30 Days of Grilled Cheese with Land O'Lakes

Yes--30 days full of grilled cheese ideas just for you! Not all from me, of course, but from 30 different bloggers. Land O’Lakes is celebrating Grilled Cheese Month, which is starting today and continuing for the month of April, with 30 different ideas for grilled cheese sandwiches using their classic American Cheese and their 4 Cheese Italian Blend.

My perfect grilled cheese? It includes the Land O’Lakes 4 Cheese Italian Blend, a tangy raspberry mustard, smoked apple Chardonnay sausage, and sliced apples, all griddled to perfection on sourdough bread. My daughter told me this was the best sandwich she’s ever had, and I have to agree--we love it!

It’s got everything covered--crispy, buttery edges, it’s slightly sweet from the mustard, a nice crunch from the apples, smoky sausage, and that fantastic blend of Asiago, Romano, Parmesan and American cheeses in the 4 Cheese Italian Blend. It’s a sandwich full of great taste and texture!

Did you know that Land O Lakes® Deli American Cheese is the number one seller in America? It’s true. They’ve been producing cheese for over 90 years, so they definitely know what they’re doing. Moms, Dads and kids love how versatile it is, and it tastes great. My daughter knows if I try to sneak another American cheese by her--she loves good old LOL American. And she finds it funny the the deli sticker on the package says LOL. Don’t forget that with grilling season approaching, you can add it to your favorite cheeseburger recipes!

How amazing is this? Pin a Meal. Give a Meal. Throughout April until May 1, Land O’Lakes will donate $1 to Feeding America every time someone pins or repins a Land O’Lakes recipe on Pinterest. That’s eight meals for a hungry family when you pin a recipe—and eight more every time anyone else repins it. Giving goes viral. Find your favorite Grilled Cheese recipe to pin on landolakes.com. So please get those pins going and feed some hungry folks!

Elle’s Grilled Cheese, aka Grilled Cheese with Smoked Sausage, Raspberry Mustard and Sliced Apple

Makes one sandwich

2 slices sourdough bread
Raspberry jam with spicy deli mustard stirred in, to your taste preference
1 Smoked Apple Chardonnay Sausage, or your favorite (I had a 4 pack from Trader Joe’s)
1 small apple (I used Fuji), cored and thinly sliced
4 slices Land O Lakes® 4 Cheese Italian Blend
Butter for grilling the sandwich, as much as you may need

First off, mix the raspberry jam and deli mustard in a small bowl. Adjust to your taste and set aside. Now, my sourdough bread was large, so I needed about ¼ cup of jam and 1 tbsp mustard, but amounts are up to you.

Slice the apple and the sausage and set aside. I like to slice the sausage on an angle for larger pieces and more bread coverage.

Heat your pan or griddle to just over medium heat. Spread the raspberry mustard on the bread and when the pan is hot enough, melt some butter in it--about 1 tbsp. You may also just butter your bread, but my butter was straight out of the fridge--too hard to spread on bread.

Place one slice of bread in the pan, mustard side up. Place two pieces of cheese down on the bread, followed by the sausage slices and then the apple slices. Place two more pieces of cheese over the apples, and add the second piece of bread, mustard side down, of course.

When the bottom bread slice is golden brown and toasty, use a spatula to carefully flip the sandwich over. I usually add more butter while I have the sandwich on the spatula--just have your butter ready to go and within reach.

When the bottom of the sandwich is golden brown, remove from the pan, let it cool for a couple of minutes and slice. Serve with your favorite soup or chips.

Visit Land O’Lakes online for more information and recipe ideas, and be sure to check out the other 29 grilled cheese ideas from the other bloggers in the series! Oh, and remember to pin those grilled cheese recipes and help to feed the hungry!

Click on the logo below to follow along and get more fantastic grilled cheese recipes!

Disclosure: this post was sponsored by Land O’Lakes as part of the Kitchen Play Sidecar series. All opinions given are my own.

Grilled Sausage and Peppers on Naan

Sausage and peppers is one of my all time favorite things to eat. I’m a sucker for it and usually can’t resist it. So I don’t! And the smell of the peppers and onions cooking along with the sausages…it’s almost intoxicating to me. And it screams summer.

