THE AMERICAN Farmers Breakfast Grilled Cheese

The month of April is National Grilled Cheese Month, and we’re celebrating with Tillamook Grilled Cheese Recipepalooza!

Each day throughout the month of April, we will be sharing recipes from chefs, moms, Tillamook employees and some of our favorite bloggers, all with one thing in common – they love Tillamook! Get your fill of grilled cheese inspiration then hit the griddle to make our Tillamook Grilled Cheese Recipepalooza recipes for you and your family with your favorite all natural sliced Tillamook Cheese.

Our first grilled cheese recipe comes to us from Tillamook Kitchen chefs Heidi Gibson and Nate Pollak, the undaunted, bread-grilling engineers behind the adventurous menu at THE AMERICAN Grilled Cheese Kitchen in San Francisco, CA.

Recipe Overview

You don’t have to be a farmer to appreciate this early-morning sandwich. Artisanal bread is filled with Tillamook Sharp Cheddar, crisp bacon, slices of roasted potatoes, an egg over-easy, and a bit of chive butter.

“The Farmer’s Breakfast sandwich is a delicious and filling way to start the day. Tillamook Sharp Cheddar Cheese, crisp bacon, sliced roasted potatoes, gooey over-easy eggs, artisanal bread and a bit of chive butter combine for a hearty breakfast treat.” – Heidi Gibson of the American Grilled Cheese Kitchen.

Recipe Details

• Recipe Title: Farmer’s Breakfast
• Prep time: 30 minutes
• Total time: 40 minutes
• Yield (number of servings): 4

Ingredients List

• 2 tablespoons (1 oz) Tillamook Salted Butter at room temperature
• 10 fresh chives, minced
• 8 slices fresh artisanal levain bread (or other country-style bread)
• 12 slices Tillamook Sharp Cheddar Cheese
• 4 small Yukon Gold potatoes, sliced thin (about 1/4 inch)
• 8 pieces cooked bacon
• 4 eggs
• Salt
• Pepper
• Olive oil

Preparation/Instructions

Prepare the Chive Butter
Chop chives and cream together with butter.

Roast the Potatoes
Heat oven to 350°F. Spread sliced potatoes one layer thick on an oiled sheet pan and then sprinkle with salt, pepper, and a small amount of olive oil. Roast until fork-tender and lightly browned, about 15-20 mins. When potatoes are done, remove from oven, turn the oven up to 450°F, and put a sheet pan in the oven to heat. While potatoes are roasting, cook the bacon.

Assemble the Sandwiches
Spread chive butter on one side of each slice of bread. Place bread buttered side down. Layer two layers of cheddar on each slice of bread, then one layer of roasted potatoes, then bacon.

Cook the Eggs
Heat a nonstick pan or griddle to 325°F. Spray with oil or a bit of melted butter. Crack eggs and gently place in the hot pan, careful not to break the yolk. Place open face sandwiches onto hot sheet pan and put in oven. Watch carefully and remove sandwiches from oven when cheese is melted and bread is barely browned. Flip over eggs, cook for another 10 seconds, then carefully place each over-easy egg onto each sandwich, on top of bacon. Top each sandwich with one slice of buttered bread and place sheet pan back into hot oven for another 30-60 seconds, until bread is toasted and cheese is melted. Serve immediately.

By Tillamook

The Ice Cream Grilled Cheese PB&J by The AMERICAN Grilled Cheese Kitchen includes a cheddar cheese ice cream recipe!

Have you ever made an ice cream recipe that called for cheddar cheese? And have you ever had a grilled cheese with ice cream inside? Chef Heidi Gibson of The AMERICAN Grilled Cheese Kitchen decided to try both. Her Ice Cream Grilled Cheese PB&J recipe first calls for you to make a cheddar cheese ice cream recipe with Tillamook Sharp Cheddar Cheese before assembling the sandwich and grilling. The result is fantastic – it’s unlike anything you’ve ever tasted! 

Ice Cream Grilled Cheese PB&J

Ingredients:

For the Cheddar Ice Cream (makes 1 quart)
7 large egg yolks
1 cup sugar
¼ teaspoon salt
1½ cups half and half
1 cup heavy cream
1 tablespoon vanilla extract
1½ cups (6 oz) Tillamook® Sharp Cheddar Cheese, shredded

For Sandwiches
16 slices pain de mie sandwich bread (or use brioche, challah, or other rich white breads)
8 tablespoons high quality cherry jam (you can use strawberry or any other flavor you prefer)
8 tablespoons creamy peanut butter
8 – ½-inch slices of cheddar ice cream (see recipe)
4 teaspoons Tillamook® Salted Butter

Preparation:

Cheddar Ice Cream Recipe
In a medium mixing bowl, beat the sugar and salt into the egg yolks with a hand mixer until thickened and pale yellow. Set aside. Bring the half and half to a simmer in a heavy medium pan over medium heat. Slowly beat the hot half and half into the egg mixture. Pour the entire contents back into the pan and place over very low heat (or over a double boiler). Stir constantly until custard thickens slightly; do not let the mixture boil. Remove from heat, transfer back into bowl and then stir cheese into the custard until it melts. When cheese is melted, stir in cream and vanilla. Cover and chill until cold. Freeze in your ice cream maker according to manufacturer’s instructions, then transfer ice cream into a greased 9×5 bread loaf pan, cover tightly, and place in freezer overnight (or at least 2 hours).

