Smoked duck and Tillamook Sharp Cheddar make this sandwich unlike any other!

One of Austin’s hottest new chefs, Erica Beneke has already made her mark on Austin’s culinary scene as Executive Chef of MAX’s Wine Dive. Erica grew up in the Finger Lakes region of New York where her passion for cooking began with her family.  Their kitchen was always stocked with fresh produce and home-grown products and in her home kitchen is where she began to craft her skill. After graduating from culinary school at Paul Smith’s College, Erica relocated to Austin, where she fell in love with the food scene.

Recipe Details

• Prep time: 1 day
• Cook time: 10 minutes
• Yield :  2 servings

Recipe Overview

In celebration of national grilled cheese week and Tillamook’s Austin Grilled Cheese Week, MAX’s Wine Dive has created a special sandwich featuring smoked duck breast, caramelized onions, fresh watercress and Tillamook Sharp Cheddar Cheese.

Ingredients List

• 8 oz duck breast
• 1 cup ice water
• 2 T. kosher salt
• 1 T. brown sugar
• 1 T. molasses
• 1 T. olive oil
• 1 lb. white onion, thinly sliced
• 2 oz Tillamook Salted Butter
• 4 slices of rustic sourdough bread (sliced ½ inch thick)
• 4 slices of Tillamook Sharp Cheddar Cheese
• 1 cup fresh watercress

Preparation

For the duck:

Combine water, salt, brown sugar and molasses in a medium mixing bowl and whisk until salt has dissolved. Pour mixture over duck breast in a shallow plastic container and refrigerate overnight. The following day, set up a smoker according to manufacturer’s directions, using a fruit wood.

Remove duck from sugar mixture and pat dry with a paper towel, transfer to the smoker and smoke until the internal temperature reaches 160 degrees. Carefully remove duck from smoker and allow it to cool before slicing thinly.

For the caramelized onions:

Heat a large skillet over medium-high heat; add the olive oil, followed by the onions. Lower heat to medium-low and cook, stirring frequently for about 20 minutes, or until the onions are soft and golden brown.

Assembly:

Preheat oven to 350. Lightly butter one side of each piece of sourdough and place butter side down on a preheated ovenproof pan or flat grill, toast until golden brown on bottom side. For each sandwich, place a few slices of duck on one side of the bread, half of the caramelized onions on the other and two slices of cheese on both sides.

Transfer pan to the preheated oven and cook for about 5-7 minutes, until the cheese is melted and bubbly. Remove from pan and place half a cup of watercress on one piece of the bread, place two sides of bread together to form a sandwich and enjoy!

Chefs Tips:

• Cooked slices of bacon could be used as a substitute for the smoked duck
• Fresh arugula or spinach could be substituted for the watercress
• I like to serve this with a bit of hot pepper jelly or a mango chutney for dipping

By Tillamook

Mary's take on grilled cheese!

Mary Cecchini is not only a member of the Tillamook marketing team, but she is an Oregon native, Tillamook disciple from a wee young age and lover of all things cheese – grilled cheese, macaroni and cheese, cheese dip, cheese burgers, cheese quesadillas and the list could go on, and on, and on. It must be fate that it’s now her job at Tillamook to make sure fans around the country get a chance to try Tillamook for the first time and fall in ‘loaf’ with the natural cheese she has been in enjoying her entire life.

Recipe Details

• Prep time: 20 minutes
• Total time: 35 minutes
• Yield (number of servings): 4 sandwiches

Recipe Overview

Everyone has trigger foods; they are the food you see, smell or hear about that have a strong and compelling gravitational pull on you. When you see your trigger foods as an ingredient on a menu – you’ll be hard pressed to not order the dish; when you spot your trigger food at the grocery store – it will likely find its way into your cart. You just can’t help resist eating them. When I was asked to submit my favorite grilled cheese sandwich for Tillamook Grilled Cheese Recipipalooza, I didn’t have a choice, all of my favorite trigger foods started pulling on me and as a result they all ended up in a grilled cheese sandwich – avocado, bacon, tomatoes, caramelized onions and pepper jack and cheddar cheese. Enjoy!

