Whitney Adams of Brunellos Have More Fun and I have been getting up to a lot of fun lately. She brings the drinks and I bring the food, and this time around it's a comforting bite of gooey, savory, and sweet grilled cheese paired with a bubbly French cidre.
I hadn't enjoyed an apple cider in a while (I recall a toast with Martinelli's at prom) so to savor a sip with a warm grilled cheese gave me a massive rush of delicious nostalgia.
This pairing is all about apples for apples: the robust apple flavor of the cider accentuates the apple in the jelly and the gentle carbonation keeps the savory cheddar cheese playful and not too dense. You feel like a kid again! Enjoy!
Apple Lemon Verbena Jelly Grilled Cheese
Ok, I lucked out and a farmer at my farmer's market makes this delicious jelly so I can buy it by the jar-full, but if you can't hunt some down, you can use any of the following:
-Apple jelly with a pinch of lemon zest
-Membrillo (a quince paste)
For 2
4 slices white bread
4 oz sliced English Cheddar
1 tablespoon apple jelly
2 tablespoons butter, softened
Spread the jelly on each slice of bread and stick about 1 oz of cheese to each slice. Sandwich the slices together and spread the butter on the outside of the sandwich. Place on a skillet over a medium-low flame and cook until the cheese has started to melt (about 4 minutes), flip and cook until the cheese is completely melted. Slice and serve with apple cider.
APPLE LEMON VERBENA JELLY AND CHEDDAR GRILLED CHEESE WITH FRENCH APPLE CIDRE