A while back, I was contacted by Kayem. Kazimierz Monkiewicz started his handmade sausage business in 1909, in Chelsea MA. He would deliver them using a horse drawn wagon. Ninety nine years later, their product line includes hot dogs, Italian sausages, deli meats and all natural chicken sausage marketed under the Kayem, al fresco, Triple M, Genoa Sausage, Schonland's and Meisterchef brands. Kayem is the #1 brand of franks in New England, and al fresco is the #1 brand of chicken sausage in the total U.S. To this day, Kayem is a local company owned by the same family, employing almost six hundred people.

Growing up, we always had Kayem franks and sausages in the house. Fenway Franks-of course! When I was a kid, my grandmother’s house was right next to the local Schonland’s place. Literally--it was next door! On some days, when they were cooking up huge batches of franks, it was all I could do not to run over there and beg for a hot dog. It smelled like they were roasting hotdogs over a campfire. Try to resist that!

To be clear, the sausages were not cooked in the basket, but right on the grill, separate from the onions and peppers.

The folks at Kayem sent me a box o’ meat. Seriously--that’s what it said on the side of the box! It was filled with a variety of their brands including lots of dogs, Italian sausages, kielbasa, and some al fresco chicken sausages. Oh, and chicken sausage patties! We’ve enjoyed all of it this past month in various ways, but mostly grilled.

I decided to take some of the Al Fresco Fresh (not fully cooked) Chicken Italian Sausages and use them in my favorite way--grilled with vinegary onions and peppers. Instead of having them on buns, we used Naan, a delicious flatbread.

Grilled Sausage and Peppers on Naan

Serves 4

4 pieces of Naan or other sturdy flatbread
4-5 Al Fresco Fresh Chicken Italian Sausage
5-6 sweet bell peppers, I like a mix of red, yellow or orange
2-3 sweet onions
4 large garlic cloves
Vinegar (white wine or plain white)
Olive oil
Salt and pepper

Cotija Cheese is optional, but so delicious over the top
Yellow Mustard, also optional, but I love it with this

Get your coals going and grill heated up.

Slice the peppers and onions, not too small since you'll be grilling them. We grill them in a basket, but if you don't have one, quarter the peppers and thickly slice the onions. Smash the garlic cloves, but keep them large so they don't fall out of the basket. If you don't have a basket, you can leave the garlic out entirely, and toss the vegetables with some olive oil, vinegar and a bit of salt and pepper.

When the grill is hot, get the peppers, onions and garlic (if using) on there. Drizzle them with vinegar a couple of times, preferably  by moving the basket away from the hot coals. Do this a couple of times. The vinegar is really key here, and it gives the cooked vegetables such a nice tangy flavor. Add the sausages next and grill until done. Don't poke the sausages or you'll lose all of the natural juices and flavor!

When the vegetables and sausages are done, move to the side of the grill to keep warm or remove altogether and set aside. Brush the naan with olive oil and put it on the grill, oil side down. Let it get nice and toasty on one side, brush with more oil, then flip the bread and grill it till it’s nice and toasty.

To assemble, put some peppers and onions on the naan, then slice up the sausage and top the vegetables. Crumble some of the cheese over the top. If you want mustard, and I usually do, put it on the naan before you add the vegetables.

• I use the ready made Naan that I can find at my local grocery store. Feel free to use homemade if you want.
• Obviously, if you can’t find Kayem brand sausage, you an use another, but if you can find it, it’s one of our favorites. You won’t be disappointed!
• If you wanted to, you could cut the grilled naan into smaller pieces and serve little bites with the sliced sausages and vegetables.
• These are a nice alternative to the usual burgers that we all tend to make for cookouts!
• To be clear, we used precooked naan and toasted it on the grill. I didn’t use raw dough and grill it, though I’m sure that would be delicious, too--and a subject for a whole other post!

Disclaimer: I was given the samples at no charge, and was not paid for my opinion, which is my own. 

I freaking love this Bean Dip

Over the years, Billy has requested numerous cheese and bean dips. I’ve happily obliged, because…who doesn’t love dips? I know I do! There are tons of recipes for them out there. This one happens to be my favorite. It’s not loaded with cheese, so I don’t feel too bad eating it, either. It’s also ridiculously simple to make--it’s a one pot deal!

Speaking of the pot, I don’t even need this served in a bowl. I can stand at the stove and eat it right out of the pan. I’m serious. I’m not even ashamed! Give me a bag of chips and this dip, and I’m going to town.

“What? Where’s the bean dip?”

…

“Did I say I was making bean dip?”

