Growing up, food has been a central point of social gatherings, especially during Christmas. Starting at 15, I had the responsibility of making Christmas dinner. From the first year, my mom posts the meals on Facebook. They are elaborate 3-course meals; however, they aren’t my proudest because they were required. These meals shaped me as a home chef, my love for sharing my food with other people, and the process of preparing, seasoning, and cooking. However, the meal I am the proudest of is a simple grilled cheese.
My introduction to the grilled cheese was when my
Jadee Krueger's Food Story
A Simple Grilled Cheese
Jadee's Grilled Cheese Recipe
Ingredients:
Brioche or dense bread
1 tomato sliced
2-3 leaves of basil
2 slices Muenster Cheese
2 slices Mozzarella Cheese
1 slice Provolone Cheese
Truffle Oil
Mayonnaise
Garlic powder
Dried Oregano
Directions:
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Preheat the oven to about 400F. Put a frying pan on the stove at medium heat.
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Put 3 slices of cheese on one slice of bread and put 2 on the other (with provolone closest to the outside).
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Put 1 slice of tomato on the cheese and season with salt, pepper, garlic powder, and oregano: then put the basil on top.
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Put the 2 slices of bread together, and spread a thin layer of mayonnaise on the outside of each side.
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Put the sandwich into the hot pan. Flip the sandwich to the other side when the desired color is achieved.
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After the color is a golden brown on both sides, place the sandwich on a pan and put it into the oven for about 10 minutes (or until the cheese is completely melted).
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Put about a tablespoon of mayo into a small bowl and half a teaspoon of truffle oil and mix until incorporated.
boyfriend, Will, and I went to a friend’s house, and he made us the most delicious gourmet grilled cheese. After that, I started to make grilled cheese without the processed Kraft Singles I used for years. Our friend wanted to share food with us, and we wanted to share with our families and each other.
The process, watching the ingredients go from being separate to a masterpiece, is my favorite. It starts with the bread, the base for the rest of the sandwich. I choose brioche the most often, but it is important that the bread is dense. Instead of spreading butter on the bread, I use mayo. There is a specific way I do it to have the gooiest melt: on one slice of bread, one provolone, one mozzarella, and one muenster, and, on the other slice of bread, one provolone and one muenster. I add a sliced tomato seasoned with salt, pepper, oregano, and garlic powder with a couple of basil leaves in the middle.
Then I put the sandwich into a hot pan at medium heat to brown before putting it into the oven to melt the cheese. While the grilled cheese is in the oven, I make a truffle oil aioli. I mix about a tablespoon of mayo with about a half teaspoon of truffle oil and mix it, tasting it to check the proportions. I plate the sandwich, cut it into two triangles and smear the aioli across the plate because of the aesthetic.
I served this to my boyfriend, and before we ate, we prayed. We use prayer to start our conversation and prepare us for the meal we are about to eat. The prayer is solemn. When there are guests at our house, we still pray. Although we don’t force others to pray, they tend to join because otherwise, it’s awkward.
I lived with my boyfriend for two months at the end of 2020, and I cooked as a thank you to him, though it was a gendered role. My food and I were valued. I missed the process of cooking when I was on Beloit College's campus because I did not have easy access to a kitchen.
I thanked him with a simple grilled cheese.