Skip to main content
Donate

Recipe: Fancy Grilled Cheese Sandwiches with Gruyere and Chives

By Katherine Spiers
April 15, 2014
Support Provided By

Want to make a grilled cheese sandwich -- but like, a really, really good one? America's Test Kitchen to the rescue!

Photo courtesy America's Test Kitchen
Photo courtesy America's Test Kitchen   

Fancy Grilled Cheese Sandwiches with Gruyere and Chives
Serves 4

7 ounces Gruyère cheese (aged no more than one year), cut into 24 equal pieces, room temperature
2 ounces Brie cheese, rind removed
2 tablespoons dry white wine or vermouth
4 teaspoon minced fresh chives
3 tablespoons unsalted butter, softened
1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
8 slices hearty rye sandwich bread

Process Gruyère, Brie, and wine in food processor until smooth paste is formed, 20 to 30 seconds. Add chives and pulse to combine, 3 to 5 pulses. Combine butter and mustard in small bowl.

Working on parchment paper-lined counter, spread mustard butter evenly over 1 side of slices of bread. Flip 4 slices of bread over and spread cheese mixture evenly over slices. Top with remaining 4 slices of bread, buttered sides up.

Preheat 12-inch nonstick skillet over medium heat for 2 minutes. (Droplets of water should just sizzle when flicked onto pan.) Place 2 sandwiches in skillet; reduce heat to medium-low; and cook until both sides are crispy and golden brown, 6 to 9 minutes per side, moving sandwiches to ensure even browning. Remove sandwiches from skillet and let stand for 2 minutes before serving. Repeat with remaining 2 sandwiches.

Recipe notes:
To quickly bring the Gruyère to room temperature, microwave the pieces until warm, about 30 seconds. The first two sandwiches can be held in a 200-degree oven on a wire rack set in a baking sheet.

Support Provided By
Read More
A black and white photo of an adult dressed as the easter bunny with a giant costumed head, holding a little girl on their left who gives it a kiss on the cheek and, with his right arm, holding a little boy who brings his hands to his eyes as though wiping away tears.

Behold the Bunnies and Bonnets of L.A.'s Past Easter Celebrations

The onset of the spring season heralds the arrival of fragrant flowers in bloom — and all the critters that enjoy them, including the Easter bunny and families who anticipate his arrival with egg hunts, parades and questionable fashion choices.
By Sandi Hemmerlein
A black and white image of an elephant holding a broom with its trunk. A man is seen near the elephant, walking towards the animal.

Lions and Tigers and Cameras! How the Movies Gave Los Angeles a Zoo

The early days of the movies in Los Angeles inadvertently allowed visitors to experience the largest collection of animals in the western United States. When animals weren't appearing in a movie, they were rented out to other film companies, performed for studio visitors, or in the case of filmmaker William Selig's collection — an opportunity to create one of Los Angeles' first zoos.
By D.J. Waldie
A vertical, black and white portrait of a blonde woman wearing a sparkly four-leaf clover costume as she holds her arms out and extends a leg as though in a curtsy.

Irish for a Day: L.A.'s History of 'Going Green' on St. Patrick's Day

Whether it was a parade, dance, tea party, home celebration or just enjoying a good ol' wee dram of whisky, here's a photo essay of how Los Angeles donned its green apparel to celebrate St. Patrick's Day and embrace the luck o' the Irish over the years.
By Sandi Hemmerlein