Fontina Grilled Cheese Food

FONTINA & SAGE GRILLED CHEESE

Steps:

• In a small saucepan over low heat, heat the olive oil, sage and pepper until warm to the touch. Turn off the heat and let it infuse while you assemble the sandwiches.
• Place the cheese, divided evenly, on two slices of bread. Take care to bring the cheese all the way to the edge of the crust. Top each with a second slice of bread and press flat.
• Lay a heavy or weighted cutting board on top of the sandwiches for 10 to 20 minutes.
• Use a pastry brush to spread the sage oil lightly on both sides of the sandwiches. Make sure you go all the way to the edges and distribute the sage and pepper evenly.
• Heat a cast-iron pan or griddle over low heat. Sprinkle with a few drops of olive oil, then rub it over the whole cooking surface with a paper towel.
• Add the sandwiches and cook, weighted with another heavy pan or a steak weight, until golden, about 2 to 3 minutes per side.
• Keep the heat low so you don't burn the sage or pepper.
• Remove the sandwiches to a cutting board, and cut each in half or in quarters.
• Serve immediately.

FONTINA AND MOZZARELLA GRILLED CHEESE WITH BACON AND HONEYCRISP APPLES

Steps:

• Cook the bacon in a large saute pan over medium heat until brown and crispy on both sides. Transfer to a plate lined with paper towels and reserve.
• Preheat a griddle or nonstick saute pan to medium. Between two pieces of paper towels, pat dry the mozzarella.
• Spread each piece of bread with a thin, even layer of butter. Spread the other side of each piece of bread with Dijon. Lay the bread down with the Dijon sides facing up on a baking sheet.
• Place one slice of fontina, one slice of mozzarella and then another slice of fontina on each piece of bread. Lay 3 bacon slices on half of the slices of the cheese-lined bread. Top the bacon with an even layer of apple slices (these are the bottoms, the ones with just cheese are the tops--together they make a pair!).
• Place the tops and bottoms on the griddle butter-side down and cook until the bread gets brown and crusty and the cheese begins to melt, 5 to 7 minutes. When the cheese is nice and melty, flip the tops onto the bottoms so the cheese is on the inside. Give each sandwich a press, flip over and cook for 1 to 2 minutes more.
• Cut the sandwiches in half on the bias and serve hot.

WILLIAM-SONOMA'S GRILLED FONTINA SANDWICHES WITH PROSCIUTTO AND

Steps:

• First, clarify the butter: Melt the butter in a small, heavy saucepan over very low heat, watching carefully so it does not burn. Remove from the heat and let stand briefly.
• Using a spoon, skim off and discard the foam from the surface.
• Carefully pour off the clear yellow liquid into a bowl.
• Discard the milky solids left behind in the pan.
• Lay 6 slices of the bread on a work surface and top evenly with the cheese, 1 slice of prosciutto and the pear slices. Top with the remaining bread.
• Brush a wide sauté pan or stovetop grill pan generously with the clarified butter and warm over medium heat.
• When it is hot, place as many sandwiches as will fit in the pan without crowding and weight them down with a pan lid.
• Cook until the bottoms are golden brown, about 4 minutes.
• Adding more butter as needed, carefully flip the sandwiches, replace the lid, and cook on the other side until golden brown, about 4 minutes more. The cheese will have melted.
• Remove the sandwiches from the pan and keep warm.
• Repeat with the remaining sandwiches.
• Cut each sandwich in half and serve warm.

GRILLED FONTINA CHEESE SANDWICH WITH MUSHROOMS AND DIJON

Steps:

• Heat 1/2 tbls. of the olive oil in a medium saute pan, add the onion and a sprinkling of salt and pepper. Saute over medium heat for about 5 minutes, until soft. Move the onion to a bowl.
• Heat the remaining oil in the pan; add the mushrooms, 1/4 teaspoons salt, and a few grinds of pepper.
• Sear the mushrooms over high heat until golden and a little crisp around the edges, adding a little more water to the pan as they finish cooking, to loosen the yummy pan juices( adding a little sherry or wine instead would add to the flavor). Add the mushrooms to the onions and toss together with the parsley.
• Put the sliced bread on a cutting board(or other work surface) and brush each slice lightly with the mustard. Pile the mushrooms and onions on two of the slices, using the palm of your hand to press them onto the bread, then sprinkle on the cheese. Press the other two slices on top, then brush or spread the top with butter.
• Place the sandwiches buttered side down in a heated skillet or on a griddle, then brush or spread the top side with the butter.
• Cover and cook over medium heat until golden, aobut 4-5 minutes, then turn over and cook the other side. Serve immediately. Enjoy!

PROSCIUTTO AND FONTINA GRILLED CHEESE

Steps:

• Brush one side of each bread slice with olive oil.
• Top 4 bread slices with pesto, prosciutto, arugula and fontina. Cover with remaining bread slices.
• Grill 3-4 minutes until golden and cheese is melted.