gourmet grilled cheese sanwiches

Grilled Cheese and Pepper Jelly Sandwiches

Serves 4.  Inspired by a recipe in the Jan. 2015 issue of Food and Wine, we decided these were the best grilled cheese sandwiches we’d ever had.  We like a local pepper condiment called Cannon’s Red Hots for the jelly.

            ½ c. pecan halves

            1 Tbs. oil        

            1 tsp. kosher salt

            4 Tbs. butter, softened

            eight ½”-thick slices of good white bread

            4 Tbs. hot pepper jelly

            8 oz. sliced provolone cheese

Heat oven to 350 degrees.  In a pie pan, toss pecans with oil and salt.  Bake for 8 minutes or until toasted.  Let pecans cool, then coarsely chop.

Spread ½ Tbs. butter on one side of each slice of bread.  Spread ½ Tbs. pepper jelly on the other side of each slice.  Arrange provolone on the jelly side of 4 slices of bread and top with the pecans.  Cover each sandwich with another slice of bread, butter side facing out.

Heat a large cast-iron skillet over moderate heat.  Add 2 sandwiches and grill for about 4 minutes.  Flip the sandwiches and cook until golden brown on the bottom and cheese is melted, 4 minutes more.  Transfer to a work surface and cook the remaining 2 sandwiches. 

I served this with a sauteed spinach dish, using a red spinach:  http://www.foodandwine.com/recipes/sauteed-spinach-with-lemon-and-garlic-olive-oil