Ingredients List

• 8 slices of your favorite bread
• 4 tablespoons Tillamook Salted Butter
• 4 slices Tillamook Sharp Cheddar
• 4 slices Tillamook Pepper Jack
• 2 cups shredded Tillamook Sharp Cheddar
• 2 large tomatoes, cut into 8 slices
• 4 pieces bacon
• 1 medium onion, sliced
• 1 avocado, sliced
• 1 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil

Preparation/Instructions

You will want to have all the ingredients prepped and ready to go before you start making this sandwich, because once it starts – it goes fast!

Sautee the sliced onions in a skillet using extra virgin olive oil until the onions are translucent and caramelized. Let the onions cool and then set aside. Cook the bacon slices to the desired level of crispiness. Let the bacon cool, then cut each slice in half and set aside.

Lightly butter one side of each piece of bread and place butter side down on medium heated pan or flat grill. For each sandwich place 1 slice of Pepper Jack on one slice of bread and 1 slice of Sharp Cheddar on the other slice of bread. Let the cheese melt on the bread while checking the underside so as not to burn. Lower heat if necessary, or if the bread starts to brown faster than the cheese melts, place the lid of a cooking pot over the bread to make the cheese melt faster.

Once the cheese has melted, pile on the fixins’! Add two half-slices of bacon, a few slices of avocado and tomato and about 2 tbsp. of caramelized onions on top of one slice of bread. Add a ½ cup of shredded Sharp Cheddar on top of the fixins’, and then put the other slice of bread on top. Place a heavy weight (such as a clean cast-iron skillet) on top of the completed sandwich for a few moments to allow for the shredded Sharp Cheddar to melt and bring all the ingredients together. Remove the sandwich from heat and let it sit on a cutting board for a few minutes. Once the sandwich has rested for a few minutes cut it in half and enjoy!

By Tillamook

D Bar Desserts' Monster Muenster

Keegan Gerhard, a one-time cyclist, originally pursued a career in culinary arts as a source of income that would allow him to train for the Olympics. Convenience soon gave way to passion, as Gerhard found himself running the kitchen of a French bistro in San Diego. Keegan was named one of the nation’s top 10 pastry chefs of 2002 and 2004 by both Chocolatier and Pastry Art & Design Magazines, and served as emcee and host of the live Food Network Challenge Series for the Food Network. Opened in 2008, Keegan’s Denver restaurant, D Bar, is a favorite getaway for those who love dessert, food, wine, and lively conversation. In addition to his restaurant, you can also find Keegan in the Tillamook Kitchen.

Recipe Details

• Prep time: 15 mins
• Total time: 20 mins
• Yield (number of servings): 4 servings

Recipe Overview
The mad scientists at D Bar turned an ordinary panini into a Muenster! Roast beef, pastrami, caramelized onions and Tillamook Muenster Cheese, topped with a frighteningly good homemade “1000 island” style dressing makes a seriously delicious sandwich.

Ingredients List

Sandwich Dressing

• ¾ cup mayonnaise or Vegenaise
• ¼ cup Tillamook Premium Sour Cream
• 3/4 cup ketchup
• 1 teaspoon dill relish
• 1 teaspoon sweet pickle relish
• 1 teaspoon dried onion flakes
• 1/2 teaspoon roasted garlic or 1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
• 1/2 teaspoon lemon juice
• 1/2 teaspoon balsamic vinegar
• 3-4 good shakes of Tabasco sauce
• Fresh ground black pepper, to taste

Panini

• 8 slices good quality sourdough sandwich bread
• 4 oz sandwich dressing (see recipe above)
• 4 oz aioli or mayo
• 8 slices Tillamook Sliced Muenster Cheese
• 8 oz rare roast beef, sliced thinly
• 8 oz pastrami, sliced thinly
• Kosher pickles, as desired
• 4 oz caramelized onions
• melted Tillamook Unsalted Butter

Preparation/Instructions

Sandwich dressing
In a bowl, combine the mayonnaise, sour cream, ketchup, relishes, onion, garlic, lemon juice, balsamic vinegar, Tabasco, and black pepper to taste. Mix well! Makes about 2 cups dressing.

Assemble the sandwich
For each Panini: on one slice of bread, spread sandwich dressing, while on the other, spread aioli or mayo. Layer cheese, roast beef, and pastrami, then top with pickles and caramelized onions. Close the sandwich. Brush outer sides of sandwich generously with melted Unsalted Tillamook Butter. Press on panini grill or toast in pan or on flattop grill. Serve with garlic Parmesan fries, sweet potato fries or small side salad.

