Three-Cheese Grilled Cheese Sandwich

My favorite quick but still fancy food is grilled cheese sandwiches. They are easy, because they're just a sandwich, but they are classy, too, cause it's easy to add a few things in the middle the give it a different flavor. Last summer I discovered the easiest way to spruce up a grilled cheese, without any special ingredients or fancy cheeses: jelly.

Strawberry, apricot, peach jam or jelly spread thinly on one side of a sandwich adds a sweet kick to the sandwich, and complements the cheese really well. The best jelly I found for sandwiches is jalapeño jelly (though the apricot is a close second) which you can usually find at farmers markets, if you don't know someone who makes it at home. Contrary to popular belief, jalapeño jelly isn't that spicy, it leaves a little tickle in the back of your throat, but the flavor for the most part is a mellow sweetness.



This sandwich has:
Thin layer of jalapeño jelly, which I got from a classmate who makes it every year
Thin layer of cream cheese
Generous portion of Fontina cheese
Sprinkling of Parmesan cheese
Healthy dashes of basil
A bit of crushed red pepper

But, seriously, it's easy to be creative with grilled cheese. You can put some herbs in the butter or olive oil brushed on the bread, and then even a sandwich with nothing special in the middle with have a bit of extra flavor.



Behold the power of cheese.