Products listed in this post were supplied for the party and I have not received monetary compensation. Opinions are my own. This post contains affiliate links.
It's Grilled Cheese Month!
The month of April is dedicated to those magnificent, golden brown sandwiches of gooey yumminess.
For this month's potluck, the moms and I had a grilled cheese bar. We tried different types of bread, cheese, and filling to create some amazing combinations.
Coming from the city that brought the world Melt Bar & Grill, creative grilled cheese choices have become a staple. Doing it at home, for ourselves, now that was fun.
When I sent the invite, I was a little worried. With Melt within walking distance, would this be a good idea? Turns out it was! We put together our sandwiches, I grilled them on the stove, and we split the sandwiches so we can all try the different combinations.
Pesto and mozzarella, tomatoes and jalapeno pepper jack, grilled onions and cheddar - endless combinations and we overdosed cheese. It was glorious.
Our kids had plain American on white bread as they watched the Kid's Choice Awards. And, the moms, ate, drank, and enjoyed some much needed gossip time with the girls.
Experimenting with different cheeses made for some interesting taste experiences and I can honestly say that there weren't any that I did not like but it was not just the cheese and different add ons that made the sandwiches but the type of bread. It also helps to have the right type of bread knife. While slicing the Italian, I tore the bread so it did not make the prettiest sandwich but they still tasted great.
I love pumpernickel so my favorite was that and cheddar with grilled onions.
The next step was deciding what to serve with the sandwiches and the answer came from the fine folks from Rudolph's pork rinds
.
Rudolph Foods is the world's largest manufacturer of pork rinds, a traditional southern food, they are low carb and have zero trans fat. Rudolph Foods has been producing pork rinds for more than five decades, still utilizing the same special recipe Mary Rudolph created in her family kitchen.
They are full of flavor and made for the perfect side dish for grilled cheese. I enjoyed the original flavor best but all three bags were gone that evening.
I also made homemade tomato soup with Tuttorosso Tomatoes and used the peeled plum tomatoes as a grilled cheese filler. These are amazing canned tomatoes and you can win a prize pack from that includes tomatoes and a great cookbook.
With all that cheesy goodness and pork rinds, came a lot of drinking and yes, one of the moms brought a fun bubbly but what we really craved was water. Essentia 9.5 pH Drinking Water
was a great addition to the party and was given to us for the party. It's a clean, silky tasting water. I never expected to say that about water.
We drink a lot of water in our house, and I'm not certain that I really liked this water, but when given the choice of a second juice box and water - the kids took the water which surprised the heck out of me. They really loved it and have been drinking it all week. They sent me a lot of water and they can't get enough of it.
Hosting the party was simple and I followed these easy steps
Know the basics of making a grilled cheese sandwich.
Lay everything out so guests can easily put together their perfect sandwich.
Grilling a perfect cheese sandwich takes time but that does not mean you have to miss the party.
Make several smaller sandwiches, and sharing allow for everyone to try something different and socialize.
Fresh veggies make for a good balance with cheese and pork rinds.
Finally, don't be afraid of making or trying a combination you won't like.
Trial and error can lead to some amazing taste combinations and let's face it, not much can go wrong when it comes to cheese.
What is your favorite grilled cheese combination?
A new give-it-away and a new recipe! #sponsored #sweepstakes #winRecipe: http://www.ineedaplaydate.com/2015/03/tasty-homemade-tomato-soup.htmlPin for later: https://www.pinterest.com/pin/10625749097438544/
Posted by I Need a Playdate on Sunday, April 5, 2015