By Tillamook

Grilled Cheese Grill's Grilled Cheese Benedict

Tillamook Kitchen chef, Matt Breslow originally went to film school in Los Angeles, hoping to make movies people would claim as their favorite. Now he does the same thing in the food world. Believing that the grilled cheese is the perfect comfort food, Matt opened the Grilled Cheese Grill in 2009 in Portland, Oregon. Matt’s philosophy is simple – hire good people and create a comfortable space where customers can be happy. When he’s not manning the grill, Matt can be found hanging out with his beloved dog, Morton.

Recipe Details

• Prep time: 10 minutes
• Total time: 25 – 30 minutes
• Yield (number of servings): 4 servings

Recipe Overview

Thank the Grilled Cheese Grill folks for daring to suggest what we’ve been saying all along: Everything’s better with Tillamook. Poached eggs, ham and tomato on English muffin bread, covered with Tillamook Cheddar Cheese sauce. “Understandably, this dish is a loose interpretation of what most people recognize as a Grilled Cheese. But it’s good, and we’re exercising our right to poetic license. So there. Instead of Hollandaise, this dish uses a simple-to-prepare cheese sauce. Easy to make, great looking on the plate, and sure to impress your next breakfast guests.” – Matt Breslow of the Grilled Cheese Grill

Ingredients List

Cheese Sauce

• 2 tablespoons (1 oz) Tillamook Salted Butter
• 2 tablespoons (1 oz) all-purpose flour
• 1 cup (8 oz) whole milk
• 1 ½ – 2 cups (6-8 oz) Tillamook Special Reserve Extra Sharp Cheddar Cheese, shredded

Grilled Cheese Benedict

• 2 tablespoons white vinegar
• 4 fresh eggs (the fresher, the better)
• 4 slices of English muffin bread (or 2 English muffins)
• 4 slices of round deli ham
• 1 ripe tomato
• Salt and pepper
• Old Bay seasoning (or paprika)

Preparation/Instructions

Cheese Sauce
In a medium saucepan over low heat, melt the butter thoroughly, then mix in the flour, stirring until well dissolved. Gradually stir in milk and continue to stir until smooth and thick. It might take five minutes or so. If it’s taking too long, add a little heat (but don’t go over a 4 on your burner). Once the milk has thickened, lower heat back to low and allow to sit for about five minutes on the burner, stirring occasionally.

Throw cheese into milk mixture and stir thoroughly until it’s a smooth and thick sauce. You can always add more cheese if you’d like to thicken the sauce further. Once it’s done, keep over low heat, stirring occasionally.

Poaching an Egg
Prepare another medium saucepan about half full with water and set to med-high heat. This is the pot in which you will poach your eggs. Add 2 tablespoons of white vinegar to your water to help the eggs properly poach. Do not let the water boil; to best poach an egg, you want the water at a temp just below boiling. If it does reach boiling, lower the heat and allow pot to sit until water is no longer boiling.

Poaching an egg is much easier than you’d expect. With the just-under-boiling pot of water ready, carefully crack one egg into a small pyrex measuring cup that has a handle. You can also use a small coffee mug if you’d like. When cracking the egg, be careful not to break the yolk. If the yolk is broken, the egg won’t poach well. The reason you want the freshest eggs is because the membranes that separate the egg whites from the yolk will be stronger when the egg is fresh. The more aged the egg gets, the less integrity the membranes retain.

So you have a pot of really hot but not boiling water, and a measuring cup with a raw egg in it. Pick up the measuring cup by the handle and tilt it over the pot just enough so the egg does NOT pour out. Lower the measuring cup into the water so that it fills with water but the egg doesn’t pour out. The egg should start to turn white. As this happens, begin to gently shake the measuring cup, the goal being to try to prevent the egg from sticking to the sides. Once the egg surface has whitened, about 10-15 seconds, gently pour it into the pot and remove the measuring cup. With a dish towel, dry the measuring cup and repeat the whole process with another egg.