Assemble the Sandwiches
Butter one side of each piece of bread, then place buttered sides down. Spread jam on inside of one piece of bread, and peanut butter on the other. When ready to cook, remove ice cream from freezer, turn out from loaf pan onto a cutting board, and slice ½ inch thick slices of ice cream. You can reserve these in the freezer until the last possible minute. Add a slice of ice cream to each sandwich, close the sandwich, and grill over medium-high heat in a, pre-heated pan just until toasted. Get the sandwiches off the grill as quickly as possible before the ice cream melts. Slice in half and serve immediately.

I never knew that an ice cream recipe could be so intriguing – thanks, Heidi!

By Laura

Tillamook partner chefs Heidi Gibson and Nate Pollak of The AMERICAN Grilled Cheese Kitchen.

What’s a sandwich without cheese? To celebrate two of the all-time tastiest foods – sandwiches and cheese – our Loaf Love Tour has partnered with five notable Bay Area restaurants. Each restaurant is offering their take on specialty melts, sandwiches (and even burgers!) featuring award-winning Tillamook Cheese.

‘Tillamook Sandwich Week’ runs from June 11th – 18th, so grab a map  and start plotting out your sandwich crawl around town!

Participating restaurants:

The AMERICAN Grilled Cheese Kitchen
1 South Park Ave.
Suite 103A
San Francisco, 941070
(415) 243-0107
Tillamook Sandwich Week Special: Tillamook Signature Chef Heidi Gibson has created a Mac n’ Cheese Grilled Cheese with Tillamook Monterey Jack Cheese, pork belly, smoked tomato, caramelized onions, and avocado ($8.00).

Ironside
680 A 2nd St.
San Francisco, CA 941070
(415) 896-1127
Tillamook Sandwich Week Specials: Tillamook Monterey Jack Cheese tops off Ironside’s Northern Bison Burger and Pacific Pastures Grass Fed Beef Burger  (market price; $15).

Nickies
466 Haight St.
San Francisco, CA 941170
(415) 255-0300
Tillamook Sandwich Week Special: Lower Haight local eatery and neighborhood bar, Nickies, will be featuring a Crispy Chicken Sandwich with a trio of melted Tillamook Cheeses – Tillamook Monterey Jack Cheese, Tillamook Medium Cheddar Cheese, and Tillamook Sharp Cheddar Cheese – served with a side of fresh cut fries or bleu slaw ($9.50).

Globe
290 Pacific Ave.
San Francisco, CA 941110
(415) 391-4132
Tillamook Sandwich Week Special: Chef Joseph has created his all-time favorite Bacon and Tomato Sandwich featuring melted Tillamook Medium Cheddar on grilled sourdough (lunch: $9, dinner: $11).

Brown Sugar Kitchen
2534 Mandela Parkway
Oakland, CA 946070
(510) 839-7685
Tillamook Sandwich Week Special: Owner and Chef Tanya Holland has created a Smoked Vegetable Muffaletta topped with Tillamook Monterey Jack Cheese ($8.50).

Meet the Loaf Love Tour team (and our cute little Baby Loaf buses!) at several participating Tillamook Sandwich Week restaurants on Thursday, June 16! Starting at 1:30pm, we’ll visit The AMERICAN Grilled Cheese Kitchen, Nickies, and Globe. Later that evening, we’ll head on over to Ironside to try their Bison Burger topped with Tillamook Monterey Jack Cheese (yum!). Come join us – we’d Loaf to meet you!

By Tillamook

Get a free Loaf Love Tour mini bus in San Francisco next Monday!

On Monday, May 16, our Loaf Love Tour rolls into Northern California! We’re kicking things off in NorCal with a “Day of Loaf” in San Francisco. We’ll spend the day exploring the city by driving around in our cute little Baby Loaf buses and taking photos. We’ll also drop by to say “hi” to our favorite San Francisco chef, Heidi Gibson of The AMERICAN Grilled Cheese Kitchen.

Between 11am – 1pm, the Loaf Love Tour will be hanging out at The AMERICAN and we’ll be giving away free Loaf Love Tour mini buses to Tillamook Cheese fans while we’re there! How do you get your mini bus, you ask? Well, we’re not telling… at least not yet! Tune into our Facebook page and Twitter next Monday morning and we’ll tell you what to do to get your very own mini bus.