…

“Nope, not me. You must be imagining things.”

…

“Sorry. There’s no bean dip.”

__________________________________________

Yeah, it’s like that. It’s my favorite, what can I say?

Recipe!

I freaking love this Bean Dip

Makes about 4 cups

1 (16 oz) can refried beans
1 cup shredded cheese, I use a Mexican blend
1/2 cup chopped green onions
1/4 tsp adobo powder
1 jar (8 oz.) taco sauce
1 can (4 oz.) diced green chilies
dash of garlic powder
Corn chips for dipping

Mix all the ingredients, but not the corn chips, in a small saucepan.

Cook over low heat, stirring often, until thoroughly heated and cheese is
melted.

Keep warm. Serve with corn chips.

So simple! And if you want more heat, go ahead and add it.

For more Super Bowl Foods, check out my other posts here:

• Pizza Roll Ups, plus other recipe links
• Super Bowl Party Foods

Supreme Pizza Soup

Who doesn’t love a supreme pizza? I do! But we barely ever have it. I don’t know why, but something needs to be done about it. Soon, too--it’s so good. What if you could take all your favorites from a supreme pizza and make a soup with them? Yeah, that would be fantastic! That was a thought that was in the back of my head for a while. Onions, peppers, Italian sausage, pepperoni, mushrooms, cheese…I’m hungry!

You can have all of these things in a hot, steamy bowl of comforting soup, and have your pizza breadsticks on the side! No delivery charges, no tipping a delivery person, just good, home cooked soup.

Yes. This is soup, posing as a pizza pie.

A while back, I was contacted by Jaclyn, representing Pomi tomato products. She’d read an interview with me at The Hectic Gourmet, and I’d said that I like to stock Pomi in my pantry. It’s true, I do! Why? Because they use 100% all natural tomatoes, are BPA-free and contain no preservatives or additives. I can definitely stand behind that! They taste so fresh and delicious. They also have a new line of sauces, and Jaclyn offered some for me to try.

I had a few ideas for the marinara, but in the end, I had to make this soup. It’s hearty and satisfying, and you can make some breadsticks out of your favorite pizza dough to serve alongside. I made mine plain, but you could brush them with melted butter and sprinkle with herbs, or garlic, some grated cheese--whatever you like!

Supreme Pizza Soup

Makes...a lot. A big potful! Invite some friends over.

1 lb. bulk Italian sausage, crumbled, cooked and set aside
       (or links, removed from casings and cooked)
1/3 cup finely diced pepperoni
3-4 garlic cloves, minced
1 cup diced onion
2 small (or 1 large) red bell peppers, seeded and diced
16 oz sliced mushrooms
1 (26 oz) carton Pomi Marinara
1 (26 oz) carton Pomi Chopped Tomatoes
2 quarts chicken broth or stock
1 1/2 tsp pizza seasoning
1 1/2 tsp Italian seasoning
1 tsp dried basil
1/2 tsp black pepper
2/3 cup alphabet noodles, or other small noodle
Blend of shredded Italian cheeses

In a large soup pot, over medium heat, heat a bit of olive oil. When the oil is hot, add the pepperoni. Sauté for about 2 minutes. Add the garlic, onion, and peppers, and sauté for 3-4 minutes. Add the mushrooms. Sauté for about 10 minutes or so.

Stir in the marinara, the chopped tomatoes, and the broth. Add the cooked sausage to the pot. Next add the seasonings-the pizza and Italian seasonings, basil, and pepper. Bring the soup to a boil.

When it comes to a boil, stir in the noodles. Bring the soup back to a simmer and cook until the noodles are done, about 5-10 minutes. Taste and check for seasonings.

Serve each bowl with a sprinkling of the shredded cheeses, and some pizza dough breadsticks.

I hope you’ll love this hearty soup as much as we do! If there’s something you absolutely cannot live without on your pizza, you could probably add it to this--within reason. I mean, no pineapple, ok? Olives, ham, bacon, spinach--those would be great! Get creative!

Portland Eggplant Veggie Burgers

We’ve seriously cut back on the amount of meat that we eat in my house. We try to limit to once per week. It’s not as difficult as some of you may think! We were actually vegan for an entire year just a couple years back. After that year, we decided to add some meat back in, like I said--about once per week. We also let dairy back in, mostly in the form of cheeeese. There happens to be some cheese in these burgers, along with the main ingredient--eggplant!

