Food: Feasts Under $5 – Grilled Cheese with Apple

I love grilled cheese. I’ve loved grilled cheese since I was a little kid and my mom made grilled cheese and Spaghettios. I love grilled cheese now when my mom makes grilled cheese with tomato and bacon. And I will continue to love grilled cheese even after this “grilled cheese restaurant” and “grilled cheese food truck” fad passes. What follows is a recipe for a slightly upscale, seasonal recipe that includes slices of apple, gouda, and cheddar. If you want to get really fancy you can add a little Dijon mustard, or some apple butter to the bread.

Apples are in season right now, and in New England you can get them locally, pretty much anywhere. Take the opportunity to go apple picking with friends and grab a bunch, or hit up a local farmers market, or even just your regular grocery store. Cortlands, Granny Smiths, or any slightly tart apple works really well in this sandwich.

A great accompaniment to grilled cheese is a bowl of tomato soup, or my Squash and Parsnip Soup. (Plus, the sandwich and soup together are less than $22 for the meal – $12.20 for the sandwiches and $9.58 for the soup!)

Grilled Cheese with Apple:
(yields 4 sandwiches)
1 loaf sourdough bread
1/4 stick unsalted butter (for greasing pan)
1 apple, peeled and sliced very thin
1/2 lb sharp cheddar, sliced
1/4 lb red wax gouda, sliced
optional: mustard, apple butter

Butter a pan, arrange cheese and apple slices evenly on bread. Add mustard or apple butter to one slice of bread, if desired. Cook sandwiches slowly until bread is browned and cheese is melted, flipping once.  Re-butter pan between sandwiches.

Financial Analysis:
Bread: $4.00
Gouda: $2.30
Cheddar: $5.00
Apple: $.90
Total: $12.20 or 3.05 per serving
(This assumes pantry staples.)