Greenspan - The great grilled cheese book: grown-up recipes for a childhood classic

ERIC GREENSPAN graduated from Berkeleys Haas School of Business and the Le Cordon Bleu Culinary School in Paris; he has trained with celebrated chefs including Alain Ducasse, David Bouley, and Joachim Splichal. In 2007, Eric opened The Foundry on Melrose, where he first put grilled cheese on the menu. That grilled cheese won the Grilled Cheese Invitational and was then dubbed The Champ and featured everywhere from the New York Times and CBS Sunday Morning to the Los Angeles Times. When Alton Brown and the Food Network declared The Champ the #3 comfort food in America, Erics grilled cheese sandwich became a national hit. Eric is currently the executive chef and owner of The Roof on Wilshire and the recently opened Asian/Latin delivery-only restaurant, Chino. He lives in Los Angeles with his wife, Jamie, and sons, Max and Meyer.

01.
american

American cheese on white bread (V)

Beer-infused American cheese on pretzel bread with pickles and mustard (V)

Sriracha-infused American cheese on sourdough with fried eggs, arugula, and bacon (B, M)

Pimento American cheese on white bread with fried chicken, braised greens, and bread-and-butter pickles (M)

Maple American cheese on waffles with fried chicken (B, M, S)

classic

Ive always said, youve got to know where youre from to know where youre at. This sandwich is where it all started. It is the empty canvas on which all other grilled cheeses are painted. And its my go-to when my son, Max, needs a quick fix (or I do!). Theres something about white bread and American cheese that speaks to the soul of childhood. The key to a Classic is in the details: the bread is grilled to a crisp golden brown and the cheese is melted to gooey, stretchy perfection. And if a little drips out and crisps up around the sides, all the better!

8 slices of homemade American Cheese ()

8 slices white bread

4 tablespoons unsalted butter, for finishing

Line up 4 bread slices on a work surface. Top each slice with 2 cheese slices. Close the sandwiches with the remaining bread slices.

Line a large platter with paper towels. In a skillet over high heat, melt 1 tablespoon of the butter. Turn down the heat to low, add 1 sandwich, and cook, turning once, for 2 to 3 minutes on each side, until browned and crisp on both sides and the cheese is melted. Transfer to the prepared platter to blot the excess grease. Repeat with the remaining butter and sandwiches.

Cut the sandwiches in half, plate, and serve.

meltfest

There is no better bar food than a great grilled cheese. This sandwich is inspired by the flavors of a German beer hall, where pretzels and mustard rule the day. Ive infused the American cheese with beer, which gives it a nuttiness and acidity that cuts the richness of the sandwich. The spice of the mustard and the sweetness of the pretzel bread round out this perfect accompaniment to a pint (or liter!) of beer. If you like, you can swap out the pretzel bread for a German dark rye or pumpernickel.

8 slices of homemade Beer-Infused American Cheese ()

8 slices of pretzel bread

PICKLES

2 large cucumbers, cut crosswise into -inch-thick slices

2 cups cider vinegar

cup kosher salt

2 tablespoons sugar

1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

1 bay leaf

1 teaspoon yellow mustard seeds

1 teaspoon coriander seeds

1 teaspoon allspice berries

1 teaspoon red pepper flakes

1 whole clove

cup German-style mustard

4 tablespoons unsalted butter, for finishing

To make the pickles, put the cucumber slices in a large mason jar or other jar with a tight-fitting lid. In a small saucepan, combine the vinegar, kosher salt, sugar, black pepper, bay leaf, mustard seeds, coriander seeds, allspice, red pepper flakes, and clove and bring to a boil over high heat, stirring to dissolve the kosher salt and sugar. Remove from the heat and pour into the jar over the cucumbers. The cucumbers should be submerged in the liquid. Cover tightly and let cool before using.

Line up the bread slices on a work surface. Spread 2 tablespoons of the mustard on each slice. Top 4 of the bread slices with 2 cheese slices, then top the cheese slices with pickles, using about 5 slices for each sandwich. Close the sandwiches with the remaining bread slices, mustard side down.

Line a large platter with paper towels. In a skillet over high heat, melt 1 tablespoon of the butter. Turn down the heat to low, add 1 sandwich, and cook, turning once, for 2 to 3 minutes on each side, until browned and crisp on both sides and the cheese is melted. Transfer to the preparedplatter to blot the excess grease. Repeat with the remaining butter and sandwiches.

Cut the sandwiches in half, plate, and serve.

bad moon rising

There is no better cheese for an egg sandwich than American, whether its two on a roll from any corner bodega in New York City or a drive-through Egg McMuffin (admittedly my guilty pleasure). At Greenspans, we had a ton of requests for breakfast sandwiches, and this became our go-to recipe. The smokiness of the bacon and the peppery notes of the arugula mix with the gooey egg yolk and melted cheese to make for something magical. The sourdough brings a nice acidity, and the Sriracha, which here has been infused into the cheese, adds the perfect heat to bring it all together. If youre short on time, use store-bought American cheese and spread a splash of Sriracha sauce on the bread.

8 slices of homemade Sriracha-infused American Cheese ()

8 slices of sourdough bread

8 slices good-quality bacon

8 eggs

cup canola oil

4 ounces baby arugula

to 1 cup mayonnaise

4 tablespoons unsalted butter, for finishing

Preheat the oven to 350F. Place a large wire rack on a sheet pan. Line a platter with paper towels. Arrange the bacon slices, well spaced, on the rack. (The bacon will cook up crispier on the rack while the fat collects in the pan. This is key to the bacon remaining crisp in a grilled cheese.) Place the bacon in the oven for 15 to 20 minutes, until crisp. Transfer the bacon to the prepared platter to drain.

Heat an 8-inch nonstick skillet over medium heat until hot. Add 2 tablespoons of the oil and heat until it begins to shimmer. Crack 2 of the eggs into the pan and immediately turn down the heat to low. Cook for about 5 minutes, until the whites are set and the yolks are still runny, then transfer the eggs to a large plate. Repeat with the remaining oil and eggs, cooking the eggs two at a time and transferring them to the plate.

Line up the bread slices on a work surface. Spread 1 to 2 table-spoons of the mayonnaise on each slice. Top each bread slice with 1 cheese slice.

Line 1 or 2 large platters with paper towels. In a large skillet over high heat, melt 1 tablespoon of the butter. Add 2 open-faced sandwiches and cook for 2 to 3 minutes on low heat, until the cheese is melted and the bread is golden brown. Transfer to the prepared platter to blot the excess grease. Repeat with the remaining butter and sandwiches, cooking 2 sandwiches at a time.