Prepare the Sandwiches
To prepare the toast, set a large frying pan to medium heat. Cut the crusts off the English muffin bread (unless you’re using English muffins), forming a nice square slice, about 3-4 inches long on each side. Butter one side of each piece of bread and put it butter side down in the frying pan. Dab butter on the other sides of the bread.

Now check your eggs. With a slotted spoon, gently scoop the first egg that went into the pot and pull it from the water. With it still on the spoon, you can check to see how done it is.  Runny poached eggs usually take about 4 minutes to cook. Give it a nudge, and if it still feels really liquidy, it will need a little more time. Once the eggs are done, place each on a paper towel to collect excess water.

Place the slices of ham in the same frying pan as the bread. While the ham is cooking slice the tomato. Flip your toast and ham.  Put the tomatoes on the grill for just a minute (to take out some of the water) and sprinkle with salt and pepper.

Assemble the Sandwiches
To plate the ham, fold it twice into a quarter-circle and place each slice directly on each slice of toast. Put one slice of tomato over each ham piece, making a nice Benedictine tower.

The final step is to ladle your cheese sauce over top (using as much as you want). Finish with a dash of Old Bay seasoning over top. Now cook your own, repeating the steps to create a second plate!

By Tillamook

Taco Melt from The Grilled Cheese Truck

Dave Danhi and Michele Grant are the dynamic duo behind The Grilled Cheese Truck in Los Angeles, California. Together they have been grilling up unique grilled cheese sandwiches featuring fresh and local ingredients since 2009.

Recipe Details

• Prep time: 30 minutes
• Total time: 45 minutes
• Yield (number of servings): 4

Recipe Overview
Layers of melted Tillamook Pepper Jack and Cotija cheese, taco meat, pico de gallo, and avocado cover crispy corn tortillas. Grill it all between two slices of chili cheese bread – it’s how tacos were meant to be eaten.

“Weekly, someone will come up to The Grilled Cheese Truck asking for a taco because, well, it’s usually assumed that there are tacos on lunch trucks. If you can’t beat them, join them, I say! I love the texture of the crispy tortillas in this!” – Dave Danhi of The Grilled Cheese Truck

Ingredients List

Butter Spread

• ¾ cup (6 oz) Tillamook Unsalted Butter, room temperature
• ¾ cup (6 oz) mayonnaise

Taco Meat

• 1 pound ground beef
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• ½ yellow onion, cut into ¼ inch pieces
• ½ jalapeño
• 2 cloves garlic, finely minced
• 1/3 cup cilantro, washed and chopped
• 1 tablespoon chili powder
• 1 teaspoon cayenne pepper (more or less to taste)
• 1 teaspoon black pepper, freshly ground
• 1 teaspoon white pepper, ground
• 1 ½ teaspoons ground cumin

Pico de Gallo

• 3 Roma tomatoes, cut in ¼ inch pieces
• 4 whole cloves of garlic, finely minced
• ½ red onion, finely diced
• 2 tablespoons fresh cilantro, washed and chopped
• 2 limes (juice only)
• 1 jalapeño, finely minced
• Salt and pepper to taste

Sandwiches

• 8 slices chili cheese bread, thick ½ inch slices (Trader Joe’s brand, or see recipe)
• 16 slices Tillamook^® Pepper Jack Cheese
• 8 whole corn tortillas, fried crisply
• Taco meat mix (see recipe)
• 4 oz crumbled Cotija cheese
• 8 oz pico de gallo (see recipe)
• 1 large ripe avocado, cut into quarters and sliced thinly

Preparation/Instructions

Butter Spread
In a mixer, put butter and mayonnaise and beat with the paddle attachment until well mixed. Be sure to scrape down the sides of the bowl to incorporate all butter as it may stick to the bowl.

Taco Meat
In a heavy bottom pot, heat olive oil until hot and add onions. Sauté for 5 minutes and add garlic and jalapeños. Sauté for 5 more minutes. Add ground beef and cook, stirring occasionally until thoroughly cooked. Add remaining ingredients and adjust seasonings to your taste. Remove from heat.

Pico de Gallo
Combine all ingredients and allow to chill for at least one hour.

Assembly of Sandwiches
Generously butter each slice of bread on one side and lay buttered side down. Add (in this order) on one slice of bread: 2 slices Pepper Jack, 1 crispy corn tortilla, 3 oz cooked taco meat, 1 oz crumbled Cotija cheese, ¼ of the avacado, 1 oz pico de gallo, 1 crispy corn tortilla, 2 slices Pepper Jack, and add the second slice of bread (buttered side out) to top it off.

