Wisconsin Gourmets Participate In Grilled Cheese Sandwich Month

I'm passing on the news, - someone declared April is grilled cheese sandwich month. For this month only, preparing a grilled cheese sandwich is a national event. Cheese lovers are rushing to participate. Some will be grilling cheese in LA this Saturday at the 7th Annual National Grilled Cheese Invitational. Virtual participants with websites are sharing their designer-chef variations of the classic sandwich: American cheese melted between two pieces of fluffy, white bread. The nouveaux grilled cheese sandwiches are prepared with gourmet bakery breads, artisanal cheeses, and likely contain either fresh vegetables, a vegetable sauce, or both.
Possible variations are limited only by a chef's creativity.
Are YOU feeling creative? Want to join the fun? Ready to experiment? What grilled cheese creation can you concoct? Well, it all depends on what's in your cupboard. Here's what's in a Wisconsin gourmet's cupboard:
I'll start with the bread. No doubt, it's bakery fresh. Wisconsin gourmets like to choose breads with an ethnic character. For a grilled cheese sandwich, a likely choice is Swiss bread. It's a thick, crusty-crusted, white bread made with a hint of rye that is baked according to a traditional Swiss recipe. Swiss bread would give an appropriate nod to the grilled-cheese tradition while offering a hearty flavor and texture.
On to the cheese. Artisanal cheese for sure! Wisconsin has won so many national and international awards for its cheese over the past decades, that few Wisconsin gourmets regularly keep American cheese in their refrigerator crispers. More likely, they've got one or more prize-winning cheeses, any one of which would make an extraordinary grilled cheese sandwich. Which prize winning cheese you choose is just a matter of personal preference. For a mild flavor, a mild cheddar or colby or baby Swiss would be good. Colby blended with Monterey Jack adds some flavor complexity. One of my personal favorites is gouda cheese; it's slightly stronger flavor stands up well with its extra-rich creaminess. Of course, Havarti stands out in creaminess, and its delicious flavor would go well with the Swiss bread. Mozzarella cheese isn't used often in a grilled cheese sandwich, but how about award- winning goat milk mozzarella? Goat milk cheeses have a distinctly different flavor from cow milk cheeses, and have converted many a cow-milk cheese lover into a goat-milk cheese fan. Goat milk mozzarella makes an incredible veggie lasagna. Another championship cheese with bold flavor is buttermilk blue cheese. Some gourmets are pairing blue cheese with bacon in their grilled cheese sandwiches. Now that's a sandwich!
But to go the extra-creative mile, a Wisconsin gourmet will add some special sauce and veggies to a grilled cheese sandwich. Spinach artichoke dip or portabella mushroom salsa or dill mushrooms can make the traditional grilled cheese sandwich unrecognizable and elevate it from the kiddie menu to the wine bar's late-night menu.
With all these delicious possibilities we all may never eat American cheese on fluffy, white bread again. It's the passing of an era. On to the new American comfort food!
For the pulliest, cheesiest grilled cheese sandwich you can order at a restaurant, go to the Roxbury Tavern in Roxbury, Wisconsin.