The AGC: Adult Grilled Cheese

On most occasions any grilled cheese will do but I am like a bee to honey when it comes to AGCs.

When it comes to comfort food there is nothing like that rich, tangy, savory combination.

Now that Autumn has arrived (my favorite season), everything goes...the warmer, the gooier, the richer, the better. 

On a crisp but sunny Saturday afternoon we ventured down to College Ave. ~ Rockridge in Oakland.  I love, love, love it here!  The people are so laid back, it's rarely crowded and there are so many little shops and eateries that you couldn't possibly dislike it.  I mean check these out!

From The Sock Shop on College Ave.

The best thing to do in Rockridge is window shop and restaurant hop so that is what we did.  First stop was Oliveto's  because it was literally the first place we saw, we flow like that on days such as these.  We sat at the bar right in front of the wood oven pizza where we watched the chef make magic.

Whole-milled Italian heirloom Floriani red flint corn polenta topped with a fried farm egg, toasted garlic, chili oil and Parmesan cheese.

The reason why I am telling you about my romp through Rockridge is this...

Oliveto's is where I witnessed the perfect roll slice for my Adult Grilled Cheese!  It's a simple V but it had never occurred to me.  They piled their sandwiches so high yet everything stayed together.  It was magnificent!  

So I'll wrap this up and get to my recipe...

Eventually we ended up at Wood Tavern which we adore.  Again, up at the bar amidst the action.

House made Whiskey Chicken Liver Pâté , Duck Rilettes and creamy cheeses.

They have wonderful cocktails and delightful bartenders.  There are also some incredible spots for dinner such as À Côté and A16 that we didn't quite make it to, next time.

NOW FOR THE ADULT GRILLED CHEESE!

 Ingredients:

Basil 

Leeks

A Fresh Jalapeno

Cherry Tomatoes

Cracked Pepper

Balsamic Vinaigrette

Crumbled Goat Cheese

Crumbled Feta

French Rolls

Butter 

*Bacon Drippings

*Optional

Roll Prep:

Pre-heat your oven to 350 degrees

Line a baking tray with tin foil

Cut your rolls with a V angle long ways and remove the wedge

Butter the cut of both the top and bottom of the roll

Put it in the oven

Keep an eye on it while you are prepping the filling.  

The top wedge will be removed when golden.

Filling Prep:

Halve the cherry tomatoes

Slice the leeks (only the white and light green sections)

Remove the seeds of the jalapeno and dice half of it (use the whole pepper if you want the extra kick).

I wish I would have sauteed the above in bacon drippings but I went with a little butter because I was afraid it may be too salty once the cheese was added.  It wasn't.  The bacon drippings would have added more depth so if you have some you should use it.

Sprinkle with cracked pepper

Directions:

Hopefully you have kept your eye on the buns in the oven and pulled them out if they were golden.  If not they should be fine, the prep doesn't take too long.  Pull them out now and start filling the bottom in.  The lightly crispy inside will help prevent your roll from getting soggy.  

 

Once you've filled the bottom press the vegetable mix down with your fork.  In a bowl mix together the two or more crumbled cheeses and add some cracked pepper.

Pack on the cheese blend and put it back in the oven.

Now you take your basil, roll a few leaves and slice them into shreds.  Wash them with balsamic vinaigrette, I prefer Newman's Own it's all natural and has additional spices.

When your Adult Grilled Cheese is partially melted and golden remove it from the oven and add a layer of tangy basil.

The top wedge can be brushed with more balsamic, a chipotle mayo or kept crispy and buttery.

It goes without saying that this is a rich sandwich so I served it with tomato basil soup which cut the flavor nicely.  Washing it down with a dark beer is quite delightful...I'm just saying.

I was able to have a nice home cooked meal sandwiched (see what I did there?) between the madness of work and school.  Anytime I can make something this good in about a 1/2 hour I am really happy!