Salami and Veggies Grilled Cheese Sandwich

Did you know that April is National Grilled Cheese Month? I sure didn’t, until I received an amazing array of goodies consisting of various cheese and butter varieties from Kerrygold as a part of their loyalty program. They tipped me off that April 12th was National Grilled Cheese Day, but the party isn’t only contained for that day alone, it’s grilled cheese time all month long!

Now let me tell you a little something about sandwiches in this house. My husband loves his sandwiches. He will have my breakfast sandwich, peanut butter and jelly, cold cuts and cheese, tuna, anything really. He loves his sandwiches. This has trickled down to the kids and I can’t even begin to tell you how many PB&J’s they could live on if I didn’t do anything to stop them. Me? I’m not much into cold sandwiches. I prefer my sandwiches lightly toasted, or grilled to perfection in a frying pan on the stove-top. YES!! Melted cheese, buttery grilled bread and some of my favorite fillings are what make up my favorite sandwiches. I’m determined to get this family on the grilled cheese sandwich train with me, and leave all those cold sandwiches behind. It’s just more exciting this way, don’t you agree?

I decided to start with some delicious dry Italian salami that comes in a package presliced. We typically always have this on hand and I though I’d pair it with the Kerrygold Dubliner cheese. The Dubliner is an aged cheese with just a hint of sweetness and I thought it would create a great match of flavor to the salami. I like to just create different grilled cheese sandwiches based on what I have on hand, and this day I felt that carrots and spinach would be a great accent and color to this sandwich. Of course I used some sourdough bread, it grills beautifully and becomes such a perfect golden color. Because it’s a more sturdy bread it can hold a lot in a grilled cheese without the worry of it falling apart.

I also added a little secret weapon to this sandwich that I think was just genius. Horseradish mustard spread on the insides of the bread before filling with everything. It was just lovely with the salami and veggies and was the perfect balance with the Kerrygold Dubliner. It’s adds a great bite of flavor to a colorful and fun sandwich.

Ingredients:

• 2 slices sourdough bread
• 1-2 tablespoons horseradish mustard
• 1/2 block of Kerrygold Dubliner  cheese, total block is 7 ounces
• 1 carrot
• 1/4 cup spinach, shredded
• 5 slices of Italian Dry Salami
• salt and pepper
• 2 tablespoons Kerrygold salted butter

Directions:

Begin by spreading the horseradish mustard on the inside of two slices of sourdough bread.

Place a few slices of cheese on one slice of bread, on top of the horseradish mustard. Top with shreds of carrots, then sprinkle with a bit of shredded spinach.

Place 3 slices of salami on top, separating each piece with a slice of Dubliner cheese.

Top with a few more slices of cheese, then a few more shreds of carrots and spinach.

Sprinkle a bit of salt and fresh ground pepper then place the second piece of bread on top of the layered sandwich.

Melt one tablespoon of Kerrygold salted butter in a pan over medium heat. Once the butter is melted, gently place the sandwich in the pan and let cook until edges are golden and bread is not soggy.

Once the bread is golden, gently remove from pan and carefully melt the second tablespoon of butter in the pan. Flip the sandwich over and grill the other side until golden as well.

Remove sandwich from heat and let cool. Cut in half and add sandwich sticks or toothpicks in each half to keep it in place.

Because the Dubliner cheese is an aged cheese, it’s not going to melt and be as gooey as some other cheeses, which is why I think it’s great for a sandwich like this, with substantial height and ingredients. The sticks will help keep it in place.

Serve and enjoy!

What’s your favorite way to make a grilled cheese?