Fun Food Friday: Celebrate Grilled Cheese Month Sonoma County Style

Did you know April is National Grilled Cheese month?  If you’re looking for a sophisticated grilled cheese recipe and a chance to win a Sonoma getaway (because this grown up version goes great with a glass of wine and ocean views), read on.  If not, stick to your white bread and American cheese and move along.

To celebrate the delicious pairing of a crispy and gooey grilled cheese sandwich with a delicious glass of wine, Sonoma County’s winemaking pioneer St. Francis Winery has launched its third annual Gourmet Grilled Cheese Contest.  Inspiring food aficionados to pair a signature grilled cheese recipe with their favorite St. Francis wine, contestants can upload their entry on the St. Francis’ Facebook page now through May 5^th, 2014 for a chance to win a four-day trip to Sonoma, CA and the winery. Sonoma sounds great to me after this long, cold winter so I’ll definitely be entering.

Grilled Cheese Expert MacKenzie Smith of www.GrilledCheeseSocial.com shares her favorite, Spring time grilled cheese recipe paired with St. Francis Old Vines Zinfandel below.

Ingredients (Yield 1 sandwich)
-1 bagel, cut in half and scooped out
-1 small wedge of Wisconsin Brie
-2 tbsp of BelGioioso Mascarpone Cheese
-2 tbsp of blistered blueberries (recipe below)
-A few basil leaves, torn
-2 pats of salted butter

Directions

1. First, cut your bagel in half and scoop out the interior of both sides. This will create the perfect little nook to keep your fillings inside the sandwich. Then, with a very sharp serrated knife, very carefully cut off the outside off the bagel so that the nice bready interior can be used to create a super crispy crust on your sandwich at the end.

2. Next, fill the nook of one half of your bagel with brie. Try to keep it all in the grilled cheese canyon or mote as I like to think of it. After all, it is guarding your face from getting burnt by molten cheese.

3. Then, lay your blistered blueberries on top of the Brie.

* To make these sweet and tart treats, all you need to do is melt a pat of salted butter in your skillet and add a cup of blueberries. Turn your heat to high and let them cook up. Add a tablespoon of brown sugar once you start to see them pop and stir until evenly coated. Allow to cook for a few more minutes until the juices release and start to thicken.

**And if you don’t want to go through all that, you could totally just use some sort of blueberry preserves. Those will work perfectly, they just won’t be as much fun as making them yourself!

4. Next, lay some torn basil leaves on top of your blueberries. I think this earthy herbal contrast is so nice against the creamy brie and the bright blueberries. Fresh mint would also be super dope.

5. Almost done! Just smear on some of that sweet mascarpone into the other bagel half’s canal and really pack it in there. It’s so good. If you’ve never had it before, it’s like sweet cream cheese mixed with ricotta mixed with whatever kisses the hottest person in the world gives. Yeah, it’s like that.

6. Combine the two halves together and awe in their glory.

7. Now that this insane sandwich is built, turn your burner to medium high and butter both sides of your soon-to-be grilled cheese. Place it in your skillet and allow to cook for a few minutes until the bagel turns golden and crispy. Flip and repeat. Remember, both of these cheeses melt super fast so they don’t need to be on the burner for long. Just a few minutes will do.

8. Then once it’s all done, you will definitely want to let this little baby sit for a minute or two. Those cheeses need to thicken up and soak in all the flavors from the blueberries and the basil. Or if you can’t wait, who cares, you’ll just have to lick your plate to make sure nothing goes to waste.

Dig in babes!