I wouldn’t call this a recipe – just another way of making a really delicious grilled cheese. I’m always looking to cut corners on calories, and removing one piece of bread makes me feel like it’s ok to have a grilled cheese. But I like every snack, sandwich, dessert and meal to feel a little special. (Another dieting trick – if you feel satisfied by what you’re eating, it’s easier to stick to a diet.) For example, have you ever tried mixing a couple of tablespoons of Cool Whip with some plain yogurt and a squeeze of chocolate syrup? It’s not exactly cherries jubilee, but it’s a low-cal way to feel like you’ve gotten a satisfying treat without ruining the hard work of dieting that you’ve already done.
But to get back to this sandwich – use a good bread (it doesn’t have to be fresh because it’s grilled), a good Gruyere or Taleggio cheese, and a little honey to drizzle on top. That’s it. Put it under the broiler for a couple of minutes and then add whatever you like for flavor – lavender, thyme, even basil and tomato if you leave off the honey – and you’ll have the best knife-and-fork grilled cheese you ever ate!
Open-faced Grilled Cheese with Honey
Serves: 1
Prep time: 10 minutes
Ingredients
- 1 large piece of bread, sourdough or any artisanal bread is great
- Butter, softened for spreading on bread
- Several healthy slices of gruyere or taleggio cheese
- Honey for drizzling on sandwich
- Sea salt and fresh pepper
- Thyme, lavender buds or tomato and basil as garnish
Directions
- Butter both sides of the bread and place in a medium-heat frying pan.
- Brown the bread on both sides and remove from heat. Preheat broiler to 450 degrees.
- Transfer bread to a baking sheet and cover bread with cheese.
- Slip into broiler for 2 minutes, or until the cheese begins to brown. (You can also do this on a grill – even better!)
- Remove sandwich from heat and drizzle with honey. Add lavender or thyme. (Leave off the honey if you want a basil/tomato grilled cheese)
- Eat immediately.