Hope to see you at The AMERICAN Grilled Cheese Kitchen next Monday, May 16!

By Loafy

The Jalapeno Popper Sandwich

As the countdown to the Grilled Cheese Invitational (GCI) continues, I bring you this week’s featured grilled cheese: The Jalapeno Popper Sandwich by Chef Heidi Gibson, owner of San Francisco’s The AMERICAN Grilled Cheese Kitchen and seven-time National Grilled Cheese Invitational award winner. Heidi hasn’t competed with this particular sandwich at the GCI, but it would be a tasty contender in the Kama Sutra category. Sandwiches that compete in this category must be “of the savory nature, with any type of bread, butter, and cheese PLUS additional ingredients.” 

The Jalapeno Popper Sandwich is both spicy and sweet at the same time. Mild and creamy Tillamook Monterey Jack (recently voted “America’s Best“!) and chevre cheese are melted over crisp, smoky bacon and apricot-jalapeno relish. If you don’t live in San Francisco and can’t head to Heidi’s restaurant, then try making it at home: 

The Jalapeno Popper Sandwich by Heidi Gibson of The AMERICAN Grilled Cheese Kitchen
 
Ingredients:
 
For Each Sandwich
4 teaspoons (¾ oz) Tillamook® Salted Butter at room temperature
8 slices high-quality artisan bread, like a levain, sliced about ½ inch thick
¼ cup (2 oz) fresh chevre (goat cheese)
½ cup (4 oz) Apricot-Jalapeno Relish
8 pieces cooked bacon
8 slices Tillamook® Monterey Jack Cheese (also try Tillamook® Reduced Fat Monterey Jack)
 
For the Apricot-Jalapeno Relish (makes enough for about 8 sandwiches)
8 oz dried California apricots (or Blenheim), chopped
6 tablespoons (3 oz) white onions, diced
4 jalapeno peppers (stems and seeds removed), minced
2 serrano peppers, cleaned and minced
½ habanero pepper (optional – only if you really like spice!)
1 tablespoon fresh lime juice (about ½ a lime’s worth)
½ tablespoon mustard powder
1 tablespoon fresh ginger, grated (Chef tip: store fresh ginger in the freezer. You can also substitute with dried ground ginger)
1 ½  tablespoons apple cider vinegar
1 teaspoon salt
 
Preparation:
 
Make the Relish
Mix all ingredients for the Apricot-Jalapeno relish together thoroughly, then cover and refrigerate for at least one hour, preferably overnight.
 
Assemble the Sandwich
Spread butter on one side of 2 slices of bread. Lay bread buttered side down on a cutting board. Spread chevre (which can be softened by heating it briefly in the microwave) evenly over 1 slice. Spread Apricot-Jalapeno relish evenly on top of chevre.  Place bacon on relish, then top sandwich with cheese slices. Sandwiches can be cooked open face on a pre-heated cast iron pan in a 500°F oven, then closed and served. Or they can be closed, then cooked in a pan on a stovetop over medium-low heat until bread is toasted and cheese is melted.

By Loafy

Gluten Free Mac & Cheese by The AMERICAN Grilled Cheese Kitchen

Celebrate National Noodle Month with the Gluten Free Mac & Cheese recipe on the Tillamook Kitchen! This recipe is super delicious, but when I look at this recipe I also love looking at the reviews. Melanie from Stockton, CA left a review that keeps me struggling to hold back tears each time I read it:

Celiac’s dream
“Made it for my mom who was diagnosed with Celiac disease less than 2 years ago. She still can’t eat a lot of fat or dairy due the damage done to her intestines from the disease, but it was so good she almost cried.”

Thanks for the kind words, Melanie. I am so happy that you can make this for your Mom!

Ingredients:
7 tablespoons Tillamook® Salted Butter
6 tablespoons gluten-free flour (such as Bob’s Red Mill Gluten Free Flour)
4 cups milk
¼ teaspoon cayenne pepper
1½ teaspoons dry mustard powder
1 tablespoon ground black pepper
1 teaspoon salt
1 lb gluten free pasta of your choice (elbow shape is traditional), cooked to al dente or according to the directions on the package
3 cups (12 oz) Tillamook® Sharp Cheddar Cheese, shredded
1 cup (4 oz) gruyere, shredded (mixed together with cheddar)
1 cup fresh gluten free bread crumbs (optional)

Preparation:
Preheat oven to 350°F.
Mix shredded sharp cheddar and gruyere cheese together in a bowl, set aside. Melt 6 tablespoons butter in a medium heavy bottom saucepan over medium-low heat. When butter is melted, whisk in gluten free flour; keep whisking until roux thickens and lets of a nutty aroma, 2-3 minutes.

