper Grilled Cheese by Peanut Butter and Peppers
- Gluten Free Kale Grilled Cheese by Gluten Free Crumbley
- Grilled Cheese with Spinach and Roasted Red Peppers by Ruffles & Truffles
- Grilled Havarti with Onion Jam by Nosh My Way
- Grilled Gruyère on Rye with Crisped Sage and Pink Lady Slices by Culinary Adventures with Camilla
- Loaded Sharp Cheddar and Black Forest Ham Grilled Cheese Sandwich by Serena Bakes Simply From Scratch
- Longaniza Grilled Cheese Sandwich by Peaceful Cooking
- Philly Cheesesteak Grilled Cheese Sandwich by Family Foodie
- Pizza Grilled Cheese by Alida's Kitchen
- Roasted Cauliflower, Ham and Brie Grilled Cheese by Cupcakes & Kale Chips
- Roasted Tomato Caprese Grilled Cheese by One Sweet Mess
- Spinach Artichoke Grilled Cheese by Life Tastes Good
- Tomato Bacon Jam Grilled Cheese by Feed Me, Seymour
- Tomato, Prosciutto and Gruyère Grilled Cheese by Casa de Crews
- Twenty Ways to Make Grilled Cheese plus Wine Pairings on the Sunday Supper Movement website
Join the #SundaySupper conversation on twitter on Sunday! We tweet throughout the day and share recipes from all over the world. Our weekly chat starts at 7:00 pm ET. Follow the #SundaySupper hashtag and remember to include it in your tweets to join in the chat. To get more great Sunday Supper Recipes, visit our website or check out our Pinterest board. Would you like to join the Sunday Supper Movement? It’s easy. You can sign up by clicking here: Sunday Supper Movement.
Be sure to check out my other Spinach Artichoke recipes...
You have so many of my favorite ingredients in this grilled cheese! Thanks for sharing with #SundaySupper.
ReplyDeleteThanks, Camilla! I've been on a Spinach Artichoke kick lately haha
DeleteI have a friend who loves spinach and artichoke as much as I do. I'm thinking of inviting her over and making this for her and enjoying with a lovely glass of wine.
ReplyDeleteNow that sounds lovely! I hope you both enjoy it as much as we do, Renee :)
DeleteI use the traditional method, too. But I've never added spinach AND artichokes!!! LOVE this!
ReplyDeleteThanks. Liz!
DeleteYummy! What a great combination of flavors. I love the artichoke! So creative!
ReplyDeleteThanks, Jennifer!
DeleteThis seriously looks amazing!
ReplyDeleteThanks, Nichole!
DeleteOhhhh yes!! I could gobble up a few of these awesome sandwiches!!
ReplyDeleteThat makes 2 of us, Bobbi :) Thanks for stopping by!
DeleteIt just doesn't get any better than this! Wow!!
ReplyDeleteThank you, Isabel :)
DeleteThis looks like the perfect spring dinner for me! Love the flavors in this sandwich and paired with the wine and tomato soup....that'a whole lot of YUM!
ReplyDeleteThanks, Renee! It's one of my faves too :)
DeleteI used to work at a grilled cheese shop and this was one of the sandwiches we made. So delicious! It is my favorite way to have a grilled cheese.
ReplyDeleteMe too, Sara!! Thanks for stopping by :)
DeleteI like the traditional way of grilling a sandwich too! I never heard to grilling both sides - that won't happen, ever! haha! Love all your ingredients in this sammie, especially the artichokes!
ReplyDeletehaha we are nothing if not set in our grilled cheese way haha Thanks, Sandra!
DeleteOh yum- there is literally nothing I don't love about this sandwich!
ReplyDeleteThanks, Nora :)
DeleteI love that this is my all time favorite dip but on a sammy! Delicious!
ReplyDeleteI couldn't agree more, Serena! Thanks!
DeleteI make my grilled cheese with a light coating of butter too! This one looks totally fabulous!
ReplyDeleteThat's the only way to go!! Thanks, Sheena!
DeleteThis looks to die for! I love pizza with these toppings, so I know this would be awesome. Great idea Marion!
ReplyDeleteThank you, Sarah! :)
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