Grilled Cheese Goodness

A good grilled cheese sandwich is crisp on the outside and gooey and melty on the inside. The bread and the cheese can be switched around, but never do I want to bite into a limp breaded sandwich filled with hard cheese.

But crisp bread and melted cheese is not where a good grilled sandwich ends. No, good grilled cheese sandwiches need more than that. They need something special added in them. Maybe it's spoonful of fig jam smeared into the bread before Brie is sandwiches in. Or maybe it's a little pesto or apple added for a burst of flavour. Whatever it is, just make sure you put enough in the sandwich so you can taste it.

I think the grilled cheese sandwich I'm sharing today is pretty spectacular. It's full of healthy spinach and tart little artichokes. And it's high time a spinach artichoke dip met a grilled cheese sandwich, don't you think?

Spinach and Artichoke Grilled Cheese - serves 2

4 pieces of bread

2 tablespoons butter

2 cups of baby spinach, chopped

1/2 cup of jarred artichokes, chopped as finely as you desire

3/4 cup of grated mozzarella cheese

1/2 teaspoon of garlic powder

1. Steam spinach in a medium pot filled with a little water until just wilted. Drain water completely. 

2. Add artichokes and cheese to he spinach and stir to combine. 

3. Butter all four pieces of bread. Place two, butter side down, in a frying pan and mound each with plenty of the mozzarella mixture. Top with the remaining two pieces of bread, butter side up. 

4. Cook sandwiches on medium low heat until the bread browns and crisps. Flip and let the other side of the sandwich brown and crisp as the cheese melts. 

5. Remove the sandwiches from the pan, slice, and enjoy. 

If you're anything like me, you'll want to squeeze the sandwich and let the filling ooze out the side. I don't know why, but that makes me really happy - no matter how many times I've done it. :)