Cooking
Heat griddle to about 350°F. Place all sandwiches on griddle. Allow sandwiches to cook slowly. If your heat is too high, the bread will burn and the inside of the sandwich will not be hot. Once golden brown, gently flip and repeat until cheese is melted and inside is hot. If the bread browns prior to the inside being hot, place pan with sandwiches in oven at 450°F to allow to finish.

Jalapeno Cheese Bread (optional)
Cut one jalapeño into very thin slices (use a mandolin if you have one or a very sharp knife), and crumble (or shred) some Cheddar. Butter the outside of a plain piece of bread and place the jalapeño slices (about 4-6 per slice) on the butter. Sprinkle with a small amount of Cheddar and prepare the sandwich as directed above. Be sure to use a non-stick pan when doing it this way. You may want to lower the heat slightly (340°F) so the cheese doesn’t burn before the sandwich is ready.

By Tillamook

Erika's unique grilled cheese with homemade pesto

Erika Kerekes writes about food just about every day, either on her blog In Erika’s Kitchen or as the LA Cooking Examiner. She’s obsessed with truffles (the fungi) and hosts an annual Trufflepalooza feast at her home each summer. She’s talked truffles and pie on NPR’s “Good Food” radio show; decorated cakes with Kelly Ripa and Buddy “The Cake Boss” Valastro; interviewed culinary celebrities like Curtis Stone, Alice Waters and Giada De Laurentiis; and turned her two sons, ages 13 and 10, into recipe developers and bloggers themselves. Erika co-founded Food Bloggers Los Angeles, a professional networking and educational group that meets monthly. When she’s not writing about food, she works as a product manager at a Fortune 1000 company, helping small businesses learn to embrace social media. A native New Yorker, Erika still can’t believe food grows on trees in her backyard, including the figs and Meyer lemons to which she’s now addicted.

Recipe Details

• Prep time: 15 minutes
• Total time: 25 minutes
• Yield (number of servings): 2 sandwiches

Recipe Overview

I’m going through a kale phase. One of my favorite ways to eat kale is in this smooth, garlicky pesto. The sharp garlic and slightly bitter kale pair perfectly with smooth Tillamook Colby Jack Cheese. Griddled on thick slices of hearty whole-grain bread, this is one of the best and most unusual grilled cheese sandwiches I’ve ever tasted.

Simple, yummy ingredients

Ingredients List

• 2 cups kale leaves, center ribs removed, torn into rough pieces
• 1/4 cup pistachio nuts, shelled, roasted and salted (measure after shelling)
• 1 clove garlic
• 1/4 cup plus 2 Tsp olive oil, divided
• 4 thick slices hearty whole-grain bread (I prefer La Brea Bakery’s Whole Grain Loaf)
• 4 Tillamook Colby Jack slices

Ready for grilling!

Preparation/Instructions

Put the kale, pistachios, garlic and 1/4 cup olive oil in a blender or food processor. Process until a smooth paste forms.

Using a pastry brush, coat the outsides of the bread slices with the remaining 2 tsp olive oil. Lay the bread oiled side down on a cutting board. Spread 1 tsp of the kale-pistachio pesto on the inside of each slice of bread (reserve the remaining pesto for another use – it’s great on pasta!). Divide the Tillamook Colby Jack Cheese between two slices of the bread, then top with the remaining slices.

Heat a skillet over medium-low heat. Add the sandwiches and grill until the cheese is melted and the outsides of the sandwiches are golden brown, watching carefully to make sure the bread doesn’t burn. Remove the sandwiches from the skillet, cut in half, and serve immediately.

By Tillamook

Dale's Pigs in a Blanket...of Cheese

Tillamook Corporate Cheese Production Manager, Dale Baumgartner has been making cheese at Tillamook for 44 years – the last 18 as Head Cheese Maker! In that time, he has developed quite a taste for cheese and in his opinion the sharper the better. He is an avid hunter who once dreamed of being a hunting guide in the wilds of Alaska – we at Tillamook are pretty glad he went into the cheese business instead!

