Brie Grilled Cheese

As I get nearer to a due date, whether it's turning in a book or the launch of a book [TO BRIE OR NOT TO BRIE comes out next Tuesday!!!] I like to keep the cooking to a minimum. I don't want to make something with multiple steps (like last week's ganache). And I need comfort food.

I remember when I was a kid, one of my favorite comfort foods was grilled cheese. My mom always used American cheese and she served the sandwich with a cup of tomato soup. This was especially good whenever we visited Lake Tahoe and the days were cold.

Cold days...a blanket...soup and sandwich. Mmm-mmm good.

I've shared many grilled cheese recipes on Mystery Lover's Kitchen over the past two years. A grilled Irish Reuben. A grilled avocado and salmon made with Collier's Cheddar. We have a sizable collection of sandwich recipes in our recipe box (see it on the left)?

Brie happens to be one of the best melting cheeses. I remove the rind because there's something about grilled rind that just doesn't do it for me. If you like it, include it. But the cheese! Ooh, la, la, it's so scrumptious.

One of the tips to a good grilled cheese is using enough butter to coat the bread and enough cheese to make it all about the cheese. As my friend Marcella the Cheesemonger says, it's called a grilled CHEESE sandwich, not a grilled bread sandwich. Thanks to a tip I learned from Marcella, I use a tablespoon of cream cheese on the insides of the bread because it, too, melts well and encourages the other cheese to get cookin'!

So today, keeping it easy, I'd like to share my super-simple Brie grilled cheese. I've made this on homemade gluten-free bread, which was also easy because I used a mix. There's nothing like the aroma of fresh-baked bread, even gluten-free bread!

BY THE WAY, THIS WOULD BE GREAT FOR A SUPER BOWL SNACK!!

BRIE GRILLED CHEESE

(for one)

Ingredients:
2 slices of your favorite bread
2-3 ounces of Brie cheese, rinds removed
1-2 tablespoons cream cheese
1-2 tablespoons butter
dash of salt, if desired

Directions:
Heat a skillet on medium-high. Butter the outside of the bread. Now spread the cream cheese on the other sides of the bread. Put both slices on the skillet, butter-side down. Lay the Brie cheese on top of the bread slices. Dash with salt, if desired.

Reduce heat to medium-low. Cook for 1-2 minutes. Using a spatula, lift one side of the bread and lay on top of the other. Cook another minute. Flip and cook another minute. Do your best not to burn the bread. Cheese should ooze out the sides.  Remove from the skillet and serve warm.

What is your favorite comfort food?

I'm giving away your choice of the first three 

CHEESE SHOP MYSTERIES

 to one of today's commenters!

Say cheese!

* * * * * * *

The 4th in A Cheese Shop Mystery series: 

TO BRIE OR NOT TO BRIE
coming February 5th!

You can pre-order the book HERE. 
Click this link to watch the TRAILER
Click this link to read an EXCERPT.
Click this link to hear a PODCAST

You can learn more about me, Avery, by clicking this link.
Chat with me on Facebook and Twitter.

And if you haven't done so, sign up for the mailing list

 so you can learn about upcoming events, releases, and contests!

Also, you probably know by now about my alter ego,
DARYL WOOD GERBER...and her new series
A COOKBOOK NOOK MYSTERY series
debuts July 2013

"Like" Daryl's page on Facebook and "follow" Daryl on Twitter.

"She" doesn't say all the same things "Avery" does. Promise.

Say cheese!

***********