Grilled Goodness

It's a rainy day, the kind that makes you want to stay in your pajamas. The cloud cover is complete, the drizzle is consistent and you need a jacket to venture outdoors. What I wouldn't give for a bowl of soup and a side of hot chocolate.

And while we're at it, grilled cheese would make that soup taste even better. It's true, creamy cheese melted between two pieces of buttered and toasted bread can improve any situation.

Have a bad day? Need a quick dinner for your kid? Would you like to eat, but your fridge is empty? Surely, you have bread and cheese! See? Problem solved.

And if you're anything like me you may want to put a spin on this classic. I used havarti cheese, and tossed in some sauteed mushrooms. There are no rules, no restrictions. The results will be the same, good and gooey!

Ingredients

Bread

Cheese

Butter

1. Heat up a pan or skillet. Put some butter in that pan, when it melts then toss in your bread. Let it sit for about 30 to 45 seconds, that will toast it. Flip! Add more butter to the pan if necessary.

2. Place your cheese and any other toppings in the center of one slice, then top it with the other slice.

3. You can press it flat with a spatula if you want to, it's fun. Flip the entire sandwich for even toasting.

4. Let this go on until you can tell your cheese is melted.

5. That's it. Enjoy.

Italian Chicken Melt

Sometimes I have days when I am so uninspired to cook. Friday was one of those days. It's the end of the week, I'd spent a couple of dreadful hours shopping for groceries (with my 3-year-old) and when I got home, my husband had eagerly taken out some ground chicken. It was fully defrosted and sitting on the counter next to some boxed au gratin potatoes.

"Um, why'd you take this out?" I said.
"Oh, I thought you were gonna cook," he replies.

I tried to ignore it but he kept asking what's for dinner. So the wheels were churning in my imagination. And I kept thinking about what to do with ground meat - meatballs, meat sauce, chili? I didn't have any of the complementary ingredients for that stuff. Burgers? Nah, I didn't have buns, but I did have bread. Then it hit me Patty Meltssss!

I'd make chicken patty melts. Then I remembered the Asiago cheese bread in the freezer. These sandwiches were delicious and juicy. I seasoned the chicken with Italian seasoning and then smothered the patties with mozzarella between the toasted slices of bread. I also made a quick Italian salsa with cherry tomatoes, oregano, olive oil, salt and pepper.

Black Bean Spread

I made too many black beans the other night. The leftover beans became solitary without any more rice or steak. But we were gonna eat those beans. They would not go to waste. Anyone who knows me, knows I will not throw away food without just cause. And typically these odds and endless leftovers drive me to create something new. As for the beans, they became the essential ingredient in the ultimate fuss-free meal -Sandwiches. I mashed the beans into a paste. We'll call it a spread. And grilled some chorizo, or spicy sausage, then layered them on toasted French bread and topped with cheddar cheese. I also made one that was garnished with tomatoes and avocados. They were delicious.

The spicy sausage was balanced out by the smoky beans perfectamente.