Ham Taleggio Grilled Cheese Food

TALEGGIO AND HAM GRILLED CHEESE

Steps:

• Fry the ham in a medium skillet until nicely warmed; set aside.
• Spread the pumpernickel slices with the mayonnaise.
• Place 2 slices of bread, mayo-side down, in the hot skillet. Divide the ham, asparagus and Taleggio between the slices. Place a second slice of bread, mayo-side up, on top. Cook, pressing down with a spatula, until golden brown on one side; flip, and continue cooking until golden brown on the reverse side and the cheese is melted.
• Cut in half and serve

GRILLED HAM AND CHEESE SANDWICH

Steps:

• To assemble the sandwiches, butter both sides of each bread slice. Lay ham and cheese on one slice and cover with the another slice. Trim the crusts off the sides.
• Heat a saute pan over medium-low heat, then fry the sandwiches until the cheese starts to melt and the sandwiches are golden brown, about 3 minutes on each side. You may need to add more butter to the pan.
• Remove the sandwiches to paper towels to drain, let them cool for 1 minute, then cut into quarters diagonally and serve 3 quarters each per serving.

TALEGGIO BACON AND APPLE GRILLED CHEESE

Steps:

• Toss the Taleggio in the freezer for 20 minutes to get it really nice and firm (don't forget about it!). Remove the orange rind and cut the cheese into slices about 1/4 inch thick.
• While the cheese is in the freezer, cook the bacon in a large saute pan over medium heat until brown and crispy on both sides, then transfer it to a plate lined with paper towels and reserve.
• Spread each piece of bread with a thin, even layer of mayonnaise or butter. Spread the other side of each piece of bread with Dijon. Lay the bread down on a baking sheet with the Dijon side facing up. It will be a bit messy. This is what happens with grilled cheese! The mess is worth it.
• Place an even layer of Taleggio on each piece of bread. Lay 3 bacon slices each on 4 pieces of the Taleggio-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!).
• Preheat a griddle or nonstick saute pan to medium. You will most likely have to work in batches, so also preheat the oven to 200 degrees F to keep the finished sandwiches warm. Place pairs of tops and bottoms (not yet sandwiched together) on the griddle or in the nonstick pan and cook until the underside gets brown and crusty and the cheese begins to melt, 5 to 7 minutes. Flip the tops onto the bottoms so the cheese is on the inside. Give each sandwich a press, flip it over, and cook for 1 to 2 minutes more. Keep the finished sandwiches in the oven and repeat the process with the remaining tops and bottoms.

SALAD OF GRILLED ASPARAGUS WITH TALEGGIO CHEESE AND SERRANO HAM

Steps:

• Prepare barbecue (medium heat) and preheat oven to 425°F. Whisk vinegar, shallot and sugar in small bowl until sugar dissolves. Gradually whisk in oil. Season dressing with salt and pepper.
• Arrange asparagus on rimmed baking sheet. Drizzle with 2 tablespoons dressing. Sprinkle asparagus with salt and pepper. Grill asparagus until crisp-tender, turning occasionally, about 6 minutes. Return asparagus to same sheet. Drizzle with additional 1/3 cup dressing; top with cheese. Bake until cheese melts, about 5 minutes. Place greens in large bowl. Add 1/4 cup dressing and toss to coat. Using spatula, divide asparagus among 6 plates. Arrange greens alongside. Drape ham over greens. Sprinkle pine nuts over salads. Serve with remaining dressing.