Recipe Details

• Prep time: 5 minutes
• Total time: 15 minutes
• Yield (number of servings): 4 sandwiches

Recipe Overview

Working at Tillamook I’ve had my fair share of delicious grilled cheese sandwiches. The Centennial Grilled Cheese at the Cheese Factory Creamery Cafe and the ol’ faithful with just Medium Cheddar and a bowl of tomato soup stand out, but none compare to my own favorite, Pigs in a Blanket…of Cheese. When I’m out hunting with my buddies, I need something that’s easy to make but that fills up our stomachs. I think I’ve found the perfect sandwich to do just that! The contrast of sharp (Vintage White Extra Sharp) and spicy (Pepper Jack) cheese with a mellow ham just can’t be beat. I know there are a ton of different breads to choose from, but my favorite bread to make a grilled cheese sandwich with is good ol’ white bread. Just talking about this sandwich makes me want to be out hunting again!

Ingredients List

• 4 tablespoons Tillamook Salted Butter
• 12 slices Tillamook Vintage White Extra Sharp Cheddar
• 8 slices Tillamook Pepper Jack
• 8 oz of your favorite ham
• 8 slices of your favorite bread

Preparation/Instructions

Since we make these in the middle of nowhere I use a camper stove, but these directions will work just as well for your home stove. Butter one side of each piece of bread and put it on the grill butter side down on medium heat. For each sandwich place two slices of Vintage White Extra Sharp Cheddar and one slice of Pepper Jack on one side of bread and one slice of Vintage White Extra Sharp Cheddar and one slice of Pepper Jack on the other slice of bread. Next to the bread and cheese put a couple pieces of ham on the grill just enough to warm it. Warming the ham makes for a little better texture and consistency while pulling the sandwich together.

Melt the cheese on the bread gently, but don’t burn the bread. If you’re burning the bread you can lower heat or place the lid of a cooking pot over the bread to make the cheese melt faster. Put the ham onto one slice of bread per sandwich and put the two slices of bread together when they have reached desired gooey goodness level. Remove the sandwiches from heat, put them on a paper plate and eat with some chips and an ice cold root beer. I can’t take it anymore. See ya…I’m going hunting!

By Tillamook

Albacore Tuna Melt from the guys at Bunk Bar

Tillamook Kitchen’s Tommy Habetz and Nick Wood fused their love of food and sandwiches together to open Bunk Sandwiches and Bunk Bar in Portland, Oregon. While Tommy’s love is Italian cooking and Nick has a knack for Southern cuisine, when you’re at Bunk none of the labels matter because everything coming out of their kitchen is tasty.

Recipe Details

• Prep time: 15 minutes
• Total time: 20 minutes
• Yield (number of servings): 4

Recipe Overview

Perfect for a rainy Portland day, this classic sandwich gets a Northwest makeover. Oregon Albacore tuna meets mustard, pickles, balsamic vinegar and a melty layer of Tillamook Sharp Cheddar.

Ingredients List

• 2 - 6 oz cans albacore tuna
• ¼ cup finely diced red onion
• ¼ cup extra virgin olive oil
• 1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar
• 1 tablespoon minced basil
• ½ teaspoon crushed red pepper
• Salt and freshly ground pepper
• 4 ciabatta rolls, split
• Dijon mustard and mayonnaise, for spreading
• 8 - ¼-inch-thick slices of Tillamook Sharp Cheddar or Tillamook Swiss Cheese
• 24 slices garlic dill pickles
• 2 tablespoons (1 oz) Tillamook Unsalted Butter, softened

Preparation/Instructions

In a medium bowl, mix the tuna with the onion, olive oil, vinegar, basil, and crushed red pepper. Season with salt and pepper.

Heat a panini press or griddle. Spread the cut sides of the rolls with mustard and mayonnaise and top each roll half with a slice of cheese. Spread the tuna salad on the bottoms and cover with the pickles. Close the sandwiches and spread the outsides of the rolls with butter.

Place the sandwiches on the press or griddle and cook over moderate heat until the cheese is melted, about 6 minutes. To make sure the sandwiches are fully cooked, open them up and place in a 450°F oven for about 1 minute. Remove from oven, close sandwiches, cut in half, and serve.

