Grilled Cheese: To butter, or not to butter. That is the question.

Why am I blogging about grilled cheese? Well, my kids love grilled cheese. They have never and likely will never grow out of grilled cheese. Sometimes I wake up at midnight to the smell of the boys making grilled cheese as a late-night snack!

Grilled cheese reminds me of when they were little. I remember buying the "very thin wheat bread" by Pepperidge Farm. I have a vivid memory of when Michael was little, in a high chair and Mom was over. This is when I gave him his first taste of grilled cheese. I remember giving him teeny pieces as a baby and soon enough, I was cutting out sandwiches in the shape of a letter M. Yes, I did that for Adam, too! Oh, how I miss those days.

Adam's new barometer for how well the grilled cheese sandwich is made is the "cheese pull". It HAS to have a good cheese pull! Michael is home on school break and tells me that he puts butter on the outside of his grilled cheese. I never did that for the kids. I know, I know. Clearly, they survived. Nowadays, I do add some margarine to the outside of the bread when I make it for them. I still do not make it that way for me! I prefer a dry sandwich on the outside. I have to admit that making a buttery grilled cheese on a cast iron skillet does look and smell amazing!

Now for the cheese choices. For years it was processed American cheese only. Adam wanted to try American cheese and mozzarella, which did not really have the best cheese pull. You really have to get that mozz heated big time. I got him to try mixing the American cheese with muenster cheese and that had a great cheese pull! Suggesting swiss, fontina, and/or gruyere, drew some strange looks. Both boys think that it is "stinky" cheese. Sorry, Gemma, I tried. Your suggestion to try the swiss and tomato was a good one. I will keep working on it with them. Their palates are definitely late bloomers!

Here's MY favorite grilled cheese combination. I like to use cheddar and thinly sliced granny smith apple. The apples get warm but stay a little crisp and taste so good with the cheddar. Not much of a "cheese pull" but I don't mind. I just love the flavor.

I love how food aromas and flavors often trigger memories. I have so many fond childhood memories when it comes to food. I can still smell my Mom's spinach pie, lasagna, and rugelach. At Great Grandma Helen's house, it was the cold milk in the small yellow glasses, the tomato sauce aka "gravy", and the best mondel bread I have ever had. I can still remember the flavor and texture of the scrambled eggs that Grandma Grace would make for me when I would sleepover at her house. Visiting Grandpa Sidney in Florida always meant fresh Florida orange juice and salami in the fridge (not together, of course...ewww).

I hope that someday when the boys think back to their childhood, they will remember some of their favorite foods too! Grilled cheese, brownies, apple pie, homemade sweet potato fries, snickerdoodles, chocolate chip cookies, Grandma Arlene's cornbread and cranberry mold, Grandma Ruth's blueberry muffins, and lemon bundt cakes. I also hope, as you read this, you are filling your head with warm and fuzzy memories of favorite food and favorite people, too!

Wishing you only the best cheese pull with your next grilled cheese sandwich - whether or not you butter the outside!

I hope you enjoy the photos and the "cheese pull" video!

Thanks for listening and remember to keep it #postiveandkind ! xoxo