Some of our vegan habits are still in practice, though. We love almond and coconut milks, and those are pretty much the only milks we actually drink or have with cereals. The biggest vegan/vegetarian benefit that we still enjoy is to eat tons of vegetables. We’ll never give those up. I know it’s not easy, and I’m the last person in the world to be preachy about it. I mean, come on--the mouthwatering aroma of meat sizzling on a grill, or a pot roast slowly braising all afternoon…those are scents that evoke so many memories and awake my senses. So we indulge once a week.

Now, after the meat love I was just talking about, I have this recipe to give you for a meatless burger. It’s not quite vegan, because there is shredded cheese in it, but it’s definitely vegetarian. We really loved these, and as a burger alternative, these are especially good. Versatile, too! You can use your favorite seasonings in this recipe, and totally customize your veggie burger experience.

I was inspired to make these from watching an episode of “The Best Thing I Ever Ate,” on the Food Network. If you haven’t seen it, the premise of the show is asking the FoodTV chefs what their favorites are. Favorite burgers, pizza, ice creams, desserts, crunchy things, crispy things, decadent foods, etc. They tell you about them, show them to you, and then, tell you where you can get them. If you’re lucky enough, one of those places will be near you!

While recently watching the Burger episode, only one veggie burger was mentioned as a fave, and that was by Duff of Ace of Cakes. The burger he described (and they showed) looked fantastic. The chef at the restaurant actually showed what was in them (no measurements, but we eyeballed it). We grabbed pen and paper and scribbled the basics down. All I heard Duff say about the location is that is was in Portland. So now, our version of Portland Eggplant Burgers…

Portland Eggplant Veggie Burgers

Makes 8-10 regular sized patties
Inspired by The Farm Cafe

3 large eggplant, peeled and cubed
6 green onions, sliced, both white and green parts
3 cloves garlic, minced
1/3 cup fresh parsley, chopped
1 1/2 cups shredded cheddar (or your favorite cheese)
1 1/2 cups plain bread crumbs
1/2 tsp Adobo 
pinch of Kosher salt and fresh cracked back pepper
1 3/4 tsp Weber Grill Creations Gourmet Burger Seasoning (or your favorite blend)

In a large pan (Seriously, you want a large pan--I used my electric skillet.), heat a bit of oil over medium-low and cook the cubed eggplant down completely, till it's sort of a mushy mass of eggplant. (I know, but trust me on this!) This takes about 25 minutes, and be sure to stir occasionally. I also put a lid on it a few times to keep some moisture in it. When you stir, smush it with your spoon or spatula. You don’t want cubes of cooked eggplant, you want it all mashed up. Remove it from the pan and put it in a large bowl.

In the same pan, lightly sauté the green onions and garlic, just about 2-3 minutes to take the raw edge off. Add to the bowl of cooked eggplant.

Stir the parsley, cheddar, bread crumbs, and seasonings into the eggplant mixture. Get in there with your hands and mix it up. Set in the fridge for 20-30 minutes to chill. After chilling, form the mixture into patties.

In the same large skillet, heat a bit of oil over medium high heat (400 degrees on my electric skillet). Get the oil nice and hot, and cook the patties for 4-5 minutes on one side, then flip and cook on the second the side for about 5 minutes. You want them nicely golden brown and crispy on each side.

Serve with your favorite burger accessories.  Store any leftovers in the fridge!

• As much as I love burgers with all kinds of fantastic toppings, at heart, I’m a simple girl. My favorite way to have a burger is with sliced tomatoes and ketchup. That’s what I had on mine. Along with some garden fresh baby lettuce leaves. Use whatever you like on your own burgers!
• These are veggie burgers, and not a hunk of meat, so we’re not going to just toss these on the grill, or they’ll likely fall apart. If you want that smoky flavor, you could cook these on a pan on your grill and see how that goes. Maybe cook them almost completely and then quickly toss on the grill for that smoky flavor. Let me know if you try it!
• As I was looking for the links on Food Network for the show, I found that the place where Duff gets his eggplant burger from is listed. I don’t know why I always forget I can do that! It’s The Farm Café in Portland, Oregon. So there you go. If you’re in the area, stop in and grab one. If you’re not, make mine!

Don't forget to enter to win a $70 Summer Brewing Gift Pack from Mighty Leaf Tea! Winner will be chosen on August 3rd.