By Tillamook

Simple and delicious grilled cheese from Harold Strunk

As the ‘Big Cheese’ at Tillamook, President and CEO Harold Strunk knows a thing or two about what goes into making the perfect grilled cheese sandwich. The foundations of a delicious grilled cheese, according to Harold: melts perfectly with gooey cheese spilling out the sides, an evenly crispy crust, and begins and ends with great tasting, naturally aged cheese like Tillamook.

Recipe Details

• Prep time: 5 minutes
• Total time: 15 minutes
• Yield (number of servings): 4 sandwiches

Recipe Overview

Unfortunately, I have had my share of grilled cheese sandwiches made with processed cheese. I grew up on the east coast where processed cheese is very popular and even spent some time working with a company that made processed cheese. Until I started working with Tillamook I didn’t truly appreciate the difference between a naturally made and aged cheese vs. a processed cheese, and how it affects the taste, texture and quality of a grilled cheese sandwich. When it’s cold, wet and rainy in Tillamook, Oregon – the home and headquarters of Tillamook – this is the grilled cheese I make for me and my family.

Ingredients List

• 4 tablespoons Tillamook Salted Butter
• 12 slices Tillamook Vintage White Extra Sharp Cheddar
• 4 slices Tillamook Pepper Jack
• 8 slices of your favorite bread

Preparation/Instructions

Lightly butter one side of each piece of bread and place butter side down on medium heated pan or flat grill. For each sandwich place 2 slices of Vintage White Extra Sharp Cheddar on one side of bread and 1 slice of Vintage White Extra Sharp Cheddar and 1 slice of Pepper Jack on the other slice of bread.

Let the cheese melt on the bread while checking the underside so as not to burn. Lower heat if necessary, or if the bread starts to brown faster than the cheese melts, place the lid of a cooking pot over the bread to make the cheese melt faster. Place the two slices of bread together when they have reached desired melted consistency. Remove from heat, let sit on a cutting board for a few minutes and enjoy.

By Tillamook

Carol Abrogoua's Ooey Gooey Maple Fruity

In 2011, the Tillamook Cheese Factory held its first ever Grilled Cheese Recipe Contest. From 48 entries, three finalists were chosen to cook for a panel of judges to see whose recipe was the cheesiest of them all. Carol Abrogoua of Tillamook, Oregon entered the contest at the prompting of her mom, who was confident Carol could win. Carol says her recipe, the Ooey Gooey Maple Fruity, “was really just a combination of some of my favorite foods, all squished into a melty sandwich!” The unique collection of ingredients helped Carol take home the gold.

Recipe Overview

With Tillamook Medium Cheddar and Monterey Jack, the unique combination of tart apples and sweet, salty bacon on Hawaiian sweet rolls makes this grilled cheese sandwich unlike anything you’ve tried. It’s a winner in our book!

Recipe Details

• Prep time: 30 minutes
• Total time: 45 minutes
• Yield (number of servings): 4

Ingredients List

• 1 cluster of 6 Hawaiian sweet rolls, kept together as 6 and cut across the middle like it was one giant roll
• 3‐4 Tbsp Tillamook Salted Butter, softened so it’s very easy to spread
• 6‐8 slices (enough to cover the bread) Tillamook Medium Cheddar Cheese
• 6‐8 slices (enough to cover the bread) Tillamook Monterey Jack Cheese
• 7‐ 8 slices maple flavored bacon
• 1 large Granny Smith apple, cored and thinly sliced

Preparation/instructions

Heat a flat top grill to medium/medium‐high heat.

Fry bacon in a sauté pan until crispy. Set aside.

Butter the INSIDES of the Hawaiian sweet roll slices, and lay 1 slice buttered side down on a flat top
grill.

Lay slices of Cheddar, enough to cover the roll evenly.

Top with bacon slices, to evenly cover.

Top with apple slices, to evenly cover.

Top with Monterey Jack slices, to evenly cover.

Lay the remaining sweet roll slice on top, buttered side up.

Once the cheddar just begins to melt, flip the sandwich over. Allow to grill for 3‐4 minutes, then place a
heavy pan (such as a cast iron skillet or something similar) on the top of the sandwich to press it down.

Continue to grill for another 3‐4 minutes. Check to make sure bread isn’t burnt. Flip the sandwich again,
and grill for evenness on each side. Cut into individual sized pieces and enjoy!

By Tillamook