Add milk in a thin stream to roux, whisking as you go. Add cayenne, mustard, salt and pepper. Allow mixture to come to a low boil, continuing to whisk. Simmer sauce until thickened, about 2 minutes, then turn off heat and stir in all but ½ cup of shredded cheese.

Stir in cooked, drained gluten free macaroni into cheese sauce. Pour entire contents into buttered casserole dish (a 3-Qt dish is the right size). In a small bowl, stir together bread crumbs (if using) and remaining ½ cup cheese. Sprinkle over macaroni.

Bake in middle of oven 25-30 minutes, until golden and bubbling.

By Laura

My absolute favorite part of our new website is the Tillamook Kitchen. It’s filled with amazing recipes – truly unique sandwiches and more – from chefs at three of our Tillamook-loving partner restaurants: The AMERICAN Grilled Cheese Kitchen, Bunk Bar, and the Grilled Cheese Truck. These chefs were cooking with Tillamook before we even met them!

I have to admit, I’m not much of a cook… but I do love trying new food! The best part about these recipes is that they’re not overly-complicated, but they’re still unique and creative. They’re definitely not your mom’s PB&J (please don’t tell your mom I said that!).

The Tillamook Kitchen even has video recipes to coach you along. They feature our partner chefs preparing their tasty masterpieces while they divulge some of their helpful chef secrets. These videos are inspiring – they make me feel like even I can melt some sandwich magic. I seriously can’t wait to try them all.

We want you to try them, too! During the next two weeks, we’re holding a “Make, Review, Win Tillamook!” contest. All you have to do is make one of these delicious recipes, write a review on our website, and you could win a free Tillamook Baby Loaf Love gift box!

Here’s how to enter:

1. Between February 14 – February 25, visit the Tillamook Kitchen on our new website.

2. Browse our new recipes and pick any one of them that you’d like to try.

3. Gather ingredients and start cooking!

4. Eat what you whipped up (best part).

5. Review – An area to write a review for the recipe you made is located at the bottom of each recipe page.

6. At 5 p.m. on Friday, February 25, come back to the Loaf Life Blog to see if you’ve won and find out how to claim your prize.

All entries must be received before noon on Friday, February 25. You can review as many different recipes as you’d like!

Each person who writes a recipe review will be automatically entered into a random drawing to receive a free Tillamook Baby Loaf Love gift box! We’ll select 10 winners total and announce them on the Loaf Life Blog on Friday, February 25, before 5pm. Tune in on this date to see if you’ve won and to find out how to get your free Baby Loaf Love gift box!

Contest Official Rules

By Loafy

By Gillian

You have probably heard of Monterey Jack Cheese, even tried Monterey Jack Cheese. Now it’s time to really get to know Monterey Jack.  The Tillamook Monterey Jack recipe has recently been reformulated. It now has a more mild flavor, perfectly creamy texture, and updated packaging.

What I love most about Tillamook Monterey Jack is that it’s so versatile – it’s more than just a staple for Mexican dishes. I can add it to almost everything! Some of my favorite recipes that use Tillamook Monterey Jack are the Roasted Poblano Torta from Bunk Bar and the Jalapeno Popper Sandwich from The AMERICAN Grilled Cheese Kitchen. Give them a try – because once you experience Tillamook Monterey Jack, you’ll wonder how you ever survived without it!

By Mary

Heidi preparing to shoot a recipe video for Tillamook.com

I’ve been hearing about Heidi Gibson for a long time now… Grilled Cheese Invitational ringer with loads of tasty trophies, tech professional who gave it all up to open a restaurant dedicated to grilled cheese. She even has a dog named Tilly that she rescued after finding her wandering the streets! These are the stories that passionate heroes are made of.  So it was my sincere pleasure to go behind the scenes on the video recipe shoot Heidi created with Tillamook.

Heidi in the kitchen at The AMERICAN Grilled Cheese Kitchen

First of all, we had her restaurant, The AMERICAN Grilled Cheese Kitchen, all to ourselves on a Sunday morning. You should have smelled the delicious onions caramelizing, cheese melting, and strata baking. It was amazing. I’ve also never eaten so much grilled cheese in my life (we photographed tons of sandwiches and we HAD to taste everything after all!). YUM.

Our spread of yummy sandwiches - all amazing!

I also loved talking to Heidi in between shoots. I could have talked her ear off, but one thing that really stuck with me was how well she knew each of the food items she used in her sandwiches. Each ingredient in her recipes came from a carefully chosen partner who shares her values around food and sustainable business – from her bread to her meat to her beverages.  Here at Tillamook, we feel truly honored to be counted amongst her partners.  Thanks, Heidi! We think you’re whey cool!

Heidi's Grilled Cheese Invitational awards

By Gillian