BBQ Grilled Cheese Sandwich with Caramelized Onions

Tomato soup and grilled cheese sandwiches, one of the best combo ever created in my opinion. We dress up your basic canned tomato soup with basil (fresh is best but dried will work) then add some shredded cheddar cheese to our bowls. Eric also throws in a few pepperonis.

The key to our grilled cheese sandwiches is using shredded cheese instead of sliced cheese. It just melts so much better and you can heap on as much or as little as you'd like! Sharp cheddar, a Mexican blend, pepper jack . . . the options are endless. If you have a Meijer near you, their store brand taco shredded cheese makes an absolutely fantastic grilled cheese sandwiches--and is pretty damn good in the tomato soup too!

While Eric likes his grilled cheese sandwiches straight forward, I like to experiment with them. Add sun-dried tomatoes. Apples and red onion mayo. Maybe some pesto. Or barbecue sauce and caramelized onions . . .

Recipe adapted from here.

Ingredients:
8 slices of bread (I highly recommend sourdough)*
1 cup sharp cheddar cheese, shredded
Butter
2 to 4 tablespoons of your favorite barbecue sauce (ours is Sweet Baby Ray)
1 medium red onion, thinly sliced

Directions:
In a skillet, melt a tablespoon of butter over medium heat. Add sliced onions. Cook for about 15 minutes or until the onions turn a golden brown and taste sweet, stirring occasionally. Remove from skillet and set aside.

Spread butter on into one side of each slice of bread. Spread the barbecue sauce on 4 slices of bread, opposite side of the butter. Use as much or as little sauce as you'd like (I used a couple of teaspoons).

Heat the skillet over medium-low heat and place a slice of bread butter side down in the pan. Working quickly, add roughly 1/4 cup of the shredded cheese and 1/4 of the caramelized onions then another slice of bread, butter side up. Cook until one side is golden brown and the cheese begins to melt then flip over and cook that side until it's golden brown. Repeat with the other two sandwiches.

Enjoy!

~Krissy

How to Caramelize Onions

Eric hates onions (unless they're onion rings). When he moved out of his parents house, his mom told me they all rejoiced because they could add onions to dishes now. I like onions. They add depth and complexity to dishes. Sadly, now I’m the one who isn't allowed to cook with them (though I sneak minced onions into dishes without telling him all the time). Ironically, it was Eric's mom who introduced me to caramelized onions. Immediately I fell in love with them. I'll put them on just about anything--salads, pizza, quesadillas, sandwiches.

  

 

Ingredients:

1 large red onion
1 large yellow onion
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 tablespoon butter
Sea salt
Sugar

Directions:

Cut off the root and top ends of both your onions then peel the onion. To slice your onion, cut the onions in half and lay them flat-side down. Slice onions lengthwise and make them as thick or thin as you’d like. Add the olive oil and butter in a skillet and heat over medium-high heat. When oil begins to shimmer or ripple, add the onions to the pan. Stir to coat the onions then spread them out evenly in the pan. Reduce heat to medium-low and let the onions cook.

After about 10 minutes, sprinkle a pinch of salt and a pinch of sugar over the onions. Continue to cook, stirring every 10 to 15 to keep the onions from burning. You will notice the onions browning and shrinking the longer they cook. Once your onion reach the color, texture, and flavor that you want, remove them from the heat. I usually cook mine about an hour and a half. Put them on steak, venison, hamburgers, omelets, or pizza.

Variations:

I like to caramelize my onions in a mixture of olive oil and butter, but if you want, you can just use 3 tablespoons of olive oil. The pinch of sugar helps speed up caramelizing process, but you don’t have to add it. To add more flavor to your onions, add a splash of balsamic vinegar or wine when the onions are just about done. It also de-glazes the pan.

Enjoy!

~Krissy