Grilled Egg and Cheese Sandwiches
Written by Rachel, Posted in Breakfast, Brunch, Cheese, Eggs, Gluten Free, Kid-Friendly, Lunch, Quick and Easy, Sandwiches, Vegetarian
It’s important to me for us to eat well balanced, healthy meals. I usually have our menu planned in advance, but some weeks things just don’t seem to come together the way I’d hoped they would. Other weeks they do. But, no matter the week, the outlook is always a little better if I have a few staples on hand. Some, like eggs, are just good to have around. There’s always something to eat when we’ve got eggs. Eggs + lentils + sweet potatoes = lunch. An egg over pasta = dinner. Eggs poached in some leftover soup = a quick, easy, comforting meal.
For this we have eggs.
Some other staples that I always try to have on hand are: cheese, milk, bread, yogurt, nut butter, nuts, and chips and salsa. With these ingredients I find it much less intimidating to plan a menu, or just a quick meal when what’s meant to be made isn’t happening.
Grilled cheese has been a favorite of mine for as long as I can remember. Grilled Cheese and Tomato Soup remind me of rainy days growing up, and are one of my all-time favorite comfort foods. Now, as a grown up, grilled cheese and any kind of soup is on the menu often, especially at this time of year. It’s quick and easy, which is perfect for this busy season.
I do most of the cooking in our home. I like it like that. But, every once in a while Tim comes up with something and I just kinda shake my head in amazement. There’s not much that he’s not good at. Cooking included. One evening, after he’d worked late, he came home and made himself a grilled cheese. I’d already eaten dinner, so I said that I didn’t need one. I regretted that decision later. He’d put mustard and butter on the outside, and added sliced pickles to the inside. It was delightful. So for this recipe, I took a page out of his book and added mustard to the olive oil that I like to spread on the bread. The mustard goes down first, oil second, so the oil will kinda protect the mustard from burning.
Once the sandwiches are mostly cooked, I like to scooch them over to one side, and slide the empty side of the skillet over the flame and add a little more olive oil and some eggs. For me, a well seasoned cast iron skillet works best here. I like to turn the heat up a bit so the edges of the eggs get a bit crispy in the olive oil. I like my eggs over medium (runny yolk, set whites) and the high heat helps me to accomplish this. I flip the eggs carefully, turn off the heat, and let them sit for a few seconds for the whites to finish.
During the summer when tomatoes are in season I’d probably add a few slices, and maybe some lettuce and homemade mayo. Right now, just an egg will do.
If the yolks are still runny, I love to sop ’em up with the sandwich… Making sure to have a napkin on hand, as these tend to get a bit messy.
Happy Eating!
Ingredients
- 2 t dijon mustard
- 2 t olive oil
- 4 slices bread
- to taste salt
- 4-6 slices cheese (Gouda, pepper jack, colby jack... or whatever you like that melts well)
- 1 egg/sandwich
- salt, for eggs
Instructions
- Spread dijon and olive oil on the outside of each slice of bread. Sprinkle with salt. Put cheese on the un-mustard side. Close sandwiches (leaving both mustard sides out).
- Heat a skillet over medium-low heat. When it's hot add the sandwiches. Cook for 4-5 minutes on one side, turning to be sure it's browning evenly if needed. Flip and cook for a few minutes more. When they're almost done, push the sandwiches to one side, and move the other side over the flame (or if using a smaller skillet, cook sandwiches until done and remove them from the skillet). Turn the heat up a bit and add some olive oil to the pan. Add eggs and cook, flipping if desired, until they reach desired doneness. Salt the eggs.
- Open the sandwiches and top each with an egg. Slice each one in half to serve.
